Image reversal process utilizing a positive-working photosensitive composition containing a dye

Claim 1

A process for the production of a relief pattern according to the image reversal process, the process comprising the steps of: coating a support with a photosensitive composition comprising in admixture a photosensitive compound selected from the group consisting of (a) a combination of a photolytic acid donor and an acid-cleavable compound containing a C--O--C group and (b) an o-quinone diazide, in an amount sufficient to change the solubility of areas of a layer of the composition that have been exposed to actinic light, a binder that is insoluble in water and soluble or swellable in an aqueous-alkaline solution in an amount sufficient to produce a uniform film when the composition is coated on the support, a crosslinking agent in an amount sufficient to effect crosslinking of the binder and a dye comprising a non-bleachable compound that absorbs light in the actinic region and corresponds to the general formula I ##STR3## wherein R 1 denotes hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, alkoxy or nitrilo, R 2 and R 3 are identical or different and denote hydrogen, hydroxy, alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, aryloxy, nitrilo, amino, alkylamino or halogen, and R 4 , R 5 , R 6 and R 7 are identical or different and denote hydrogen, hydroxy, alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, alkylamino or halogen, the dye being present in an amount sufficient to reduce interference effects on optical resolution, drying the layer, imagewise exposing the layer to actinic light, then subjecting the layer to an overall reexposure by means of actinic radiation, and then developing the layer with an aqueous-alkaline solution to remove the imagewise unexposed areas and achieve image reversal.