PROCESS IN WHICH A SILVER IMAGE IS ENHANCED BY USE OF AN OXIDATIVELY BLEACHABLE COLORANT

摘要

A novel photographic imaging element and process are described. The element comprises a support, at least one photosensitive silver halide layer, and at least one layer of colorant (e.g.. colloidal silver), bleachable with an oxidizing bleach in accordance with images formed in the silver halide layer. Images are formed with such elements by imagewise exposure of the photosensitive silver halide layer and conventional development of the image therein followed by imagewise bleaching the colorant layer with an oxidizing bleach to reduce the optical density in areas of the colorant layer to form an image thereon corresponding to the developed image in the silver halide layer. The combined images in the photosensitive silver halide layer and the imagewise bleached colorant layer from a composite, high quality image having high density and efficiency in the use of silver, providing a substantial reduction in silver halide coating weight over conventional, all-silver halide elements.