Process 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 CONTAINING A DIAZONIUM COMPOUND AND REDUCIBLE MERCUROUS SALT, THE STEPS COMPRISING VARYING THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF ONE PORTION OF SAID CARRIER TO AN EXTENT AT WHICH THE RESULTING MOISTURE CONTENT OF SAID PORTION HAS A VLAUE OF ABOUT 10 TO 28% BY WEIGHT OF THE CARRIER AND CORRESPONDS TO A STATE OF EQUILIBRIUM BETWEEN SAID PORTION AND AN ATMOSPHERE HAVING A RELATIV HUMIDITY OF ABOUT 40 TO 90%, VARYING THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF THE SECOND PORTION OF THE CARRIER TO AN EXTENT AT WHICH THE RESULTANT MOISTURE CONTENT OF SAID SECOND PORTION HAS A VALUE DIFFERENT THAN THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF SAID FIRST PORTION AND HAS A VALUE OF ABOUT 10 TO 28% BY WEIGHT OF THE CARRIER AND CORRESPONDS TO A STATE OF EQUILIBRIUM BETWEEN SAID SECOND PORTION AND AN ATMOSPHERE HAVING A RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF ABOUT 40 TO 90%, AND EXPOSING SAID FIRST AND SECOND PORTIONS CONTAINING THE SAID MOSITURE CONTENTS AT THE TIME OF EXPOSURE TO THE ACTION OF LIGHT THROUGH A PHOTOGRAPHIC NEGATIVE WITH SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME INTENSITY OF ILLUMINATION TO FORM IMAGES ON THE RESPECTIVE PORTIONS OF THE CARRIER HAVILNG DIFFERENT CONTRAST VALUES WITH RESPECT TO THE IMAGE ON THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEGATIVE.