Patent Document ID: 4094681
Application ID: 05625042
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for the amplification of dye images formed in a negative-working diazo material having a support and a negative-working acid stabilized diazo layer thereon wherein, on continued exposure to actinic radiation, the diazo compound goes through a photolytic transition starting with an unreactable or non-coupling state, to a reactable state, and finally to an unreactable state, the steps of image formation and amplification which comprise: (1) initially image-wise exposing the negative-working diazo layer to actinic radiation sufficient to convert a portion of the diazo compound contained therein to an active coupling constituent in the light-struck areas to form a first latent image, (2) developing the exposed diazo layer by means of an alkaline agent and/or heat to effect coupling so as to form colored incipient dye images in the light-struck areas, (3) exposing the entire diazo layer from the same side as the initial image-wise exposure to actinic radiation of a greater amount than that used in the initial exposure, said amount of actinic radiation being sufficient to substantially completely photolyze the non-image areas while simultaneously creating second latent images beneath the already-developed dye image areas, and (4) developing the exposed diazo layer again by means of an alkaline agent and/or heat to effect coupling in said second latent image areas to form color therein and to amplify the initial colored incipient dye images.