IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE FORMATION OF IMAGES

摘要

The invention provides a radiation sensitive plate which is imageable by exposure to thermal radiation and comprises (a) a substrate; (b) an imaging layer containing a disperse phase comprising a water insoluble heat softenable component, a continuous phase comprising a component which is soluble or swellable in aqueous medium and a substance capable of strongly absorbing radiation and transferring the energy as heat to the disperse phase to cause at least partial coalescence of the coating; and (c) a topmost covering layer having an optical density which is lower than that of the imaging layer at the wavelength of exposure and contains either a combination of a disperse phase and a continuous phase, or a polymer resin which is soluble or dispersible in aqueous medium.