NON-HYDROQUINONE PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPER COMPOSITION AND PROCESSING METHOD

摘要

A non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition consisting essentially of: (a) a developer selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid and sugar-type derivatives thereof, or alkali metal salts and mixtures thereof, in an amount of 0.1 to 0.4 mol/liter (mol/l); (b) an effective amount of an auxiliary developing agent comprising a 3-pyrazolidone compound, an aminophenol or a mixture thereof; (c) an alkali metal sulfite in an amount less than or equal to 0.32 mol/l; (d) an alkali metal carbonate in an amount of 0.1 to 0.4 mol/l; (e) an alkali metal hydroxide in an amount of from 10 to 25 g/l where an ascorbic acid or sugar-type derivative thereof is present in the form of a free acid or from 3 to 15 g/l where an ascorbic acid or sugar-type derivative thereof is present in the form of an alkali metal salt; and (f) with the developer composition having a pH of from 10.3 to 12.5 at 25 DEG C; where the developer composition is useful for processing standard rapid access films while showing an especially advantageous effect in the processing of silver halide emulsions containing a hydrazine compound to achieve lith quality, and high dot quality in a stable development solution. In a preferred embodiment, the developer composition does not contain an alkanolamine.