Abstract: A photographic masking coupler containing in the coupling position a coupling-off group that is capable of reacting with oxidized color developing agent to form a water-insoluble dye in non-image areas and a water-soluble compound in image areas of a color photographic element enables formation of a colored integral mask for color correction upon exposure and processing of the element. The masking couplers are essentially colorless in a color photographic element. Such a photographic masking coupler is advantageous in a color photographic element and process.

Abstract: Pyrazolo[3,2-c]-s-triazole dye-forming couplers containing in the 6-position a substituted or unsubstituted tertiary alkyl group and in the 3-position a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group in photographic materials and processes provide dyes of improved light stability. These couplers are particularly useful in combination with alkoxybenzene dye image stabilizers.

Abstract: Loss in dark stability of a photographic silver halide element can be reduced by introducing into a dispersion comprising a dye-forming coupler for preparing such an element, a lipophilic anionic surfactant which comprises a sulphate or sulphonate group as the sole hydrophilic group and either a single aliphatic hydrocarbon group having at least 15 carbon atoms or two or more aliphatic hydrocarbon groups which together contain at least 17 carbon atoms. A second, less lipophilic, anionic surfactant can also be used in preparing the coupler dispersion.

Abstract: Novel photographic acetanilide dye-forming couplers comprise a group comprising a stabilizer moiety represented by the formula: ##STR1## wherein R is halogen or alkoxy having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R.sub.1 is hydrogen, halogen, alkyl or alkoxy; R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are individually alkyl; and, X is a linking group. Such couplers provide advantageous stability in dyes formed from the couplers. These couplers are useful in photographic silver halide materials and processes.

Abstract: A dye-forming electrothermographic element comprises an electrically activatable recording layer comprising (a) a reducing agent or reducing agent precursor capable of being activated by a Lewis base; (b) a cobalt(III) Lewis base complex; and (c) at least one of (i) a reducible dye-forming compound that has an oxidation state above that of the conjugate dye, (ii) a dye capable of changing its wavelength of absorption by reaction with a Lewis base, and (iii) a dye-forming coupler capable of reacting with the oxidized form of the reducing agent in (a) to form a dye. A negative or positive dye image is formed in such a dye-forming electrothermographic element by applying an electrical potential imagewise to the element of a magnitude and for a time sufficient to produce in the image areas a charge density sufficient to produce a latent image; and, then, heating the element to a temperature and for a time sufficient to form a dye image in the element.

Abstract: A overcoat layer comprising poly(silicic acid) ##STR1## on a thermally processable element enables reduced release of volatile components from the element during thermal processing. The overcoat layer also can optionally comprise other water soluble polymers. A developed visible image is provided in an exposed silver halide photothermographic element comprising such an overcoat by uniformly heating the photothermographic element to moderately elevated temperatures without release of volatile components. The described overcoat is also useful on thermographic elements.

Abstract: Novel photographic dye-forming couplers comprise an imidazo[1,2-b]pyrazole nucleus which reacts at its 3-position with an oxidized aromatic primary amino color developing agent. These couplers are monomeric or polymeric and are useful in photographic materials and processes and have improved absorption and solubility characteristics.

Abstract: A dye-forming electrically activatable recording (EAR) element which is capable of forming at least two dye images comprises an electrically conductive support bearing on one side of the support at least a dye-forming layer (A) responsive to negative polarity charge exposure and at least one dye-forming layer (B) responsive to positive polarity charge exposure and, optionally, other dye-forming layers. A multicolor dye image can be formed in the dye-forming electrically activatable recording element by multistep imagewise charge exposure in which the exposure steps are reversed in electrical polarity at each step. The reversal of polarity of exposure at differing charge density levels enables formation of a dye image in at least one layer without formation of a dye image in another layer. Processing of the exposed dye-forming electrically activatable recording element is carried out by thermal processing or by means of processing solutions or baths.

Abstract: Liquid petroleum sulfonates are useful alone or in combination with less lipophilic anionic surfactants in the preparation of dispersions of water-insoluble photographic addenda, such as couplers and ultraviolet absorbers, in hydrophilic colloid compositions. Such dispersions are useful in photographic elements. Crystallization of the addenda is inhibited and, for some addenda, other advantages are obtained.

Abstract: Liquid petroleum sulfonates are useful alone or in combination with less lipophilic anionic surfactants in the preparation of dispersions of water-insoluble photographic addenda, such as couplers and ultraviolet absorbers, in hydrophilic colloid compositions. Such dispersions are useful in photographic elements. Crystallization of the addenda is inhibited and, for some addenda, other advantages are obtained.

Abstract: Photographic silver halide materials comprise a polymeric coupler which is at least a copolymer having a repeating unit (A) which comprises at least one coupler moiety (COUP) capable of forming a dye upon coupling with an oxidized color developing agent and at least one repeating unit (B) which is derived from a monomer which is an alkoxyalkylacrylate. The polymeric coupler optionally comprises at least one repeating unit (C) derived from such monomers as those useful for repeating unit (A), those useful for repeating unit (B) and other monomers which can be selected to provide useful physical and chemical properties. The photographic material comprising such a polymeric coupler upon exposure and processing enables formation of a dye image having increased dye density.

Abstract: Oxoindolizine and oxoindolizinium dyes are novel compounds useful in imaging, such as laser recording and reading. These dyes are formed by (1) the reaction of a cyclopropenone and a pyridine compound, (2) by reaction of (a) color-forming couplers with (b) reaction products from the reaction of cyclopropenones with pyridine compounds, or (3) by condensation reactions of indolizinols, indolizinones, and indolizinium ions.

Abstract: A diphenylamine compound that is a precursor for a phenazine dye comprises, in an ortho position to the amine of the diphenylamine, a sulfonyldiamido group (--NHSO.sub.2 NHR) that is capable of releasing a sulfonylamine fragment upon oxidation. The diphenylamine compound upon oxidation intramolecularly cyclizes to a phenazine dye. The sulfonylamine fragment is capable of thermally releasing ammonia or an amine. The diphenylamine compound and sulfonylamine fragment are useful in imaging such as in photothermography. Ammonia or an amine thermally released from the sulfonylamine fragment enables imaging in imaging materials that are responsive to ammonia or an amine. The diphenylamine compound also generally is a silver halide developing agent.

Abstract: A silver image and dye image are provided in a photothermographic element comprising a support bearing, in reactive association, (A) a silver compound capable of forming a silver image, and (B) a dye-forming combination comprising (a) a cobalt (III) amine complex capable of releasing ammonia or an amine at processing temperature in the presence of silver and (b) an aromatic 1,2-dialdehyde capable of forming a dye upon reaction with an amine or ammonia. Improvements are provided in such an element by a cyclic imide melt former-silver solvent which is capable of promoting dye formation at processing temperature. A silver image and dye image are formed in such an exposed photothermographic element upon thermal processing. The photothermographic element optionally can comprise a dye image receiver layer.

Abstract: A new color-forming 4-(4'-secondary or tertiary-amino)anilino-1-carboxamidonaphthalene dye precursor in a photographic material and process enables formation of a dye image by means of cross-oxidation without the need for a coupling reaction. The color-forming 4-(4'-secondary or tertiary-amino)anilino-1-carboxamidonaphthalene dye precursor is useful in a photographic silver halide material for producing (i) a dye image, or (ii) a dye image and silver image. The exposed photographic material is processed to produce (a) a positive dye image, (b) a negative dye and negative silver image, (c) a negative dye image or (d) a positive dye image and a positive silver image. New naphthoquinoneimide dyes are also described.

Abstract: Photographic silver halide is spectrally sensitized by means of at least one bleachable spectral sensitizing dye comprising a cyanine dye nucleus and a particular N-methylene substituent. The spectrally sensitized photographic silver halide is useful in a photothermographic material. An image in the photothermographic material, after exposure, is developed and the spectral sensitizing dye is bleached, especially at elevated pH, by heating the photothermographic material to processing temperature.

Abstract: A color-forming sulfonamidodiphenylamine dye precursor has sulfonamido groups in the ortho position and para position in relation to the --NH-- moiety of the sulfonamidodiphenylamine and, in oxidized form, intramolecularly reacts to produce a sulfonamido-substituted phenazine dye. Such color-forming sulfonamidodiphenylamine dye precursors are useful to produce a dye image by cross-oxidation in an imaging material.

Abstract: A dye-forming photothermographic element comprises in a binder, in reactive association,(a) photographic silver halide,(b) an image forming combination comprising(i) a reducible organic silver salt with(ii) a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of p-phenylenediamine, p-aminophenol, sulfonamidophenol, sulfonamidoaniline and hydrazone developing agents, and(c) a coupler which is capable of forming an image dye by reaction with the oxidized form of the reducing agent.In such a photothermographic element improvements are provided wherein the coupler has attached to the carbon atom at the coupling position either (A) a group --S--Dye, wherein Dye represents an image dye, or a blocked or shifted form thereof, and any necessary linking group, or (B) a moiety --S--Z, wherein Z represents atoms linking the sulfur atom to another position in the coupler. The exposed dye-forming photothermographic element is capable of forming a dye image by merely heating the element.

Abstract: Color-forming para-sulfonamidodiphenylamines and their corresponding sulfonimide dyes are useful in imaging materials. The color-forming sulfonamidodiphenylamines are prepared by condensation reactions. The corresponding sulfonimide dyes are formed by oxidation of the color-forming sulfonamidodiphenylamines by means of a suitable oxidizing agent, such as the oxidized form of a cross-oxidizing silver halide developing agent.

Abstract: A method of forming a photographic azo or azamethine dye image in an exposed photographic silver halide element, the method of comprising the steps of (a) developing the imagewise exposed material to form an imagewise pattern of oxidized color developing agent, (b) reacting the oxidized color developing agent with a color coupler to produce an image dye, characterized in that at least one of the color developing agent and the color coupler possesses a metal chelating site such that the image dye is capable of forming a bi-, tri- or higher-dentate metallized dye, and (c) contacting the image dye with polyvalent metal ions to form a metallized dye image. Specified color developing agents include heterocyclic substituted hydrazides and specified couplers include benziso-oxazolones and 2H-pyrazolo-[3,4-b]pyridines in addition to more conventional compounds.