Diffusion transfer process using an oxidized 4, 6-diamino-ortho-cresol solution

Claim 1

THE PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: (A) FORMING A PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSING COMPOSITION COMPRISING WATER, AN ALKALINE MATERIAL, A SILVER HALIDE SOLVENT AND 4,6-DIAMINO-ORTHO-CRESOL; (B) OXIDIZING AT LEAST A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF SAID 4,6-DIAMINO-ORTHO-CRESOL AT SOME STAGE DURING THE FORMATION OF SAID PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSING COMPOSITION; (C) APPLYING SAID PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSING COMPOSITION CONTAINING OXIDIZED 4,6-DIAMINO-ORTHO-CRESOL TO A PHOTOEXPOSED SILVER HALIDE EMULSION, THEREBY EFFECTING DEVELOPMENT OF SAID PHOTOEXPOSED SILVER HALIDE EMULSION AND FORMING IN UNDEVELOPED AREAS OF SAID PHOTOEXPOSED SILVER HALIDE EMULSION A SOLUBLE SILVER COMPLEX OF SAID SILVER HALIDE SOLVENT WITH UNDEVELOPED SILVER HALIDE; (D) TRANSFERRING SAID SOLUBLE SILVER COMPLEX, BY DIFFUSION, TO A SILVER-RECEPTIVE LAYER IN SUPERPOSED RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID PHOTOEXPOSED SILVER HALIDE EMULSION, THEREBY FORMING A SILVER TRANSFER IMAGE ON SAID SILVER-RECEPTIVE LAYER, SAID SILVER TRANSFER IMAGE EXHIBITING A HIGHER EQUIVALENT OVERALL A.S.A. SPED AND A HIGHER CONTRAST THAN IF SAID 4,6-DIAMINO-ORTHOCRESOL HAD NOT BEEN SO ORIDIZED PRIOR TO APPLYING SAID PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSING COMPOSITION TO SAID PHOTOEXPOSED SILVER HALIDE EMULSION.