Color transfer film and process

Claim 2

A photographic process comprising providing a layer of a viscous aqueous alkaline processing composition between a first sheet-like element and a second sheet-like element; said first sheet-like element comprising an opaque support carrying an exposed silver halide emulsion; said second sheet-like element comprising a transparent support carrying an image-receiving layer; said processing composition comprising a light-reflecting pigment and at least one light-absorbing optical filter agent, said optical filter agent being a pH-sensitive dye; said application of said processing composition being effective to develop said exposed silver halide emulsion and to form a visible image in said image layer, the combination of said light-reflecting pigment and said optical filter agent being effective to prevent transmission through said processing composition layer of light actinic to said silver halide emulsion during development thereof; the layer of said second sheet-like element in contact with said processing composition layer containing a substantially nondiffusible decolorizing agent adapted to reduce, without pH reduction, the light-absorbing ability of said optical filter agent immediately adjacent the interface between said layer and said processing composition without reducing the light-absorbing ability of said optical filter agent within said processing composition, whereby the transmission density of said processing composition layer is substantially unchanged but the surface of said processing composition layer viewable through said transparent support appears substantially white substantially immediately after said processing composition is applied.

Claim 3

A photographic process as defined in claim 1 wherein said pH-sensitive dye is a phthalein dye.

Claim 4

A photographic process as defined in claim 1 wherein said decolorizing agent is in a layer over said image-receiving layer.

Claim 5

A photographic process as defined in claim 2 wherein the remaining optical filter agent is decolorized by reducing the pH after a predetermined time subsequent to the decolorization of the said optical filter agent adjacent said inferface.

Claim 6

A photographic process as defined in claim 1 wherein the concentrations of said optical filter agent and said light-reflecting pigment are effective to provide a transmission density of at least 6.

Claim 7

A photographic process as defined in claim 5 wherein the reflection density of said layer of processing composition has a reflection density not greater than about 1 in the absence of said decolorizing agent.

Claim 8

A photograhic process as defined in claim 6 wherein said reflection density is not greater than about 0.5 to 0.6 in the absence of said decolorizing agent.

Claim 9

A photographic process as defined in claim 1 wherein said optical filter agent is mordanted by gelatin, said first sheet-like element contains gelatin, and said second sheet-like element is free of gelatin.

Claim 10

A photographic process as defined in claim 1 wherein said decolorizing agent is present in a concentration effective to reduce the red reflection density of said layer of processing composition to not more than about 0.35 within 10 seconds after said processing composition is applied.

Claim 11

A photographic process as defined in claim 1 wherein said decolorizing agent is a polyoxyalkylene polymer.

Claim 12

A photographic process as defined in claim 10 wherein said polyoxyalkylene polymer is a polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene block copolymer.

Claim 13

A photographic process as defined in claim 10 wherein said decolorizing agent is a nonylphenoxyethylene oxide ethanol.

Claim 14

A photographic process as defined in claim 1 wherein said decolorizing layer comprises a mixture of a polymeric decolorizing agent and a second polymer.

Claim 15

A photographic process as defined in claim 13 wherein said polymeric decolorizing agent is a polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene block copolymer and said second polymer is polyvinyl alcohol.

Claim 16

A photographic process as defined in claim 1 wherein said optical filter agent contains a long chain substituent.

Claim 17

A photographic process as defined in claim 1 wherein said optical filter agent is a pH-sensitive phthalein dye containing a ##STR18## group and said decolorizing agent is a polyoxyalkylene copolymer.

Claim 18

A photographic process as defined in claim 1 wherein after a predetermined period subsequent to the decolorization of said optical filter agent adjacent said interface the pH of said processing composition layer is reduced to a pH effective to decolorize optical filter agent present in said layer, said pH reduction being effected by a neutralizing layer present in at least one of said sheet-like elements.

Claim 19

A photographic process as defined in claim 1 wherein said processing composition contains no more than about 1% by weight of a viscosity-providing polymer.

Claim 20

A photographic process as defined in claim 18 wherein said concentration of viscosity-providing polymer is about 0.8%.

Claim 21

A photographic process as defined in claim 18 wherein said viscosity-increasing polymer is a polymeric oxime.

Claim 22

A photographic process as defined in claim 18 wherein said viscosity-increasing polymer is hydroxyethyl cellulose.

Claim 23

A photographic process as defined in claim 1 wherein said visible image is a dye image.

Claim 24

A photographic process as defined in claim 22 wherein said dye is a dye developer.

Claim 25

A photographic process as defined in claim 1 wherein said decolorizing agent is a neutral polymeric material.

Claim 26

An image-receiving element, for use in a diffusion transfer process, comprising a transparent support carrying, in sequence and on the same side of said support, an image-receiving layer comprising a mordant for a diffusion transfer process image dye, and an outer layer comprising a polyoxyalkylene polymeric decolorizing agent for an optical filter agent, said optical filter agent being a pH-sensitive dye.

Claim 27

An image-receiving element, for use in a diffusion transfer process, comprising a transparent support carrying, in sequence and on the same side of said support, an image-receiving layer comprising a mordant for a diffusion transfer process image dye, and an outer layer comprising a polyoxyalkylene polymeric decolorizing agent for an optical filter agent, said optical filter agent being a pH-sensitive dye.

Claim 28

An image-receiving element as defined in claim 25, including a layer of a polymeric acid adjacent said support, and a polymeric timing layer between said image-receiving layer and said polymeric acid layer.

Claim 29

An image-receiving element as defined in claim 25 wherein said mordant is a quaternary ammonium polymer.

Claim 30

An image-receiving element as defined in claim 25 wherein said polyoxyalkylene polymer is a nonylphenoxyethylene oxide ethanol.

Claim 31

An image-receiving element as defined in claim 25 wherein said polyoxyalkylene polymer is a polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene block copolymer.

Claim 32

An image-receiving element as defined in claim 25 wherein said polyoxyalkylene polymer is mixed with polyvinyl alcohol.

Claim 33

A diffusion transfer process film unit including a first sheet-like element and a second sheet-like element, said first sheet-like element comprising an opaque support carrying a silver halide emulsion, said second sheet-like element comprising an image-receiving layer carried on a transparent support, said transparent support and the layers between it and said silver halide emulsion being transparent to radiation actinic to said silver halide emulsion; a viscous aqueous alkaline processing composition releasably contained in a rupturable container positioned to release said composition for distribution between said first and second sheet-like elements with said supports outermost, said processing composition including a light-reflecting pigment in a concentration effective to mask said photosensitive layer when said image-receiving layer is viewed through said transparent support; said processing composition also including an optical filter agent, said optical filter agent being a pH-sensitive dye which is light-absorbing at the pH of said processing composition, said optical filter agent being present in a concentration effective in combination with said pigment to provide a transmission density when distributed between said sheet-like elements and effective to substantially prevent further exposure of said silver halide emulsion during the performance of the transfer process in an area of light actinic to said silver halide emulsion; said first sheet-like element including an image-providing material adapted to provide an image-forming material diffusible to said image-receiving layer as a function of said development, the layer of said second sheet-like element positioned to be in direct contact with said processing composition following distribution thereof containing a substantially nondiffusible agent adapted to decolorize said optical filter agent without pH reduction, the concentration of said decolorizing agent being effective to decolorize optical filter agent immediately adjacent the interface between said processing composition and said decolorizing layer without substantially decreasing said transmission density, whereby the surface of said processing composition layer viewable through said transparent support appears substantially white substantially immediately after said processing composition is distributed.

Claim 34

A diffusion transfer process film unit including a first sheet-like element and a second sheet-like element, said first sheet-like element comprising an opaque support carrying a silver halide emulsion, said second sheet-like element comprising an image-receiving layer carried on a transparent support, said transparent support and the layers between it and said silver halide emulsion being transparent to radiation actinic to said silver halide emulsion; a viscous aqueous alkaline processing composition releasably contained in a rupturable container positioned to release said composition for distribution between said first and second sheet-like elements with said supports outermost, said processing composition including a light-reflecting pigment in a concentration effective to mask said photosensitive layer when said image-receiving layer is viewed through said transparent support; said processing composition also including an optical filter agent, said optical filter agent being a pH-sensitive dye which is light-absorbing at the pH of said processing composition, said optical filter agent being present in a concentration effective in combination with said pigment to provide a transmission density when distributed between said sheet-like elements and effective to substantially prevent further exposure of said silver halide emulsion during the performance of the transfer process in an area of light actinic to said silver halide emulsion; said first sheet-like element including an image-providing material adapted to provide an image-forming material diffusible to said image-receiving layer as a function of said development, the layer of said second sheet-like element positioned to be in direct contact with said processing composition following distribution thereof containing a substantially nondiffusible agent adapted to decolorize said optical filter agent without pH reduction, the concentration of said decolorizing agent being effective to decolorize optical filter agent immediately adjacent the interface between said processing composition and said decolorizing layer without substantially decreasing said transmission density, whereby the surface of said processing composition layer viewable through said transparent support appears substantially white substantially immediately after said processing composition is distributed.

Claim 35

A film unit as defined in claim 31, including a layer positioned in at least one of said sheet-like elements adapted after a predetermined time after said processing composition is distributed to provide an acid in a quantity effective to reduce the pH of said processing composition layer to a second pH at which said image-forming component is substantially non-diffusible.

Claim 36

A film unit as defined in claim 32 wherein said second pH is below the pKa of said optical filter agent.

Claim 37

A film unit as defined in claim 30 wherein the light-reflecting pigment is titanium dioxide.

Claim 38

A film unit as defined in claim 31 wherein the optical filter agent comprises a phthalein pH-sensitive dye possessing a pKa below the first pH and above the second pH.

Claim 39

A film unit as defined in claim 31 wherein said decolorizing agent is in a layer over said image-receiving layer.

Claim 40

A film unit as defined in claim 31 wherein said decolorizing agent is a neutral polymer.

Claim 41

A film unit as defined in claim 31 wherein said decolorizing agent is in said image-receiving layer.

Claim 42

A film unit as defined in claim 35 wherein the pH-sensitive dye is substantially nondiffusible from the layer of processing composition to the image-receiving layer.

Claim 43

A film unit as defined in claim 31 wherein said diffusible image-forming material is a dye.

Claim 44

A film unit as defined in claim 40 wherein said dye is a dye developer.

Claim 45

A film unit as defined in claim 31 wherein said diffusible image-forming material is a silver complex capable of forming a silver image in said image-receiving layer.

Claim 46

A film unit as defined in claim 32 wherein said acid providing layer is a layer of a polymeric acid.

Claim 47

A film unit as defined in claim 43 wherein a polymeric acid layer is positioned between said transparent support and said image-receiving layer.

Claim 48

A film unit as defined in claim 43 wherein a polymeric acid layer is positioned in said first sheet-like element adjacent said opaque support.

Claim 49

A film unit as defined in claim 31 wherein said decolorizing layer is adapted to reduce the red reflection density of said light-reflecting pigment layer to not greater than about 0.35 within ten seconds after said processing composition is applied.

Claim 50

A film unit as defined in claim 46 wherein the reflection density of said light-reflecting pigment layer is about 0.5 to 0.6 in the absence of said decolorizing agent.

Claim 51

A film unit as defined in claim 31 wherein said pH-sensitive dye is a phthalein dye.

Claim 52

A film unit as defined in claim 31 wherein the remaining optical filter agent is decolorized by reducing the pH after a predeterined time subsequent to the decolorization of the said optical filter agent adjacent said interface.

Claim 53

A film unit as defined in claim 31 wherein the concentrations of said optical filter agent and said light-reflecting pigment are effective to provide a transmission density of at least 6.

Claim 54

A film unit as defined in claim 31 wherein said optical filter agent is mordanted by gelatin, said first sheet-like element contains gelatin, and said second sheet-like element is free of gelatin.

Claim 55

A film unit as defined in claim 31 wherein said decolorizing agent is present in a concentration effective to reduce the red reflection density of said layer of processing composition to not more than about 0.35 within 10 seconds after said processing composition is applied.

Claim 56

A film unit as defined in claim 31 wherein said decolorizing agent is a polyoxyalkylene polymer.

Claim 57

A film unit as defined in claim 53 wherein said polyoxyalkylene polymer is a polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene block copolymer.

Claim 58

A film unit as defined in claim 53 wherein said decolorizing agent is a nonylphenoxyethylene oxide ethanol.

Claim 59

A film unit as defined in claim 36 wherein said decolorizing layer over said image-receiving layer comprises a mixture of a polymeric neutral decolorizing agent and a second polymer.

Claim 60

A film unit as defined in claim 56 wherein said polymeric decolorizing agent is a polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene block copolymer and said second polymer is polyvinyl alcohol.

Claim 61

A film unit as defined in claim 31 wherein said optical filter agent contains a long chain substituent.

Claim 62

A film unit as defined in claim 31 wherein said optical filter agent is a pH-sensitive phthalein dye containing a ##STR19## group and said decolorizing agent is a polymer.

Claim 63

A film unit as defined in claim 31 wherein said processing composition contains no more than about 1% by weight of a viscosity-providing polymer.

Claim 64

A film unit as defined in claim 60 wherein said concentration of viscosity-providing polymer is about 0.8%.

Claim 65

A film unit as defined in claim 60 wherein said viscosity-increasing polymer is a polymeric oxime.

Claim 66

A film unit as defined in claim 60 wherein said viscosity-increasing polymer is hydroxyethyl cellulose.

Claim 67

A film unit as defined in claim 31 wherein said optical filter agent is a pH-sensitive dye and said decolorizing agent is a polymeric acid.

Claim 68

A film unit as defined in claim 44 wherein said layer of a polymeric acid is adjaent said support, and including a polymeric timing layer between said image-receiving layer and said polymeric acid layer.

Claim 69

A film unit as defined in claim 51 wherein said image-receiving layer includes a quaternary ammonium polymeric mordant.

Claim 70

A film unit as defined in claim 31 wherein said decolorizing agent is a poly-N-vinyl pyrrolidone.

Claim 71

A film unit as defined in claim 31 wherein said first sheet-like element includes a blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion, a green-sensitive halide emulsion, and a red-sensitive silver halide emulsion, said silver halide emulsions having associated therewith, respectively, a yellow dye developer, a magenta dye developer and a cyan dye developer.

Claim 72

A photographic process comprising providing a layer of a viscous aqueous alkaline processing composition between a first sheet-like element and a second sheet-like element; said first sheet-like element comprising an opaque support carrying an exposed silver halide emulsion; said second sheet-like element comprising a transparent support carrying an image layer; said processing composition comprising a light-reflecting pigment and at least one light-absorbing optical filter agent, said optical filter agent being a pH-sensitive dye; said application of said processing composition being effective to develop said exposed silver halide emulsion and to form a visible image in said image layer, the combination of said light-reflecting pigment and said optical filter agent being effective to prevent transmission through said processing composition layer of light actinic to said silver halide emulsion during development thereof; said second sheet-like element including a substantially non-diffusible decolorizing agent in a layer in contact with said processing composition layer, said decolorizing agent being adapted to reduce, without pH reduction, the light-absorbing ability of said optical filter agent immediately adjacent the interface between said layer and said processing composition layer without reducing the light-absorbing ability of said optical filter agent not adjacent said interface, said decolorizing agent forming a complex with said pH-sensitive dye adjacent said interface which complex exhibits a pKa higher than said pH-sensitive dye in said processing composition, whereby the transmission density of said processing composition layer is substantially unchanged but the surface of said processing composition layer viewable through said transparent support appears substantially white substantially immediately after said processing composition is applied.

Claim 73

A photographic process comprising providing a layer of a viscous aqueous alkaline processing composition between a first sheet-like element and a second sheet-like element; said first sheet-like element comprising an opaque support carrying an exposed silver halide emulsion; said second sheet-like element comprising a transparent support carrying an image layer; said processing composition comprising a light-reflecting pigment and at least one light-absorbing optical filter agent, said optical filter agent being a pH-sensitive dye; said application of said processing composition being effective to develop said exposed silver halide emulsion and to form a visible image in said image layer, the combination of said light-reflecting pigment and said optical filter agent being effective to prevent transmission through said processing composition layer of light actinic to said silver halide emulsion during development thereof; said second sheet-like element including a substantially non-diffusible decolorizing agent in a layer in contact with said processing composition layer, said decolorizing agent being adapted to reduce, without pH reduction, the light-absorbing ability of said optical filter agent immediately adjacent the interface between said layer and said processing composition layer without reducing the light-absorbing ability of said optical filter agent not adjacent said interface, said decolorizing agent forming a complex with said pH-sensitive dye adjacent said interface which complex exhibits a pKa higher than said pH-sensitive dye in said processing composition, whereby the transmission density of said processing composition layer is substantially unchanged but the surface of said processing composition layer viewable through said transparent support appears substantially white substantially immediately after said processing composition is applied.