JPH0554666B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

(Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a method for processing a diffusion transfer type heat-developable photosensitive material, and more specifically, to a method for processing a diffusion transfer type photothermographic material that improves fog and contrast and provides images with high transfer density. Regarding the method. (Prior art) Regarding diffusion transfer type color photosensitive materials by heat development, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 57-186744 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 57-207250
No., Patent Application No. 57-122596, No. 57-229671, No. 58
-33364 etc. These methods separate heat-transferable (heat-sublimable, heat-vaporizable, or heat-melting dyes) released from the dye-providing substance as a result of thermal development, and selectively transfer dye onto the image-receiving layer. This relates to a method of obtaining images by wearing clothes. In the above-mentioned diffusion transfer type color photosensitive material,
After exposure, when performing heat development processing, the image receiving surface of the image receiving material and the photosensitive layer surface of the photosensitive material are brought into close contact with each other, heated uniformly, and heat transfer is performed while forming a heat transferable dye in the form of an image through heat development. is common. In the process of forming the above-mentioned transferred image, in order to make the image-receiving surface of the above-mentioned image-receiving material and the photosensitive layer surface of the photosensitive material evenly adhere to each other, pressure is applied with an adhesion roller or the like before thermal development (at this time, preheating is performed). There are also known methods to do this. However, fogging may occur due to the pressure when bringing the film into close contact before or during heat development. In particular, when the photosensitive material is a multilayer color photosensitive material, the diffusion rate of the heat transferable color layer generated or released in the heat development layer is slow. Sexuality becomes insufficient,
Development occurs in which the transfer density to the image-receiving layer is insufficient. Therefore, in order to increase the transfer density, raising the developing temperature or lengthening the development time improves the transfer density, but this results in drawbacks such as increased fog and decreased image contrast. Furthermore, development accelerators, toning agents, etc. contained in the photosensitive material may diffuse into the image-receiving layer during the development process, resulting in deterioration of developability or significant fogging, for example. There is. (Objective of the Invention) An object of the present invention is to provide a method for processing a diffusion transfer type photothermographic material in which fog and contrast are improved and an image with high transfer density can be obtained in an image-receiving layer. (Structure of the Invention) The object of the present invention is to provide a step of thermally developing a latent image after exposing a photosensitive material having a diffusion transfer type heat-developable photosensitive layer, and developing the image developed by the step from an alkali or black and white developing agent. This is achieved by a method of processing a diffusion transfer type heat-developable photosensitive material, which forms a diffusion transfer image on the image-receiving material by thermally transferring the image-receiving material containing the selected development stopper with thermal development stopped. be able to. The invention will now be described in more detail. The method for processing a diffusion transfer photothermographic material of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the processing method of the present invention) comprises a step of exposing a photosensitive layer of the photothermographic material to light, then thermally developing a latent image, and developing the latent image through this step. It is characterized by comprising a step of thermally transferring the produced image to an image-receiving material. According to the present invention, it is preferable that the step of thermally transferring the image onto the image-receiving material is carried out in a state in which thermal development of the photothermographic material is substantially stopped. In the present invention, the above-mentioned state in which thermal development is stopped means a state in which fogging and development do not proceed much, and for example, transfer is performed under conditions that are milder than normal thermal development conditions. Alternatively, instead of heating to the same level as during thermal development, shorten the transfer time to a range that does not cause fogging, or if the transfer time is not shortened, lower the temperature by 5°C or more and perform the transfer. Point. According to the present invention, the means for maintaining the state in which thermal development is stopped includes, for example, the presence of a compound capable of stopping the progress of thermal development during thermal transfer. Examples of compounds that can stop the progress of heat development include compounds that form poorly soluble compounds (salts or complexes) with silver ions, and alkalis or bases that can increase the pH value. All of these compounds stop thermal development by forming poorly soluble compounds with silver ions, or by increasing the pH value and lowering EAg. Furthermore, black and white developing agents that do not substantially generate colored oxides develop organic silver salts in place of color developing agents, which can prevent color development from occurring, and therefore stop thermal development. be able to. However, in this case, the black and white developing agent must have a lower redox potential than the color developing agent. According to the present invention, these compounds capable of stopping thermal development are preferably contained in the image-receiving sheet; for example, a layer containing the above compounds is provided on the image-receiving layer, or a layer containing the above-mentioned compounds is provided in the image-receiving layer. It is sufficient if it is contained and quickly diffused into the photosensitive layer during thermal transfer. Therefore, in the processing method of the present invention, after the photosensitive layer is thermally developed, when it is brought into close contact with an image-receiving sheet containing the above-mentioned compound that stops thermal development and heated, the photosensitive layer is released while the thermal development is stopped. The formed dye image can be transferred onto the image-receiving layer of the image-receiving sheet. Further, in the present invention, it is preferable that heat development is performed in a state in which the heat transferable dye released or formed during heat development does not substantially move.For example, heat development may be performed in a state in which nothing is superimposed on the surface of the photosensitive layer. Kaisho
As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 58-28742, heat development may be carried out with a layer in which the released or formed dye does not have permeability, in close contact with the surface of the photosensitive layer. In this case, this layer may be removed during thermal transfer. Examples of the layer impermeable to the dye used in the present invention include heat-resistant resin films such as polyethylene terephthalate and polyimide, metal foils, etc., depending on the development temperature. Examples of compounds that form stable, poorly soluble compounds (salts, complexes) with silver ions listed as compounds capable of stopping thermal development include, for example, JP-A-51-104826 and JP-A-57-150842. , U.S. Patent No. 4,351,896, Research Disclosure;
(RD) No. 22224, etc., thioureas, thiosalicylic acid, thioglycolic acid, etc.;
No. 3506444, No. 3824103, No. 3844788, R.
Stabilizer precursors described in D.No. 18016 etc. can also be used, but preferred compounds include thiosulfates, thiocyanates, triarylphosphines, thioureas, thiosalicylic acids, and thioglycols. Examples include acids. Furthermore, JP-A-50-54329, JP-A No. 50-54329;
No. 77034, No. 51-6016, No. 54-5182, R.D No.
No. 15871, No. 169077, No. 169079, No. 17039,
Mercabut compounds or thione compounds described in US Pat. No. 4,137,079, US Pat. No. 4,138,265, etc. are useful, and particularly preferred compounds are compounds shown by the following general colors (). General color ()

[expression] or

[Formula] In the formula, X represents a group of nonmetallic atoms necessary to form a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic compound residue. Examples of the above-mentioned cyclic compound residues include imidazolyl group, benzimidazolyl group, thiazolyl group, benzothiazolyl group, oxazolyl group, benzoxazolyl group, triazolyl group, thiadiazolyl group, oxadiazolyl group, tetrazolyl group,
There are residues selected from the group consisting of pyridyl, pyrimidyl, pyrazinyl, pyridazinyl, triazinyl, and the like. Representative specific examples of the compound that can be represented by the general formula (I) are listed below. (Exemplary compounds) (1) 2-mercaptoimidazole (2) 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (3) 5-carboethoxy-2-mercapto-4-
Methylthiazole (4) 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (5) 2-mercaptooxazole, (6) 2-mercaptobenzoxazole, (7) 3-mercapto-4-phenyl-1.2.4-triazole, (8) 3-mercapto -4.5-dimethyl-1.2.4-triazole, (9) 4-mercapto-6-methyl-1.3.3a.7-tetrazaindene, (10) 2-methylthio-4-thiadiazole-5-
Thione, (11) 3-phenyl-2-oxadiazoline-5-
Thione, (12) 1-phenyl-5-mercaptotetrazole, (13) 3-mercatopyridine, (14) 4-hydroxy-2-mercapto-6-methylpyrimidine, (15) 2-mercaptopyrazine, (16) 3-mercaptopyridazine, (17) 2.4.6-trimercapto-1.3.5-triazine, (18) 4-allyl-5-mercapto-1.2.4-triazole, (19) 3-amino-5-mercapto-1.2 .4-triazole, (20) 3-amino-4-allyl-5-mercapto-
1.2.4-triazole, (21) 3-hydroxy-5-mercapto-1.2.4-
Triazole, (22) 3.5-dimercapto-1.2.4-triazole, and in the present invention, triazoles such as those described in JP-A-53-32015, benzotriazoles, etc. can also be mentioned as useful compounds. , for example 3,5-diethyl-1,2,4-triazole,
3.5-dibenzyl-1.2.4-triazole, 3.5-bis(3-carboxypropyl)-1.2.4-triazole, 3.5-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1.2.4-triazole, 3.5-diphenyl-1.2.4-triazole , benzotriazole, 5-methoxybenzotriazole, 5-nitrobenzotriazole,
5-methylbenzotriazole, 5-carboxybenzotriazole, 5-aminobenzotriazole, 5-acetamidobenzotriazole, 4
Particularly preferred compounds include -hydroxybenzotriazole and 5-sulfobenzotriazole. Next, regarding the alkali or base described above as a compound capable of stopping thermal development, any alkali or base that can be used in the present invention may be widely used such as inorganic bases and organic bases. Publication No. 44-26582, No. 45
−18416, JP-A No. 56-130745, JP-A No. 56-132332
Compounds that can produce basic substances by heating, such as oxides or hydroxides of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, as well as amines, urea, guanidine, etc., described in No. 1, U.S. Pat. No. 3,220,846, etc. I can do it. Typical specific examples of the alkalis and bases mentioned above include, for example, caustic soda, soda carbonate, caustic potash, potassium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, barium hydroxide, sodium phosphate, barium oxide, lithium oxide,
Calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, butylamine, triethylamine, dimethylamine, dibutylamine, pyridine, picoline, collidine, piperidine, piperazine, pyrrolidine, pyrimidine,
Examples include pyrazine, pyridazine, urea, and guanidine trichloroacetate. Furthermore, black and white developing agents that do not produce the above-mentioned substantially colored heat-transferable oxide as a compound capable of stopping thermal development include those in which the above-mentioned oxide is colorless, or even if it is colored, it is transferred to the image-receiving layer. For example, when the binder in the layer containing the developing agent is a hydrophilic binder and the image-receiving layer is a hydrophobic polymer, the sulfo group or carboxy group in the molecule of the developing agent may Even a developing agent having a group that increases water solubility can be used. Typical specific examples of such black and white developing agents include, for example, The Theory of the Photographic Process, 4th edition (edited by TH James).
They are described on pages 291 to 327, and particularly preferred include polyhydroxybenzenes, aminophenols, ascorbic acids, 3-pyrazolidines, and p-phenylenediamines. For example, hydroquinone, methylhydroquinone, tert-butylhydroquinone, chlorohydroquinone, carboxyhydroquinone, catechol, pyrogallol, N-methyl-p-aminophenol, amidol, ascorbic acid, 1-phenyl-3-pyrazolidone, 1-phenyl-4-hydroxy Methyl-3-pyrazolidone, N-ethyl-N-sulfopropyl-p-phenylenediamine, N-ethyl-N-(2-carboxyethyl)-
Examples include 3-methyl-4-aminoaniline. The above-mentioned compound capable of stopping thermal development is added to the image-receiving sheet or a layer provided on the image-receiving sheet in an amount sufficient to substantially stop the progress of thermal development, dye-forming reaction, or dye-releasing reaction. However, the optimum amount varies depending on the type and properties of the compound, and is approximately 0.05g/m ² ~ 15
g/m ² , preferably in the range of 0.1 g/m ² to 3 g/m ² . The above compound can be added or contained in the image-receiving layer by directly dispersing or dissolving it, or it can be applied to the image-receiving sheet by dissolving or dispersing it in another polymer and coating it on the image-receiving layer. . Next, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, (a) a photosensitive silver halide, (b) an organic silver salt, (c) a reducing agent, and (d) a dye that is diffusible by heat development is prepared on a support. After exposing a heat-developable photosensitive material containing a compound that releases or forms a compound and (e) a binder, it is uniformly heated and heat-developed, and then the image-receiving sheet provided with the image-receiving layer is in a state where the heat development does not substantially proceed. to transfer the dye image. As a means for stopping the progress of heat development, there is the use of a compound capable of stopping the progress of heat development as described above, but in the present invention, when the above compound is not used, the heat development temperature is lowered. Alternatively, the heat development may be carried out by means of bringing the heat-developable photosensitive layer and the image-receiving layer into close contact with each other and transferring the heat-developable photosensitive layer for a time shorter than the heat development time while keeping the heat development temperature unchanged. According to the processing method of the present invention, the above-mentioned compound that stops thermal development can inhibit thermal development or the release or formation reaction of the dye, but it can also inhibit the thermal transferable dye that has been produced or released by heat development. Since diffusion into the image-receiving layer is not hindered, unlike conventional processing methods, fogging can be suppressed even at high temperatures that cause fogging, and a dye image of excellent quality can be efficiently transferred. In particular, in the case of multilayer photosensitive materials, the diffusion of the thermally transferable dye generated or released from the bottom layer into the image-receiving layer is as follows:
It is known that the image quality deteriorates significantly as the diffusion distance increases, but according to the processing method of the present invention, thermal development and thermal transfer can be performed separately. After 30 seconds at 150°C, the transfer can be completed at a temperature and time that allows sufficient transfer of the heat-transferable dye from the bottom layer of the photosensitive material to the image-receiving layer, such as at 180°C for any number of hours as long as fog does not occur. Therefore, in the present invention, a transferred image with little fog and high contrast can be obtained. The preferred embodiments of the present invention described above are not limited to these. Regarding the heat developing machine that can be used in the processing method of the present invention, it is preferable to use a type in which a heat developing section and a heat transfer section are independent.
The heat developing machine described in No. 58-247988 can be mentioned. Various hydrophilic or hydrophobic polymeric substances can be used as the binder for the layer provided on the image-receiving sheet, in which the compound capable of stopping thermal development is added to the layer provided on the image-receiving sheet. It is preferable to use a binder that does not inhibit the thermal transfer of the heat-transferable dye or dye breaker, and basically the same type of binder as that used in the heat-developable photosensitive layer described below is used. Further, such a layer containing a compound that inhibits thermal development may also serve as a release layer, and does not necessarily need to contain a polymer binder. The dye-donating substance used in the present invention may be of any type, such as a dye-releasing type or a dye-forming type.
−123533, No. 58-149046, No. 58-149047,
Each publication, as well as the patent application filed by the present inventors in 1982-
No. 122596, No. 57-224853, No. 57-224884, No.
No. 57-205447, No. 57-225928, No. 58229648,
The dye-providing substances described in the specifications of No. 57-229672, No. 58-33363, and No. 58-33364 can be used, but particularly preferred is Japanese Patent Application No. 57-229671.
No. 58-33364. Such a dye-providing substance is substantially immobilized in the hydrophilic binder system even during thermal development, so that color turbidity due to interlayer diffusion of the dye-providing substance does not occur. The above-mentioned particularly preferably used dye-donating substance has a group in the molecule that immobilizes the dye-donating substance in the heat-developable photosensitive layer, such as a hydrophilic group such as a sulfo group or a carboxy group, or a hydrophobic ballast group with a large molecular weight. Preferably, the compound has the following properties, and the released or formed dye is preferably a heat-transferable dye. A dye-providing substance particularly advantageously used in the present invention can be represented by the following general formula (). General formula () A-B In the formula, A is a hydrophobic coupler residue, and a group that immobilizes a dye-donating substance in the heat-developable photosensitive layer, such as a sulfo group, a carboxy group, or a thiosulfo group, is included here. Not included. B is a group that can be separated from the coupler by a coupling reaction, and is a hydrophilic group such as a sulfo group, a carboxy group, or a thiosulfo group, or a hydrophobic group with a large molecular weight, such as an alkyl group having 8 or more carbon atoms, a carbon It has a group that immobilizes the dye-providing substance in the heat-developable photosensitive layer, such as an aryl group having an alkyl group having 4 or more atoms, or a hydrophilic or hydrophobic polymer residue. These dye-providing substances produce hydrophobic heat-transferable dyes through a coupling reaction with an oxidized color developing agent formed by heat development, and for example, A in the general formula () above.
is preferably a compound residue represented by the following general formulas () to (). General formula () General formula () General formula () General formula () General formula () In the formula, R ₁ , R ₂ , R ₃ and R ₄ are each a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom (preferably a chlorine atom, a bromine atom, or an iodine atom), or an alkyl group (preferably an alkyl group having 1 to 24 carbon atoms). , for example methyl,
ethyl, butyl, t-octyl, n-dodecyl,
Groups such as n-pentadecyl and cyclohexyl can be mentioned, but further aryl groups such as benzyl groups and phenethyl groups may be used as alkyl groups substituted with phenyl groups, substituted or unsubstituted aryl groups (such as phenyl groups). group, naphthyl group, tolyl group), acyl group (e.g. acetyl group, tetradecanoyl group, pivaloyl, substituted or unsubstituted benzoyl group), alkyloxycarbonyl group (e.g. methoxycarbonyl group, benzyloxycarbonyl group), aryloxy Carbonyl group (e.g. phenoxycarbonyl group, p-
tolyloxycarbonyl group, α-naphthoxycarbonyl group), alkylsulfonyl group (e.g. methylsulfonyl group), arylsulfonyl group (e.g. phenylsulfonyl group), carbamoyl group (e.g. substituted or unsubstituted alkylcarbamoyl group, methylcarbamoyl group) , butylcarbamoyl group, tetradecylcarbamoyl group, N-methyl-
N-dodecylcarbamoyl group, optionally substituted phenoxyalkylcarbamoyl group, specifically 2,4-di-t-aminophenoxybutylcarbamoyl group, substituted or unsubstituted phenylcarbamoyl group, specifically (2-dodecyloxyphenylcarbamoyl group, etc.), substituted or unsubstituted acylamino groups (e.g. n-butylamide, laurylamide, optionally substituted β-phenoxyethylamide group, phenoxyacetamide group, substituted or unsubstituted benzamide group, methanesulfonamidoethylamide group, β-methoxyethylamide group), alkoxy group (preferably 1 carbon atom
-18 alkoxy groups, such as methoxy, ethoxy, octadecyloxy groups), sulfamoyl groups (such as methylsulfamoyl, n-dodecylsulfamoyl, substituted or unsubstituted phenylsulfamoyl groups, specific represents a dodecylphenylsulfamoyl group), a sulfonylamino group (for example, a methylsulfonylamino group, a tolylsulfonylamino group), or a hydroxyl group.
Further, R ₁ and R ₂ and R ₇ and R ₈ may be bonded to each other to form a saturated or unsaturated 5- to 6-membered ring. Moreover, R ₉ , R ₁₀ and R ₁₁ are hydrogen atoms, halogen atoms (preferably chlorine atoms, bromine atoms, iodine atoms),
Alkyl group (preferably an alkyl group having 1 to 2 carbon atoms, such as a methyl group or ethyl group), an alkoxy group (preferably an alkoxy group having 1 to 2 carbon atoms,
(e.g., methoxy group, ethoxy group), substituted or unsubstituted alkylamide groups (e.g., laurylamide group), and optionally substituted phenoxyalkylamide groups (e.g., alkyl-substituted phenoxyacetamide groups, etc.), substituted , represents an unsubstituted arylamide group, etc. Further, R ₁₂ is an alkyl group (preferably an alkyl group having 1 to 24 carbon atoms, such as a methyl group, a butyl group, or a heptadecyl group), an alkoxy group (preferably an alkoxy group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, such as a methoxy group, ethoxy group, octadecyloxy group),
Arylamino groups (e.g. anilino groups, further substituted with substituents such as halogen atoms, alkyl groups, amido groups or imido groups), substituted or unsubstituted alkylamide groups (e.g. laurylamide) good phenocyacetamide, phenoxybutanamide groups), substituted or unsubstituted arylamide groups (e.g. benzamide groups, as well as halogen atoms, alkyl groups,
(benzamide group substituted with an alkoxyamide group). Further, R ₁₃ represents an alkyl group (preferably an alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms) or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group (eg, phenyl group, tolyl group, methoxyphenyl group, etc.). Furthermore, R ₁₄ represents an arylamino group (for example, an anilino group, or an anilino group substituted with a halogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, an alkylamido group, an arylamido group, an imido group, etc.). The above R ₁ to _{R 14} , which are substituents of the residue, are preferably an alkyl group having 8 or more carbon atoms or an aryl group having an alkyl group having 4 or more carbon atoms so as not to impede the thermal transferability of the formed dye. In the above general formula (), B is a hydrophilic group such as a sulfo group or a carboxyl group, or a group represented by -JY (where J is a divalent bonding group and Y is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group or aryl group).More specifically, the divalent bonding group represented by J includes -O-, -S-,

【formula】

【formula】

[Formula] -N=N-, -NHCO-, -NHSO ₂ -, -O-SO ₂ -, etc., and the alkyl group or aryl group represented by Y includes sulfo group, carboxyl group, etc. Alkyl or aryl groups substituted with hydrophilic groups are preferred. Among them, an alkyl group substituted with an alkylcarbamoyl group or an arylcarbamoyl group which may be further substituted, an alkyl group substituted with a carbalkoxy group, a carboaryloxy group, an alkyl group substituted with a halogen atom, and an alkyl group substituted with a halogen atom. an aryl group substituted with an optionally substituted alkylamide group, an alkylsulfonamide group, an arylamide group, an arylsulfonamide group, an optionally substituted alkylcarbamoyl group, an alkylsulfamoyl group, an arylcarbamoyl group, an arylsulfur group; Moyl group, an aryl group substituted with a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 22 carbon atoms, an aryl group substituted with an optionally substituted alkyl group having 1 to 22 carbon atoms, number of carbon atoms Particularly preferred are aryl groups substituted with 1 to 22 alkylamino groups, and aryl groups substituted with other halogen atoms, hydroxyl groups, sulfo groups, carboxyl groups, sulfamoyl groups, and the like. The group represented by B in the above general formula () that can be eliminated by a coupling reaction includes, for example, sulfonate, in order to immobilize the dye-donating substance against heat in the layer containing the dye-donating substance. It is preferable to have a hydrophilic group such as a group, a carboxy group, an alkyl group having 8 or more carbon atoms, or an aryl group having an alkyl group having 4 or more carbon atoms. Alkyl group having 8 or more atoms or 4 carbon atoms
It is particularly preferable to have an aryl group having the above alkyl group at the same time. As the above-mentioned hydrophilic group, sulfo group, sulfino group, sulfeno group, thiosulfo group, dithiosulfo group, hydroxysulfonyloxy group, hydroxysulfonylthio group, carboxy group, thiocarboxy group, etc. are particularly preferable, and more specifically, It is described in the specification of Application No. 58-33364. Next, to explain in detail the photosensitive silver halide used in the heat-developable photosensitive material according to the present invention, the photosensitive silver halide used in the present invention includes silver chloride, silver bromide, silver iodide, silver chlorobromide, There are silver, silver iodobromide, silver chloroiodobromide, etc., and the particle size is 0.01 μm to 1.0 μm, preferably
It is 0.05 μm to 0.5 μm. The shapes of these silver halides include regular tetrahedrons, regular octahedrons, and tetradecahedrons, but those having at least (1, 1, 1) faces are preferred. It may also be a core-shell type in which the halogen composition is different between the inside and outside of the particle. The photosensitive silver halide according to the present invention is preferably chemically sensitized using a chemical sensitizer. Chemical sensitizers include sulfur sensitizers, selenium sensitizers, and compounds such as gold, platinum, and palladium, and these can be used alone or in combination. Further, the above photosensitive silver halide is preferably spectrally sensitized using a sensitizing dye. As these sensitizing dyes, generally well-known dyes such as cyanine dyes and merocyanine dyes can be used. When forming a layer, the photosensitive silver halide according to the present invention is preferably dispersed in various hydrophilic colloids such as gelatin, various gelatin derivatives, or synthetic polymer compounds. As the photosensitive silver halide used in the present invention, the photosensitive silver halide described in the patent specification filed by the present inventors on December 28, 1983 is particularly preferable. Next, the organic silver salt used in the heat-developable color photosensitive material according to the present invention will be described in detail.
No. 26582, No. 45-18416, No. 45-12700, No. 45
-22185 and JP-A-49-52626, JP-A No. 52-31728
No. 52-13731, No. 52-141222, No. 53-
No. 36224, Publications No. 53-37610, U.S. Patent No.
Silver salts of aliphatic carboxylic acids such as silver laurate, silver myristate, silver palmitate, silver stearate, silver arachidonate, silver behenate, etc., described in specifications such as No. 3330633 and No. 4168980, etc. Silver aromatic carboxylates, such as silver benzoate, silver phthalate, etc., silver salts having imino groups, such as silver benzotriazole, silver saccharin, silver phthalazinone, silver phthalimide, etc., and silver salts of compounds having mercapto or thione groups, such as 2-mercaptobenzoxazole silver, mercaptooxadiazole silver,
Silver mercaptobenzothiazole, silver 2-mercaptobenzimidazole, silver 3-mercaptophenyl-1,2,4-triazole, and as others 4-hydroxy-6-methyl-1,3,3a,7
-tetrazaindene silver, 5-methyl-7-hydroxy-1,2,3,,6-pentazaindene silver, and the like. Also, Research Disclosure (RD) 16966, 16907, US Patent No. 1590956,
Silver compounds such as those described in the specification of the same No. 1590957 can also be used. Among these, silver salts having an imino group such as benzotriazole silver salts are preferred, and examples of benzotriazole silver salts include alkyl-substituted benzotriazole silvers such as methylbenzotriazole silver, bromobenzotriazole silver, chromium benzotriazole silver, etc. Halogen-substituted benzotriazole silver such as silver, amide-substituted benzotriazole silver such as 5-acetamidobenzotriazole silver, and compounds described in British Patent Nos. 1590956 and 1590957, such as N-[6- Chloro-4-N(3,5-
dichloro-4-hydroxyphenyl)imino-1
-oxo-5-methyl-2,5-cyclohexadien-2-yl]--5-carbamoylbenzotriazole silver salt, 2-benzotriazole-5-
ylazo-4-methoxy-1-naphthol silver salt,
Examples include 1-benzotriazol-5-ylazo-2-naphthol silver salt, N-benzotriazol-5-yl-4-(4-dimethylaminophenylazo)benzamide silver salt, and the like. Particularly useful organic silver salts in the present invention are JP-A-58
It has a hydrophilic group as shown in No.-118638. For example, 4-hydroxybenzotriazole silver,
Silver 5-hydroxybenzotriazole, silver 4-sulfobenzotriazole, silver 5-sulfobezotriazole, silver benzotriazole-4-sodium sulfonate, silver benzotriazole-5-sodium sulfonate, silver benzotriazole-4-
Potassium sulfonate, silver benzotriazole-5
-Potassium sulfonate, silver benzotriazole-
Ammonium 4-sulfonate, silver benzotriazole, silver 4-carboxy-5-aminobenzotriazole, silver 4-carboxy-5-methoxybenzotriazole, silver 4-carboxy-5-acetamidobezotriazole, 4-carboxy-5-aminobenzotriazole silver
5-Ethoxycarbonylmethoxybenzotriazole silver, 4-carboxy-5-carboxymethylbenzotriazole silver, 4-carboxy-5-phenylbenzotriazole silver, 4-carboxy-
Examples include silver 5-(p-nitrophenyl)benzotriazole and silver 4-carboxy-5-methyl-7-sulfobenzotriazole.
These compounds may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The organic silver salt according to the present invention may be isolated and used by dispersing it in a binder for a photosensitive layer by an appropriate means, or the silver salt may be prepared in a binder for a photosensitive layer and then used as a monomer. It may be used as is without being separated. The amount of organic silver salt used is 0.05 g per 1 m ² of support.
~10.0g, preferably 0.2g/5.0g. Regarding the binder used in the photothermographic material according to the present invention, a hydrophilic binder is used as the binder, but a hydrophobic binder may also be used in combination. The hydrophilic binder in the present invention refers to one that is soluble in water or a mixed solution of water and an organic solvent (a solvent that is optionally miscible with water). For example, proteins such as gelatin, gelatin derivatives, cellulose derivatives, polysaccharites such as dextran, natural substances such as gum arabic, etc. and useful polymers include polyvinyl acetal (preferably with a degree of acetalization of less than 20%, e.g. butyral), polyacrylamide, polyvinylpyrrolidone, ethylcellulose, polyvinyl alcohol (preferably those with a saponification rate of 75% or more), but are not limited to these. If necessary, two or more types may be used in combination.
In particular, it is preferable to use a mixture of gelatin or a gelatin derivative and an organic polymeric substance such as polyvinylpyrrolidone or polyvinyl alcohol. The amount of binder is 1 part (by weight) of organic silver salt for each photosensitive layer.
1/10 to 10 parts by weight, preferably 1/4
~4 parts. The binder used in each layer (hydrophilic colloid) other than the photosensitive layer of the photothermographic material according to the present invention is not particularly limited, and various binders can be used, but suitable binders include hydrophilic or hydrophobic binders. Any suitable binder can be used depending on the purpose. For example, natural substances such as gelatin, gelatin derivatives, casein, sodium caseinate, proteins such as albumin, cellulose derivatives such as ethyl cellulose, polysaccharites such as dextran, polysaccharides such as agar, gum arabic, gum tragacanth, etc., polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl Synthetic polymers such as pyrrolidone, water-soluble polyvinyl acetal, and latex-like vinyl compounds that increase the dimensional stability of photographic materials and synthetic polymers such as those described below may also be included. Suitable synthetic polymers include U.S. Pat.
No. 3142586, No. 3193386, No. 3062674, No.
Examples include those described in the specifications of No. 3220844, No. 3287289, and No. 3411911. Useful polymers include water-insoluble polymers based on alkyl acrylates or methacrylates, acrylic acid, sulfoalkyl acrylates or methacrylates. Suitable polymeric substances include polyvinyl butyral, polyacrylamide, cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose acetate propionate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polystyrene, ethyl cellulose, polyvinyl chloride,
Chlorinated rubber polyisobutylene, butadiene styrene copolymer, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, vinyl acetate-vinyl chloride-maleic acid copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, benzyl cellulose, cellulose acetate, cellulose propionate, cellulose acetate phthalate can be mentioned. If necessary, two or more types may be used in combination. In addition to the above-mentioned components, the heat-developable color photosensitive material of the present invention may further contain spectral sensitizing agents, antihalation dyes, fluorescent sensitizers, etc., including development accelerators, antifoggants, stabilizers, and hardening agents. Various additives such as sensitizers, hardeners, antistatic agents, plasticizers, and spreading agents, coating aids, and the like may be added. The heat-developable photosensitive layer of the heat-developable photosensitive material according to the present invention basically consists of three layers each sensitive to the blue light region, green light region, and red light region, namely, the blue-sensitive layer, the green-sensitive layer, and the red-sensitive layer. Consists of the sensitive layer. These layers release and form dyes corresponding to the three primary colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan, respectively, by thermal development. The released and formed dyes are basically yellow in the blue-sensitive layer, magenta in the green-sensitive layer, and cyan in the red-sensitive layer, but the combinations are not necessarily limited to the above combinations. Furthermore, each color-sensitive layer described above may be further divided into two layers with different sensitivities, such as a high-sensitivity layer and a low-sensitivity layer, and may be coated in two layers, or may be further divided into two or more layers and coated in a multilayer manner. It's okay. In addition to the photosensitive layer, the heat-developable photosensitive element according to the present invention includes an overcoat layer, an undercoat layer (undercoat layer), a backing layer,
Various photographic constituent layers such as an intermediate layer or a filter layer can be provided depending on the purpose. The heat-developable photosensitive layer and other photographic constituent layers according to the present invention can be coated on a wide variety of supports. Supports used in the present invention include plastic films such as cellulose nitrate film, cellulose ester film, polyvinyl acetal film, polyamide film, polyethylene film, polyethylene terephthalate film, and polycarbonate film, metals such as aluminum, glass, and even Paper, baryta paper, synthetic paper, etc. can also be used. Also, among these supports, those with a small thermal expansion/contraction rate are preferred. Each component used in the photosensitive material is coated on the support together with a binder dissolved in water or a mixture of water and an organic solvent. The thickness of the coating layer after drying is 1 to 1000 μm, preferably 3 to 20 μm.
It is m. Furthermore, an overcoat layer may be formed on the photosensitive material, if necessary. The heat-developable photosensitive material of the present invention provides a dye image on an image-receiving element by imagewise exposure, development by heat treatment, and thermal transfer to an image-receiving element in stacked relationship with the photosensitive material. The image-receiving layer used in the present invention may be formed of a material that receives the diffusible dye released or formed by thermal development, and may be formed of a mordant used in diffusion transfer type light-sensitive materials or as described in JP-A No. 57-207250, etc. It is preferable to use a heat-resistant organic polymer material having a glass transition temperature of 40° C. or higher and 250° C. or lower. As specific examples of the mordant, nitrogen-containing secondary and tertiary amines, aphobic heterocyclic compounds, and quaternary cationic compounds thereof are widely known, and these can also be effectively used in the present invention. . For example, US Patent No. 2548564, US Patent No. 2484430, US Patent No.
No. 3148061 and No. 3756814 disclose vinylpyridine polymers and vinylpyridinium cationic polymers. Further, US Pat. No. 2,475,316 discloses the use of a polymer containing dialkylamino groups as a mordant. Further, aminoguanidine derivatives are disclosed in US Pat. No. 2,882,156. U.S. Patent No. 3625694, U.S. Patent No. 3859096, British Patent No. 1277453, U.S. Patent No. 2011012, gelatin, etc.
A crosslinkable mordant is disclosed. U.S. Patent No. 3958995, U.S. Patent No. 2721852, U.S. Patent No.
No. 2798063 discloses an aqueous sol type mordant. Further, JP-A-50-61228 discloses a water-insoluble mordant. In addition, U.S. Patent No. 3709690, U.S. Patent No. 3788855,
West German Patent Application (OLS) No. 2843320, JP-A-53-
No. 30328, No. 52-155528, No. 53-125, No. 53-
No. 1024, No. 54-74430, No. 54-124726, No. 55
−22766, U.S. Patent No. 3642482, U.S. Patent No. 3488706,
No. 3557066, No. 3271147, No. 3271148, Special Publication No. 55-29418, No. 56-36414, No. 57-12139,
Various mordants are disclosed in RD12045 (1974). Examples of the heat-resistant organic polymer substances include polystyrene with a molecular weight of 2,000 to 85,000, polystyrene derivatives having a substituent having 4 or less carbon atoms, polyvinylcyclohexane, polydivinylbenzene, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinylcarbazole, polyallylbenzene, and polyvinyl alcohol. , polyacetals such as polyvinyl formal and polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl chloride, chlorinated polyethylene, polytrichlorofluorinated ethylene, polyacrylonitrile, poly-N,N-dimethylallylamide, p-cyanophenyl group, pentachlorophenyl group, and 2, Polyacrylate with 4-dichlorophenyl group, polyacryl chloroacrylate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethyl methacrylate, polypropyl methacrylate, polyisopropyl methacrylate, polyisobutyl methacrylate, poly-tert-butyl methacrylate, polycyclohexyl methacrylate, polyethylene glycol di methacrylate, poly-2-
Examples include polyesters such as cyano-ethyl methacrylate and polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonates such as polysulfone and bisphenol A polycarbonate, polyanhydrides, polyamides, and cellulose acetates. Also, Polymer Handbook 2nd CD.
Brandrup, EHImmergut ed.) John Wiley &
Glass transition temperature listed in Sons Publishing, 40
Synthetic polymers below 0 C are also useful. These polymeric substances may be used alone or in combination of two or more as a copolymer. Particularly useful polymers include cellulose acetate, such as triacetate and diacetate;
Polyamides made from combinations such as terephthalic acid with heptamethylene diamine, fluorene dipropylamine and adipic acid, hexamethylene diamine and diphenic acid, hexamethylene diamine and isophthalic acid, diethylene glycol and diphenylcarboxylic acid, bis-p-carboxylphate, etc. Examples include polyester made from a combination of enoxybutane and ethylene glycol, polyethylene terephthalate, and polycarbonate. These polymers may be modified. For example, polyethylene terephthalate using cyclohexanedimethanol, isophthalic acid, methoxypolyethylene glycol, 1,2-dicarbomethoxy-4-benzenesulfonic acid, etc. as a modifier is also effective. These polymers may be coated on another support such as paper, glass, metal, etc. to form an image-receiving layer, or they may be made into a film sheet so that it also functions as a support by itself. It's okay. When these polymers are used as supports, the supports may be formed from a single layer or from multiple layers. A white reflective layer may be formed by having a portion or layer containing titanium white in or outside the support. Further, the above-mentioned compounds used as mordants may be used alone or mixed with other polymers and coated on a suitable support. The heat-developable photosensitive material according to the present invention includes each of the above-mentioned components.
At least one heat-developable photosensitive layer containing each of these components (a) to (e) is coated on the support directly or via another photographic constituent layer. ) does not necessarily need to be contained in one layer, and may be contained separately in two or more layers as long as they can react with each other. Further, the photosensitive material of the present invention may have two or more heat-developable photosensitive layers, for example, a separate layer may contain a dye-providing substance that releases or forms diffusible dyes with different tones. For the heat-developable photosensitive layer of the present invention, as well as the protective layer, intermediate layer, undercoat layer, back layer, and other layers, respective coating solutions are prepared and applied using the dipping method, air knife method, curtain coating method, or the method described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,681,294. It can be coated by various coating methods such as the hopper coating method described in No. Furthermore, if desired, two or more layers can be applied simultaneously by the methods described in US Pat. No. 2,761,791 and British Patent No. 837,095. Various exposure means can be used for the heat-developable photosensitive material according to the present invention. The latent image is obtained by imagewise exposure to radiation, including visible light. In general, light sources used for ordinary color printing, such as tungsten lamps, mercury lamps, xenon lamps, laser beams, CRT beams, etc., can be used as the light source. The original drawing may be a line image such as a technical drawing, or a photographic image with steps. Furthermore, the printing from the original drawing may be either contact printing or projection printing. In addition, images projected by video cameras, etc., and image information sent from television stations can be directly transmitted to CRT or
It is also possible to expose the image to a FOT, form the image on a heat-developable photosensitive material using a contact lens or a lens, and then print the image. Furthermore, LEDs (light emitting diodes), which have recently seen significant progress, can also be used as exposure means in various devices. In addition to the above method of directly attaching or projecting the original image, the original image illuminated by a light source can be
After being read by a light-receiving element such as a CCD, stored in the memory of a computer, etc., and subjected to so-called image processing that processes this information as necessary, this image information is reproduced on a CRT and used as an image-like light source. Another method is to emit light from an LED or laser based on the processed information. According to the processing method of the present invention, the latent image obtained by exposing the photothermographic material is developed at 80°C to 250°C, preferably at 110°C to 200°C.
Fully heated for 0.3 to 120 seconds, preferably 5 to 60 seconds. Next, the image-wise distribution of the thermally transferable dye or dye breaker produced is transferred onto the image-receiving layer by overlapping the photosensitive material and the image-receiving sheet and heating the entire surface. The thermal transfer temperature at this time may be higher or lower than the thermal development temperature, and is generally 80°C to 250°C, preferably 80°C to 200°C.
℃, and ranges from 0.3 to 120 seconds, preferably from about 5 to 60 seconds. The above-mentioned heating means may be, for example, a hot plate, an iron, a hot roller, or something similar thereto, including the heat developing machine described in Japanese Patent Application No. 58-247988 mentioned above. I can do it. The heat-developable photosensitive material according to the present invention includes a photosensitive layer containing at least each of the above-mentioned components (a) to (e) on a support, and an identical support that receives the diffusible dye formed by the photosensitive layer. and an image-receiving layer provided on the body or on another support. When the image-receiving layer is provided on a support separate from the photosensitive layer, a layer containing the above-mentioned compound capable of substantially stopping thermal development can be coated on the image-receiving layer, for example. In addition, when a photosensitive layer and an image-receiving layer are provided on the same support, for example, a layer containing the above-mentioned compound capable of substantially stopping development is coated on another support, and this layer is coated after heat development. After carrying out thermal transfer overlapping the photosensitive material, it is sufficient to peel off only the photosensitive material or the image-receiving layer therein. A transfer solvent can also be used to transfer the diffusible dye from the heat-developable photosensitive layer to the image-receiving layer. As the transfer solvent, a low boiling point solvent such as methanol, ethyl acetate, diisobutyl ketone and a high boiling point solvent such as tri-n-cresyl phosphate, tri-n-nonyl phosphate, di-n-butyl phthalate are used. In the case of high-boiling solvents, they can be emulsified in gelatin using a suitable emulsifier and added to the image-receiving layer. In addition, these high boiling point solvents are
Microphone encapsulation may also be provided as described in US Pat. EXAMPLES The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to Examples, but the present invention is not limited to these Examples. Example 1 Blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion (silver iodobromide emulsion that has been chemically ripened and has a silver iodide content of 4 mol % and an average grain size)
0.2g of silver (cubic particles of 0.1μ) in poly(4-vinylpyrrolidone) aqueous solution
- 0.2g of sulfobenztriazole and silver nitrate reacted in equimolar amounts to give a pH of 6.0, converted to silver.
min, 1.6 g of 1,6-hexanediol, 0.4 g of sodium 4-diethylamino-2-methylphenylsulfamate, and 2-acetamido-4-(1-carboxy-tridecyloxy)-5- as the dye-donating compound. Methyl-6-chlorophenol 0.52
g, 3-amino-4-allyl-5-mercapto-
A coating solution containing 6 mg of 1.2.4-triazole, additional gelatin, a surfactant, and a gelatin hardening agent was coated on a transparent polyethylene terephthalate film support having a thickness of 100 μm and subjected to a photographic subbing process. The coating amounts of silver, gelatin and polyvinylpyrrolidone were 1.2 g/m ² , 1.25 g/m 2 and 1.25 g/m ² , respectively.
It was 2.9g/ ^m2 . On the other hand, polyvinyl chloride (polymerization degree n÷1100 manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) was applied as a tetrahydrofuran solution onto photographic baryta paper, and the image receiving element (described below) was coated so that the dry film thickness of the polyvinyl chloride layer was 15 μm. In the Examples, a paper (expressed under the name of image receiving paper) was produced. A coating layer having the following coating composition was further coated on this image-receiving element to prepare an image-receiving sheet sample. (Coating composition liquid) A coating amount of polyvinylpyrrolidone 2.9g/polyvinylpyrrolidone was prepared by adding the compounds shown in Table 1 below to an alcoholic or aqueous solution of polyvinylpyrrolidone.
m ² and 1.5 g/m ² of compound. The above-mentioned compounds are as shown in Table 1 below, and the compound without additives is designated as Sample 1.

[Table] After the photosensitive material described above was exposed through a step wedge, it was placed in close contact with the image receiving paper that did not have the polyvinylpyrrolidone coating layer and placed on a heat block.
140℃, 1 minute and 2 minutes, and 150℃, 1 minute
Developed for 1 minute and 2 minutes, and used as a comparison sample. Next, in order to keep the developing conditions constant, a polyethylene terephthalate film base was placed on the photosensitive layer and developed at 140°C for 1 minute, and after peeling off the film base, the compound shown in Table 1 above was added. Image receiving sheet with coating layer (Samples 1 to 9)
140℃, 30 seconds and 1 minute,
The mixture was heated uniformly on a heat block at 150°C for 30 seconds and 1 minute. Next, the image-receiving sheet was peeled off, and the surface of the image-receiving layer was wiped with absorbent cotton moistened with water or alcohol to measure the density. The results obtained are shown in Table 2 below.

[Table] From the results shown in the above table, all of the samples (Samples No. 2 to 9) in which a coating layer containing a compound capable of stopping thermal development was provided on the image-receiving sheet according to the present invention, It can be seen that the maximum density of the transferred image is superior to that of the comparison sample image-receiving paper which is not provided with the film, and it has the effect of significantly suppressing the occurrence of fog and obtaining high contrast. It was also found that the sample according to the present invention was superior in the above-mentioned effects compared to the image-receiving sheet sample (sample No. 1) in which a coating layer containing no compound was provided on the image-receiving sheet. Example 2 The coating liquid for the coating layer to be provided on the image-receiving sheet prepared in Example 1 contained the compounds shown in Table 3 below instead of the compounds listed in Example 1, and the coating layer of the image-receiving sheet was applied. (The amount of compound applied is
1.0 g/m ² ) to give samples Nos. 10 to 13.

[Table] As in Example 1, the photosensitive material was exposed through a step wedge, developed at 140°C for 30 seconds, and then the image-receiving sheet sample obtained above (Sample No.
10-13) and heated uniformly on a heat block at 140°C for 30 seconds and 90 seconds, and at 150°C for 30 seconds and 90 seconds. The image-receiving sheet was then peeled off, and the density of the dye image transferred onto the image-receiving layer was measured and is shown in Table 4 below.

[Table] As shown by the results in the above table, the image receiving sheet having an image receiving layer containing a compound capable of stopping thermal development according to the present invention has a
Images with low fog, high maximum density, and excellent contrast can be obtained. Example 3 A red-sensitive silver halide emulsion (a silver iodobromide emulsion that has been chemically ripened, containing cubic grains with an average grain size of 0.15μ and a silver iodide content of 4 mol%, and containing 3.3'-carboxyethyl -520 mg of -5.5'-dichloro-9-ethyl-thiacarbocyanine was added per mole of silver)
0.2g in terms of silver, 0.2g in terms of silver, 1.5- 1.6 g of bentanediol, 0.4 g of sodium 4-diethylamino-2-methylphenylsulfamate, and 2-acetamido-4-(1-carboxy-tridecyloxy)-5-methyl-6- as a dye-donating compound.
0.52 g of chlorophenyl, 6 mg of 3-amino-4-aryl-5-mercapto-1.2.4-triazole,
A photosensitive material was prepared by coating a coating solution prepared by adding additional gelatin, a surfactant, and a gelatin hardening agent onto a 100 μm thick transparent polyethylene terephthalate film support that had been subjected to photographic subbing processing. The coating amount of silver, gelatin and polyvinylpyrrolidone in the material is 1.2 each.
g/m ² , 1.25 g/m ² and 2.9 g/m ² . Next, an intermediate layer made of polyvinylpyrrolidone and gelatin was provided on this layer. This middle layer is
Gelatin 0.4g/m ² , polyvinylpyrrolidone 1.0
g/m ² and 1.5-pentanediol 0.7 g/m ²
Contains. On top of the above intermediate layer, a blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion (silver iodobromide emulsion that has undergone chemical ripening, containing cubic grains with a silver iodide content of 4 mol% and an average grain size of 0.15 μm) is added to the silver layer. Converted to 0.2g, α-benzoyl-α-(1-phenyl-2
-[4-{2-octadecenyl-3-carboxypropanamide}-benzyl]-1.2.4-triazine-3.5-dion-4-yl)-2-chloroacetanilide, except for 0.65 g of the red-sensitive silver halide emulsion described above. The same coating solution as that used in the preparation of was prepared, and multilayer coating was performed to prepare a photosensitive material sample. After a sample of this multilayer photosensitive material was subjected to decomposition exposure using blue light and red light, it was brought into close contact with the image receiving sheet prepared in Example 1 (Sample No. 1 of Example 1),
Developed at 140°C for 1 and 2 minutes and at 150°C for 1 minute. A green image was obtained in the blue exposed area, and a cyan image was obtained in the red exposed area. The results of the concentration measurements are shown in Table 5 below.

[Table] Next, another sample of the above multilayer photosensitive material was prepared, and this sample was subjected to decomposition exposure using blue light and red light in the same manner as above, and the surface of this photosensitive layer was overlapped with a 100μ thick polyethylene terephthalate film. Developed at ℃ for 1 minute. After development, the sample was placed on the image-receiving sheet prepared in Example 1 (Sample No. 2 of Example 1) in close contact and heated uniformly on a heat block at 140°C and 150°C for 1 minute each. Next, the image-receiving sheet was peeled off, and the surface of the image-receiving layer was wiped with absorbent cotton moistened with dilute alcohol to measure the density. The results obtained are shown in Table 6 below.

[Table] By comparing Tables 5 and 6 above, it can be seen that when using an image receiving sheet provided with a layer containing a compound capable of stopping heat development according to the present invention, heat development can be sufficiently carried out. It can be seen that since thermal transfer can be performed after the development, a transferred image with lower fog and higher contrast can be obtained compared to a method in which development and transfer are performed simultaneously. (Effects of the Invention) According to the processing method for obtaining a transferred image by thermal development and thermal transfer steps under conditions that can stop thermal development, a transferred image with less fog and excellent contrast and density can be obtained.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A step of thermally developing a latent image after exposing a photosensitive material having a diffusion transfer type heat-developable photosensitive layer, and converting the image developed by the step into an image-receiving material containing a development stopper selected from an alkali or black-and-white developing agent. A method for processing a diffusion transfer type heat-developable photosensitive material, characterized in that a diffusion transfer image is formed on the image-receiving material by a step of thermal transfer with thermal development stopped.