Abstract: The present invention provides a lithographic base comprising on a hydrophobic support a subbing layer and a hydrophilic layer containing a hydrophilic (co)polymer or (co)polymer mixture and being hardened with a hydrolyzed tetraalkyl orthosilicate crosslinking agent characterized in that said subbing layer contains a hydrophilic binder and silica, the surface area of the silica being at least 300 m.sup.2 per gram.

Abstract: A method for producing a reproduction in reduced or enlarged size of a halftone original with improved tone rendition by the use of a continuous tone correction mask in conjunction with the halftone original applied in projection exposure.It is a particular characteristic of the present invention that said improved tone rendition is obtained by using in said projection exposure a mask image, the maximum density (i.e. density at 3% dot value areas of the halftone original used in the projection exposure) is linearly directly proportional to the screen ruling of the halftone original used in the projection exposure (see FIG. 2 and 3).

Abstract: Techniques for achieving high resolution, high-speed gray scale printing with binary spatial light modulators. A spatial light modulator array is divided into subarrays, and the subarrays are illuminated at various levels (510, 512, 514, 516) of a modulated light source. Additionally, each pixel (520) can be divided up into four phases and printed in phase pairs.

Abstract: An X-ray recording system is provided characterised in that(i) a double sided X-ray film is arranged between an X-ray intensifying screen and a reflecting sheet material(ii) said reflecting sheet material has at least one reflecting side(iii) the total white light reflection of said reflecting side is at least 30%(iv) said reflecting side of said reflecting sheet material is kept in close contact with one of the emulsion layers of said double sided X-ray film. Preferably said reflecting side shows a total white light reflection at least 50%.

Abstract: A method of automatically controlling exposure when printing from film which is exposed under controlled lighting conditions. The prevailing lighting conditions are determined by photographing a standard subject in the form of a gray-scale board with at least one field of gray and illuminated by the studio lighting. The gray scale is recognized as a standard subject during region-by-region analysis of the film's frames and the results obtained from the gray scale are employed as a film-specific standard in computing the levels of light to use for printing.

Abstract: A noise reducing method and associated apparatus for use in a medical radiographic imaging system wherein an image represented by an array of pixels is processed and the processed image is recorded on a recording medium or visualized on a display monitor. The processing comprises the steps ofa) decomposing an original image into a sequence of detail images or into an array of coefficients representing detail strength at multiple resolution levels and a residual image,b) pixelwise attenuating the detail images or the coefficient arrays according to the locally estimated amount of relevant signal present and in accordance with an estimated noise level,c) reconstructing a processed image by accumulating detail obtained from the attenuated detail images or from the attenuated detail coefficients, and further adding the residual image.

Abstract: Dye-donor element for use according to thermal dye transfer methods comprising a support having on one side a dye layer and on the other side a heat-resistant layer comprising a binder and inorganic particles having a volume average particle size of at least 1 .mu.m, said heat-resistant layer optionally carrying a topcoat comprising a lubricant, wherein said inorganic particles substantially consist of a mixture of a first type of inorganic particles, which are silicate particles having a Mohs hardness below 2.7, and of a second type of inorganic particles, which are silicate or carbonate particles having a Mohs hardness of at least 2.7 in a ratio by weight of said first type to said second type of inorganic particles comprised between 20:1 and 1:2.

Abstract: The present invention provides a photographic material comprising a silver halide emulsion layer sensitized to light above 700 nm by means of an infrared sensitizing dye having a maximum absorption between 700 nm and 850 nm characterized in that said silver halide emulsion further comprises a red sensitizing dye of the cationic type having a maximum absorption between 600 nm and 700 nm. The thus obtained photographic material shows an increased sensitivity in the infrared region. The material can be used in as silver salt diffusion transfer process to prepare a lithographic printing plate.

Abstract: Dye-image receiving element for use according to thermal dye sublimation transfer comprising a support having thereon a dye-image receiving layer comprising a plasticizer, characterized in that the plasticizer is a di(hetero)aryl carbonate having not more than four recurring units between the two (hetero)aryl moieties.

Abstract: A shaped article, in particular a support for image information layers prepared from a biaxially stretched film prepared from a polymer blend of 50 to 97 wt.% of a linear polyester and 3 to 50 wt.% of a polymer containing styrene, wherein the percentages relate to the sum of polyester and polymer containing styrene, is characterised by particularly-elevated covering power.

Abstract: Yellow azomethine dyes of particularly elevated stability are obtained from yellow couplers of the formula I by chromogenic development ##STR1## In formula I Q means a residue to complete a 4-pyrimidone ring;X means a residue which is eliminable on chromogenic development;R.sup.1 means alkyl with 1 to 6 C atoms;R.sup.2 means halogen, --CF.sub.3, alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, aryloxy, alkylthio, arylthio, acylamino, sulphonamido, sulphuramido, carbamoyl, alkoxycarbonyl, sulphonyl, sulphamoyl or a heterocyclic residue, wherein two adjacent residues R.sup.2 may complete a ring;n means an integer from 1 to 4.

Abstract: A photographic silver halide material which has at least one light-sensitive layer and contains in at least one layer a compound corresponding to formula (I) in a quantity of at least 10 mg/m.sup.2 : ##STR1## wherein k stands for 50 to 99% by weight,l stands for 0 to 49% by weight,m stands for 1 to 40% by weight,j stands for 0 to 49% by weight,M denotes a comonomer incorporated by polymerisation,M.sub.1 denotes ##STR2## M.sub.2 denotes ##STR3## R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 denote hydrogen or alkyl, R.sub.3 denotes an acidic group, andB denotes a chemical bond or a bridging member and which is hardened with a rapid or an instant hardener,is distinguished by improved wet scratch resistance and stability in storage.

Abstract: An apparatus for the electrolytic recovery of silver from solutions containing silver is described. The apparatus comprises an electrolytic cell, an anode positioned within the cell, a reference electrode positioned within the cell, and a removable cathode positioned within the cell. The cathode has an inner face directed towards the anode and an outer face directed towards the reference electrode. The apparatus includes means for restraining the deposition of silver on the outer face of the cathode. The risk of incorrect potentials being sensed by the reference electrode are thereby reduced or avoided. The tendency for side reactions to occur is also reduced.

Abstract: The present invention provides a dye donor element for use according to the thermal dye transfer process. The dye donor element comprises on a support a dye layer comprising a binder and at least one heterocyclic dye according to formula (I): ##STR1## wherein the meanings of the symbols are as defined in the claims and the description.

Abstract: Colour photographic silver halide material with at least two blue-sensitive yellow-coupling, two green-sensitive magenta coupling and two red-sensitive cyan coupling silver halide emulsion layers of differing photographic sensitivity, in which the silver halide emulsion of the highest sensitivity blue-sensitive and the highest sensitivity green-sensitive layers have an iodide content of .ltoreq.4 mol % and an average particle size of .gtoreq.0.65 .mu.m and the silver halide emulsions of the lowest sensitivity blue-sensitive and the lowest sensitivity green-sensitive layers have an iodide content of .gtoreq.8 mol % and an average particle size of .ltoreq.0.3 .mu.m and which material contains at least one DIR compound in an effective quantity, the inhibitor of which has diffusibility of .gtoreq.0.4, is characterised by great sharpness and very good colour separation.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing photographic sheet material comprises a housing, a first roller shaft supported within the housing and first and second processing rollers rotatable on respective roller shafts supported within the housing. The second processing roller lies substantially parallel to the first, and in line contact therewith. Biasing means bias the roller shafts towards each other. Means are provided for feeding photographic sheet material between the rollers. Each of the rollers has a radially outer zone formed of deformable material and has a radial dimension profile which varies along the length thereof. Such a roller construction enables the bleeding of images on aluminium lithographic printing plates processed by the apparatus to be reduced.

Abstract: The area of moving rectangular sheet material, such as exposed photographic material needing photographic development, is calculated by advancing the sheet material at a known speed along a straight path with one axis, e.g. the length, of the material aligned with the path pass dual sensors. The first sensor determines the length of the sheet material, e.g. by measuring the time interval for the leading and trailing edges of the material to pass the sensor, from which in conjunction with the known speed of advance, the length can be calculated. The second sensor is elongated and extends angularly across the path of advance at a fixed bias angle .alpha. and measures the time interval for the leading and trailing corners (relative to the angular orientation of the second sensor) to pass the second sensor, from which the distance separating such corners along the path can be calculated.

Abstract: A silver halide light-sensitive photographic material for applications in the field of mammography is disclosed which has an improved diagnostic value by an enhanced sharpness. The silver halide crystals to be used in the said material show a fog level, a toe contrast and an overall contrast that is, like the image quality, substantially uneffected by the processing conditions. The coating amount of silver halide crystals in the emulsion layer can be reduced to such an amount that an archivability of from 10 to 20 years can be assured in normal storage conditions. The X-ray material is suitable for rapid processing, without loss in sensitivity, within processing cycles of 45 or 38 seconds, wherein hardener-free processing solutions can be used.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for making direct-positive photographic images by developing light-sensitive materials in the presence of development nucleators which do not cause loss of sensitivity during exposure or unevenness of development. More specifically the invention relates to the formation of direct-positive images having a high maximum density and high exposure latitude and to photographic materials for use in said formation, which is accomplished by a method for making direct-positive images comprising:image-wise exposing a photographic light-sensitive silver halide material comprising a support and a layer of an internal latent image-type silver halide emulsion, the pAg of which has been adjusted to a pAg-value between 9.0 and 10.5 inclusive before coating, anddeveloping said exposed photographic silver halide material in a surface developer in the presence of a development nucleator with a group promoting adsorption to silver halide.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for making an offset printing plate according to the silver salt diffusion transfer process having improved printing properties comprising the step of developing an imaging element comprising in the order given (i) a hydrophilic base, (ii) an image receiving layer containing physical development nuclei and (iii) a photosensitive layer containing a silver halide emulsion in the presence of a 1-phenyl-5-mercapto-tetrazole, being substituted by one or two substituents from the group consisting of:(i) a --COOM group with M representing hydrogen, a metal cation, or an ammonium group,(ii) a --SO.sub.3 M.sup.1 group, M.sup.1 representing hydrogen, a metal cation, or an ammonium group,(iii) an acylamido group,(iv) and a substituent containing at least one of the aforementioned substituents (i)-(iv).