Patent ID: 7198889

Claim:
A method of forming a positive image in a photothermographic element that has been imagewise exposed to form a latent image, which element has at least one imaging layer comprising a potentially negative-working emulsion, said method comprising thermally developing the imagewise exposed element to produce a positive image in said imaging layer, wherein at the temperature of thermal development substantial imagewise inhibition occurs with respect to the exposed areas of the positive image relative to the unexposed areas of the positive image, wherein thermal development of unexposed silver grains in the exposed areas is inhibited relative to the unexposed areas and wherein negative image development is inhibited, and wherein the method further comprises a developer or precursor thereof and an oxidized developer scavenging agent to accelerate development by removing oxidized developer or precursor thereof as it is formed during the thermal development step, wherein said oxidized developer scavenging agent is an aromatic alcohol capable of reacting with said oxidized developer or precursor thereof; to form a dye during the thermal development step.