Color reversal process and developer

Claim 2

A BATH FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC POSITIVE COLOR DEVELOPMENT OF SILVER HALIDE PHOTOGRAPHIC ELEMENTS, SAID BATH COMPRISING, IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION AT A PH OF FROM 8.5 TO 14: A. AT LEAST 0.02 MOLES/LITER OF PHOTOGRAPHIC COLOR DEVELOPING AGENT CAPABLE, UPON OXIDATION THEREO, OF REACTING WITH A PHOTOGRAPHIC COUPLER TO FORM A DYE; SAID COLOR DEVELOPING AGENT HAVING A POLAROGRAPHIC HALF-WAVE POTENTIAL AT PH 11.0 FROM ABOUT -159 TO ABOUT -305 MILLIVOLTS; B. AY LEAST ONE BLACK AND WHITE DEVELOPING AGENT HAVING A POLAROGRAPHIC HALF-WAVE POTENTIAL AT PH 10.0 OF FROM ABOUT -10 MILLIVOLTS TO ABOUT -187 MILLIVOLTS; AND C. WATER-SOLUBLE, DYE-FORMATION INHIBITOR IN A CONCENTRATION OF AT LEAST ABOUT 0.10 MOLES/LITER WHICH IS PRESENT IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITY SO THAT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL DYE FORMATION OF A SILVER HALIDE PHOTOGRAPHIC ELEMENT IS RESTRAINED IN SAID BATH AFTER SAID ELEMENT HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO LIGHT, THE MOLE RATIO OF INHIBITOR TO COLOR DEVELOPER BEING AT LEAST ABOUT 0.97.

Claim 3

The bath according to claim 1 wherein said dye-formation inhibitor is sulfite.

Claim 4

The bath according to claim 1 wherein the pH thereof is from about 10 to about 11.

Claim 5

The bath according to claim 1 wherein the dye-formation inhibitor is capable of forming a reaction product with the oxidation product of said color developing agent.

Claim 6

The bath according to claim 1 wherein the dye-formation inhibitor is capable of preventing the color developing agent from being oxidized.

Claim 7

The developer bath according to claim 1 wherein said color developing agent represents from about 40 to about 95 mole percent of the total developer content of said bath.

Claim 8

The developer bath of claim 1 wherein said at least one black and white photographic developing agent is hydroquinone.

Claim 9

The developer bath according to claim 1 which additionally includes a color coupler compound.

Claim 10

The developer bath according to claim 1 wherein said at least one color developing agent has a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 11.0 of from about -159 millivolts to about -305 millivolts.

Claim 11

The bath of claim 1 wherein the dye formation inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of sulfite, ascorbic acid, citrazinic acid, 4-hydroxy-3-butanone and hydroquinone monocarboxylic acid hydrazides.

Claim 12

The bath of claim 1 wherein the pH is at least 10.0.

Claim 13

A color developer bath for positive color development of silver halide photographic elements, said bath comprising, in aqueous solution of pH 8.5-14, A. at least 0.02 moles/liter of primary aromatic amine photographic color developing agent capable, upon oxidation thereof, of reacting with a photographic color coupler to form a dye, said color developing agent having a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 11.0 of from about -159 to about -305 millivolts; B. at least one black and white developing agent having a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 10.0 of from about -10 millivolts to about -187 millivolts; and C. from about 0.10 to about 0.48 moles/liter of inhibitor which is present in sufficient quantity so that substantially all dye formation of a silver halide photographic element is restrained in said bath after said element has been exposed to light, and which forms a reaction product with oxidized said color developing agent, the mole ratio of inhibitor to color developer being at least about 0.97.

Claim 14

A color developer bath for positive color development of silver halide photographic elements, said bath comprising, in aqueous solution of pH 8.5-14, A. at least 0.02 moles/liter of primary aromatic amine photographic color developing agent capable, upon oxidation thereof, of reacting with a photographic color coupler to form a dye, said color developing agent having a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 11.0 of from about -159 to about -305 millivolts; B. at least one black and white developing agent having a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 10.0 of from about -10 millivolts to about -187 millivolts; and C. from about 0.10 to about 0.48 moles/liter of inhibitor which is present in sufficient quantity so that substantially all dye formation of a silver halide photographic element is restrained in said bath after said element has been exposed to light, and which forms a reaction product with oxidized said color developing agent, the mole ratio of inhibitor to color developer being at least about 0.97.

Claim 15

The developer bath according to claim 12 wherein said inhibitor is sulfite.

Claim 16

The developer according to claim 12 wherein said black and white photographic developer includes hydroquinone and 1-phenyl-3-pyrazolidinone.

Claim 17

A PHOTOGRAPHIC COLOR REVERSAL DEVELOPMENT PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES A. TREATING A COLOR PHOTOGRPHIC ELEMENT HAVING A HYDROPHILIC COLLOID SILVER HALIDE LAYER BEARING A LATENT IMAGE WITH AN AQUEOUS BATH SOLUTION WHICH INCLUDES AT LEAST 0.02 MOLES/LITER OF PHOTOGRAPHIC COLOR DEVELOPING AGENT CAPABLE, UPON OXIDATION, OF REACTING WITH A PHOTOGRAPHIC COLOR COUPLER TO FORM A DYE, BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPER INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE BLACK AND WHITE DEVELOPING AGENT HAVING A POLAROGRAPHIC HALF-WAVE POTENTIAL AT PH 10.0 OF FROM ABOUT -10 MILLIVOLTS TO ABOUT -187 MILLIVOLTS, AND WATER-SOLUBLE DYE-FORMATION INHIBITOR IN A CONCENTRATION OF AT LEAST 0.10 MOLES/LITER, SAID CONCENTRATION BEING SUFFICIENT SO THAT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL DYE FORMATION OF A SILVER HALIDE; PHOTOGRAPHIC ELEMENT IS RESTRAINED IN SAID BATH AFTER SAID ELEMENT HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO THE LIGHT 4THE MOLE RATIO OF INHIBITOR TO COLOR DEVELOPER BEING AT LEAST ABOUT 0.97, THEREBY TO IMBIDE SAID SILVER HALIDE LAYER WITH SAID BATH SOLUTION AND TO DEVELOP SOLELY A NEGATIVE BLACK AND WHITE IMAGE THEREIN; B. THEREAFTER FOGGING SAID SILVER HALIDE LAYER SO AS TO RENDER SAID LAYER DEVELOPABLE IN NON-IMAGED AREAS; C. WITHOUT INTERMEDIATE REMOVAL OF SAID IMBIDED BATH SOLUTION, TREATING SAID LAYER TO REDUCE THE INHIBITING EFFECT OF SAID DYE FORMATION INHIBITOR; AND D. ALLOWING DEVELOPMENT THEREIN OF A POSITIVE COLOR IMAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF A COLOR COUPLER.

Claim 18

A PHOTOGRAPHIC COLOR REVERSAL DEVELOPMENT PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES A. TREATING A COLOR PHOTOGRPHIC ELEMENT HAVING A HYDROPHILIC COLLOID SILVER HALIDE LAYER BEARING A LATENT IMAGE WITH AN AQUEOUS BATH SOLUTION WHICH INCLUDES AT LEAST 0.02 MOLES/LITER OF PHOTOGRAPHIC COLOR DEVELOPING AGENT CAPABLE, UPON OXIDATION, OF REACTING WITH A PHOTOGRAPHIC COLOR COUPLER TO FORM A DYE, BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPER INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE BLACK AND WHITE DEVELOPING AGENT HAVING A POLAROGRAPHIC HALF-WAVE POTENTIAL AT PH 10.0 OF FROM ABOUT -10 MILLIVOLTS TO ABOUT -187 MILLIVOLTS, AND WATER-SOLUBLE DYE-FORMATION INHIBITOR IN A CONCENTRATION OF AT LEAST 0.10 MOLES/LITER, SAID CONCENTRATION BEING SUFFICIENT SO THAT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL DYE FORMATION OF A SILVER HALIDE; PHOTOGRAPHIC ELEMENT IS RESTRAINED IN SAID BATH AFTER SAID ELEMENT HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO THE LIGHT 4THE MOLE RATIO OF INHIBITOR TO COLOR DEVELOPER BEING AT LEAST ABOUT 0.97, THEREBY TO IMBIDE SAID SILVER HALIDE LAYER WITH SAID BATH SOLUTION AND TO DEVELOP SOLELY A NEGATIVE BLACK AND WHITE IMAGE THEREIN; B. THEREAFTER FOGGING SAID SILVER HALIDE LAYER SO AS TO RENDER SAID LAYER DEVELOPABLE IN NON-IMAGED AREAS; C. WITHOUT INTERMEDIATE REMOVAL OF SAID IMBIDED BATH SOLUTION, TREATING SAID LAYER TO REDUCE THE INHIBITING EFFECT OF SAID DYE FORMATION INHIBITOR; AND D. ALLOWING DEVELOPMENT THEREIN OF A POSITIVE COLOR IMAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF A COLOR COUPLER.

Claim 19

The process according to claim 15 wherein said color coupler is originally in the photographic element.

Claim 20

The process according to claim 15 wherein at least some of the presence of color coupler is supplied by a bath.

Claim 21

The process according to claim 15 wherein the fogging and reduction of inhibiting effect is performed in the same bath.

Claim 22

The process according to claim 15 wherein said element is washed with an inhibitor-dissolving aqueous solution after said fogging step.

Claim 23

The process according to claim 15 wherein said fogging step comprises exposing said film bearing said black and white silver image to light.

Claim 24

The process according to claim 15 wherein said fogging step comprises treating said film bearing said black and white silver image with a fogging agent.

Claim 25

The process according to claim 15 wherein the pH of the bath is about 8.5-14.

Claim 26

The process according to claim 15 wherein any baths of the group selected from stop baths, bleach baths, fix baths, bleach/fix baths, wash baths, stabilizing baths, or hardening baths are also used.

Claim 27

A photographic color reversal development process which comprises A. treating a photographic element having a hydrophilic colloid silver halide layer bearing a latent image with an aqueous alkaline bath which includes at least 0.02 moles/liter of primary aromatic amine color developing agent capable, upon oxidation thereof, of reacting with a photographic coupler to form a dye, said color developing agent having a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 11.0 of from about -159 to about -305 millivolts, black and white photographic developer which includes hydroquinone, and from 0.10 to 0.48 moles/liter of inhibitor in a concentration sufficient so that substantially all dye formation of a silver halide photographic element is restrained in said bath after said element has been exposed to light, the mole ratio of inhibitor to color developer being at least about 0.97, thereby to imbibe said bath into said silver halide layer and to develop solely a negative black and white silver image therein; B. thereafter fogging said silver halide layer by exposure thereof to light; and C. without intermediate removal of imbibed bath, washing said layer with an inhibitor-dissolving aqueous alkaline solution until a positive color image has been developed therein.

Claim 28

A photographic color reversal development process which comprises A. treating a photographic element having a hydrophilic colloid silver halide layer bearing a latent image with an aqueous alkaline bath which includes at least 0.02 moles/liter of primary aromatic amine color developing agent capable, upon oxidation thereof, of reacting with a photographic coupler to form a dye, said color developing agent having a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 11.0 of from about -159 to about -305 millivolts, black and white photographic developer which includes hydroquinone, and from 0.10 to 0.48 moles/liter of inhibitor in a concentration sufficient so that substantially all dye formation of a silver halide photographic element is restrained in said bath after said element has been exposed to light, the mole ratio of inhibitor to color developer being at least about 0.97, thereby to imbibe said bath into said silver halide layer and to develop solely a negative black and white silver image therein; B. thereafter fogging said silver halide layer by exposure thereof to light; and C. without intermediate removal of imbibed bath, washing said layer with an inhibitor-dissolving aqueous alkaline solution until a positive color image has been developed therein.

Claim 29

The process according to claim 24 wherein said inhibitor is sulfite.

Claim 30

A color developer bath for photographic positive color development of silver halide photographic elements, said bath comprising, in aqueous solution of pH 8.5-14, A. at least 0.02 moles/liter of a photographic color developing agent capable of reacting with a photographic color coupler to form a dye, said color developing agent having a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 11.0 of from about -159 to about -305 millivolts; B. a black and white photographic developer including at least one black and white developing agent having a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 10.0 of from about -10 millivolts to about -187 millivolts; and C. a water-soluble, dye-formation inhibitor in a concentration of at least about 0.10 moles/liter which is capable of reacting with the oxidation product of said color developing agent to form a stable, soluble complex and which is present in sufficient quantity so that substantially all dye formation of a silver halide photographic element is restrained in said bath after exposure of said element to light, the mole ratio of inhibitor to color developer being at least about 0.97.

Claim 31

A color developer bath for photographic positive color development of silver halide photographic elements, said bath comprising, in aqueous solution of pH 8.5-14, A. at least 0.02 moles/liter of a photographic color developing agent capable of reacting with a photographic color coupler to form a dye, said color developing agent having a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 11.0 of from about -159 to about -305 millivolts; B. a black and white photographic developer including at least one black and white developing agent having a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 10.0 of from about -10 millivolts to about -187 millivolts; and C. a water-soluble, dye-formation inhibitor in a concentration of at least about 0.10 moles/liter which is capable of reacting with the oxidation product of said color developing agent to form a stable, soluble complex and which is present in sufficient quantity so that substantially all dye formation of a silver halide photographic element is restrained in said bath after exposure of said element to light, the mole ratio of inhibitor to color developer being at least about 0.97.

Claim 32

A photographic color reversal development process which comprises A. treating a photographic element having a hydrophilic colloid silver halide layer bearing a latent image with an aqueous alkaline bath which includes at least 0.02 moles/liter of photographic color developing agent capable, upon oxidation of reacting with a photographic color coupler to form a dye, black and white photographic developer including at least one black and white developing agent having a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 10.0 of from about -10 millivolts to about -187 millivolts, and water-soluble dye-formation inhibitor in a concentration sufficient so that substantially all dye formation of a silver halide photographic element is restrained in said bath after said element has been exposed to light, and of at least about 0.10 moles/liter, the mole ratio of inhibitor to color developer being at least about 0.97, thereby to imbibe said silver halide layer with said bath and to develop solely a negative black and white silver image therein; B. thereafter fogging said silver halide layer so as to render said layer developable in non-imaged areas; and C. without intermediate removal of said imbibed bath, treating said layer to reduce the inhibiting effect of said dye formation inhibitor, thereby to cause development therein of a positive color image.

Claim 33

A photographic color reversal development process which comprises A. treating a photographic element having a hydrophilic colloid silver halide layer bearing a latent image with an aqueous alkaline bath which includes at least 0.02 moles/liter of photographic color developing agent capable, upon oxidation of reacting with a photographic color coupler to form a dye, black and white photographic developer including at least one black and white developing agent having a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 10.0 of from about -10 millivolts to about -187 millivolts, and water-soluble dye-formation inhibitor in a concentration sufficient so that substantially all dye formation of a silver halide photographic element is restrained in said bath after said element has been exposed to light, and of at least about 0.10 moles/liter, the mole ratio of inhibitor to color developer being at least about 0.97, thereby to imbibe said silver halide layer with said bath and to develop solely a negative black and white silver image therein; B. thereafter fogging said silver halide layer so as to render said layer developable in non-imaged areas; and C. without intermediate removal of said imbibed bath, treating said layer to reduce the inhibiting effect of said dye formation inhibitor, thereby to cause development therein of a positive color image.

Claim 34

A bath for photographic positive color development of silver halide photographic elements said bath comprising in aqueous solution at a pH of from 8.5-14; A. at least 0.02 moles/liter of photographic color developing agent capable, upon oxidation thereof, of reacting with a photographic coupler to form a dye, said color developing agent having a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 11.0 of from about -159 to about -305 millivolts, B. at least one black-and-white developing agent having a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 10.0 of from about -10 millivolts to about -187 millivolts, and C. water-soluble, dye-formation inhibitor in a concentration which is sufficient so that substantially all dye formation of a silver halide photographic element is restrained in said bath after said element has been exposed to light, the mole ratio of inhibitor to color developer being at least about 0.97.

Claim 35

A bath for photographic positive color development of silver halide photographic elements said bath comprising in aqueous solution at a pH of from 8.5-14; A. at least 0.02 moles/liter of photographic color developing agent capable, upon oxidation thereof, of reacting with a photographic coupler to form a dye, said color developing agent having a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 11.0 of from about -159 to about -305 millivolts, B. at least one black-and-white developing agent having a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 10.0 of from about -10 millivolts to about -187 millivolts, and C. water-soluble, dye-formation inhibitor in a concentration which is sufficient so that substantially all dye formation of a silver halide photographic element is restrained in said bath after said element has been exposed to light, the mole ratio of inhibitor to color developer being at least about 0.97.

Claim 36

The bath of claim 28 wherein the dye formation inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of sulfite, ascorbic acid, citrazinic acid, 4-hydroxy-3-butanone and hydroquinone monocarboxylic acid hydrazides.

Claim 37

A bath for photographic positive color development of silver halide photographic elements, said bath comprising in aqueous solution at a pH of from 8.5-14: A. at least 0.02 moles/liter of photographic color developing agent capable, upon oxidation thereof, of reacting with a photographic coupler to form a dye, said color developing agent having a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 11.0 of from about -159 to about -305 millivolts, B. at least one black and white developing agent having a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 10.0 greater than that of phenidone to -10 millivolts, and C. water-soluble, dye-formation inhibitor in a sufficient concentration so that substantially all dye formation of a silver halide photographic element is restrained in said bath after said element has been exposed to light, the mole ratio of inhibitor to color developer being at least about 0.97.

Claim 38

A bath for photographic positive color development of silver halide photographic elements, said bath comprising in aqueous solution at a pH of from 8.5-14: A. at least 0.02 moles/liter of photographic color developing agent capable, upon oxidation thereof, of reacting with a photographic coupler to form a dye, said color developing agent having a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 11.0 of from about -159 to about -305 millivolts, B. at least one black and white developing agent having a polarographic half-wave potential at pH 10.0 greater than that of phenidone to -10 millivolts, and C. water-soluble, dye-formation inhibitor in a sufficient concentration so that substantially all dye formation of a silver halide photographic element is restrained in said bath after said element has been exposed to light, the mole ratio of inhibitor to color developer being at least about 0.97.

Claim 39

The photographic developer bath of claim 30 in which dye formation inhibitor is present in a concentration of at least about 0.10 moles/liter.

Claim 40

The bath of claim 30 wherein the dye formation inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of sulfite, ascorbic acid, citrazinic acid 4-hydroxy-3-butanone, and monocarboxylic acid hydrazides.