Method of producing photographic contrasts

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING PHOTOGRAPHIC CONTRASTS ON A TRANSPARENT CELLULOSIC MOISTURE ABSORBENT CARRIER HAVING A GIVEN INITIAL MOISTURE CONTENT AND SUPPORTING A LIGHT-SENSITIVE SYSTEM CONTAINIG A DIAZONIUM COMPOUND AND A REDUCIBLE MERCUROUS SALT, THE STEPS COMPRISING VARYING THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF ONE PORTION OF SAID CARRIER TO AN EXTENT AT WHICH THE RESULTANT MOISTURE CONTENT OF SAID PORTION HAS A VALUE WHICH CORRESPONDS TO A STATE OF EQUILIBRIUM BETWEEN SAID PORTION AND AN ATMOSPHERE HAVING A RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF ABOUT 40 TO 96%, VARYING THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF A SECOND PORTION OF THE CARRIER TO AN EXTENT AT WHICH THE PORTION OF THE CARRIER CONTENT OF SAID SECOND PORTION HAS A VALUE DIFFERENT THAN THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF SAID FIRST PORTION AND HAS A VALUE WHICH CORRESPONDS TO A STATE OF EQUILBRIUM BETWEEN SAID SECOND PORTION AND AN ATMOSPHERE HAVING A RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF ABOUT 40 TO 96%, EXPOSING THE FIRST PORTION CONTAINING THE SAID MOISTURE CONTENT TO THE ACTION OF LIGHT HAVING A GIVEN INTENSITY OF ILLUMINATION TO FORM A PHOTOGRAPHIC CONTRAST THEREON HAVING A GIVEN GAMMA VALUE, AND EXPOSING THE SECOND PORTION CONTAINING THE SAID MOISTURE CONTENT TO THE ACTION OF LIGHT HAVING AN INTENSITY DIFFERENT FROM SAID GIVEN INTENSITY TO FORM A PHOTOGRAPHIC CONTRAST THEREON HAVING A GAMMA VALUE DIFFERENT FROM SAID GIVEN GAMMA VALUE.