Patent ID: 6183933
Filing Date: 2001-02-06
Classification: B41J,G03C,G03D,H04N

Abstract:
An image forming method using a photosensitive material containing photosensitive silver halide grains which when imagewise exposed to record a latent image thereon is formed with an image by heating with a prescribed processing material superimposed thereon, the method comprising:exposing the photosensitive material to record a latent image thereon,superimposing the photosensitive material and the processing material,heating the superimposed photosensitive material and processing material to form an image on the photosensitive material corresponding to the latent image recorded thereon,peeling the photosensitive material formed with the image off the processing material,reading the image formed on the photosensitive material with a scanner to obtain image data representing the image, andsubjecting the image data to prescribed image processing to generate reproducible digital image data;wherein the photosensitive silver halide grains are tabular photosensitive silver halide grains;wherein the heating is conducted at a temperature between 60 and 100.degree. C. for between 5 and 60 seconds;wherein the photosensitive material has a transparent support provided thereon with at least three photosensitive layers which each includes at least photosensitive silver halide grains, a color developing agent, a coupler and a binder, and which are photosensitive in different wavelength regions, the dyes formed from the oxidized color developing agent and the coupler being different from each other in absorption wavelength region;wherein the processing material has a support provided thereon with a processing layer including at least a base and/or a base precursor;wherein the photosensitive material and the processing material are superimposed with the photosensitive layers of the photosensitive material and the processing layer of the processing material facing each other in the presence of 0.1 to 1 times the amount of water required to cause maximum swelling of all coating layers of the photosensitive material and the processing material other than their backing layers, whereafter the superimposed photosensitive material and the processing material are heated to form on the photosensitive material an image based on non-diffusible dyes of at least three colors; andwherein the color developing agent is at least one compound among those represented by general formulas (1) and (2) shown below: ##STR13##where R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, and R.sub.4 each represent a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an alkylcarbonamido group, an arylcarbonamido group, an alkylsulfonamido group, an arylsulfonamido group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, an alkylthio group, an arylthio group, an alkylcarbamoyl group, an arylcarbamoyl group, a carbamoyl group, an alkylsufamoyl group, an arylsulfamoyl group, a sulfamoyl group, a cyano group, an alkylsulfonyl group, an arylsulfonyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, an aryloxycarbonyl group, an alkylcarbonyl group; an arylcarbonyl group, or an acyloxy group; R.sub.5 represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group; Z.sup.1 represents an acyl group, a carbamoyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, or an aryloxycarbonyl group: X.sub.1, X.sub.2, X.sub.3, X.sub.4, and X.sub.5 each represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent; and the total value of the Hammett's constant (P) of the substituent X.sub.1, X.sub.2, X.sub.3, X.sub.4, and X.sub.5 is 0.8 or more but 3.8 or below.