Abstract: The image forming process according to the present invention comprises forming a toner image on an electrophotographic image receiving sheet, wherein the electrophotographic image receiving sheet comprises a support and a toner image receiving layer, the toner image receiving layer comprises a thermoplastic resin, and the toner image receiving layer is formed on at least one surface of the support, and wherein in the electrophotographic image receiving sheet, a peripheral margin exists on which the toner image is not formed, and the width of the peripheral margin is 1.2 mm to 13 mm.

Abstract: Image-receiving sheets for electrophotography are provided, which are excellent in anti-curling property and anti-cracking property of the image surface thereof and which can be easily produced. The image-receiving sheets include a base paper and a toner image-receiving layer made of a thermoplastic resin on at least one surface of the base paper. The toner image-receiving layer contains less than 40% by mass of a pigment, based on the thermoplastic resin. The thermoplastic resin infiltrates into a depth of 1 to 50% of the thickness of the base paper from the surface of the base paper at the toner image-receiving layer side.

Abstract: An image-receiving sheet for electrophotography is provided, which has an excellent gloss and which can be easily produced. The image-receiving sheet includes a base paper and a toner image-receiving layer comprising a thermoplastic resin on at least one surface of the base paper. The toner image-receiving layer contains less than 40% by mass, based on the thermoplastic resin, of a pigment. The thermoplastic resin is infiltrated to a depth of 0.01% to less than 1% of the thickness of the base paper from the surface of the base paper at the image-receiving layer side.

Abstract: The invention provides an image forming method, comprising transferring a toner image to an electrophotographic recording sheet, layering the electrophotographic recording sheet on a fixing belt and heating and pressing the sheet, and cooling the electrophotographic recording sheet and separating the sheet from the fixing belt. The electrophotographic recording sheet comprises a support comprising cellulose pulp-containing base paper and a toner image-receiving layer comprising a thermoplastic resin disposed on the support. A shrinkage percentage of the electrophotographic recording sheet in a CD direction in the heating step is 1.3% or less. The support preferably further comprises either a polyolefin-containing layer or a coating that contains at least one selected from the group consisting of kaolin, a pigment, a resin, a rubber latex, or a polymer material and that is provided on one or both surfaces of the base paper.

Abstract: To provide an relief smoothing apparatus that smoothes an image on a recording sheet which is obtained by forming a polyolefin resin coating layer on a base sheet and forming a receiving layer, in which a toner image is infiltrated, on the base sheet, including: plural tension rolls including a first roll; an endless; a second roll; and a heating source, the recording sheet, in which provided that a surface temperature of the first roll is represented by Tn [° C.], a Vicat softening temperature of the polyolefin resin is represented by Tv [° C.], and a time required for the recording sheet to pass through the nip portion is represented by t [sec], the following relationship is established: (Tv+55)×(1+{fraction (1/100)} t)≧Tn≧(Tv+20)/(1+{fraction (1/100)} t) [° C.].

Abstract: To provide an electrophotographic method and apparatus for forming images stably having a good, agreeable, and natural texture in gloss equivalent to conventional silver halide photographic prints, an electrophotographic image-receiving sheet for use in the formation of such images and such an electrophotographic print, an image forming process produces an electrophotographic print by fixing a toner image on an electrophotographic image-receiving sheet using a belt fixing device of cooling and separating system. In the electrophotographic print, a specular glossiness GsP(45°) and a reflected light scattering index GsP(*45±3°) of a black print image on the toner image-bearing surface of the electrophotographic print satisfy specific conditions.

Abstract: To produce an electrophotographic print with high image quality and good texture and with minimized curling, a method produces an electrophotographic print by fixing a toner image on an image bearing surface of an electrophotographic image-receiving sheet using a belt fixing and smoothing apparatus including a hot-pressing device, a belt member, a cooling device, and a cooling-releasing section, smoothing the toner image, and releasing the sheet, in which an amount of curling C (mm) of the electrophotographic print is controlled to be more than-0.10 L and less than +0.05 L, wherein L is a length (mm) of a short side of the electrophotographic print; a negative value (−) of the amount of curling C means that the electrophotographic print curls toward its back side not bearing the image; and a positive value (+) of the amount of curling C means that the electrophotographic print curls toward its image-bearing surface.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide an electrophotographic image-receiving sheet which can be more easily and efficiently manufactured and shows excellent image quality and glossiness, to provide a process for manufacturing the electrophotographic image-receiving sheet, and to provide a process for image formation using the electrophotographic image-receiving sheet. An electrophotographic image-receiving sheet which includes a support and a toner image-receiving layer which is to be disposed on at least one surface of the support and contains a thermoplastic resin, in which the electrophotographic image-receiving sheet is formed by soft calender treatment using a metal roller having surface temperature of glass transition temperature (Tg) of the thermoplastic resin minus 30° C. or more and the glass transition temperature plus 50° C. or less, so that the metal roller contacts a surface of the toner image-receiving layer.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a recording material support having superior excellent surface smoothness and water resistance compared to the related art, to a process for efficiently manufacturing this recording material support, to a recording material which can form an image having excellent quality and gloss using this recording material support, and to process for image formation using this recording material. For this purpose, the recording material support comprising at least raw paper satisfies at least one condition selected from the Cobb size (30 seconds) of the surface on the side provided with the image-forming layer of the support, Oken type smoothness, Stökigt sizing degree, central square average roughness (SRa) and variation amount (&Dgr;SRa) of SRa.

Abstract: An image-receiving sheet for electrophotography is provided, which has an excellent gloss and which can be easily produced.

Abstract: Image-receiving sheets for electrophotography are provided, which are excellent in anti-curling property and anti-cracking property of the image surface thereof and which can be easily produced.

Abstract: A silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material comprising at least one light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer on a support. The silver halide emulsion layer contains tabular grains having an aspect ratio of 3 or more and 10 or more dislocation lines per grain, in an amount of 30% or more of a total projected area of all grains in the layer. At least 30 mole % of all couplers contained in the emulsion layer is occupied by a DIR coupler which releases a diffusing development inhibitor or a precursor thereof upon reaction with an oxidized form of a developing agent, or cleaves to form another compound upon reaction with an oxidized form of a developing agent, which cleaved compound in turn reacts with another molecule of oxidized form of a developing agent to release a development inhibitor.

Abstract: A silver halide photographic material, which comprises a support having provided thereon at least one light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer, the silver halide emulsion layer or at least one other hydrophilic colloid layer of the material containing at least one heterocyclic quaternary ammonium salt compound represented by the following general formula (I): ##STR1## wherein Z represents non-metallic atoms necessary for forming a 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic ring which may be substituted with a substituted group; R.sup.1 represents an aliphatic group; R.sup.2 represents a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, or an aromatic group; Y represents a charge-balancing counter ion; and n is 0 or 1; provided that at least one of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and Z has an acyl group, a hydrazine group, or a hydrazone group, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 form a 6-membered dihydropyridinium skeleton, and at least one of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and Z includes the group -X-L-.sub.

Abstract: In an internal latent image type direct positive silver halide emulsion containing core/shell type silver halide grains wherein at least light-sensitive sites of the silver halide internal core which has been subjected to doping with metal ions or chemical sensitization, or both, is covered with a silver halide outer shell, the improvement wherein a photographic additive which is adsorbed on silver halide in said emulsion or interacts with silver ion, said additive being a compound which functions to change the crystal form or particle size of the silver halide grains in the case of the formation thereof or acts as a sensitizer or a sensitizing assistant in the case of chemically sensitizing the core particles but has a harmful influence on photographic properties if it remains after use of it, is deactivated by a deactivator prior to completion of the formation of said core/shell type silver halide grains or completion of surface chemical ripening of said grains.

Abstract: A silver halide photographic material is described, which comprises a support having provided thereon at least one hydrophilic layer containing at least one alkynyl-substituted heterocyclic quaternary ammonium salt represented by the following general formula (I): ##STR1## wherein Z represents non-metallic atoms necessary for forming a 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic nucleus;R.sup.1 represents an aliphatic group, and R.sup.2 represents a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group or an aromatic group, at least one of R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and Z having an alkynyl group, and at least one of the substituents R.sup.1 and Z including the group X-(L).sub.m - wherein X represents a group effective for accelerating adsorption onto silver halide grains and L represents a divalent linking group;Y represents a charge-balancing counter ion;n represents 0 or 1; andm represents 0 or 1.

Abstract: An instant camera equipped with a pressure plate for pressing against a stack of instant film units contained in a film pack to press the foremost film unit against the exposure opening frame of the film pack so as to place and hold that foremost film unit flat in the focal plane of the taking lens. A pressure relieving mechanism relieves pressure from the stack of instant film units at a predetermined time, so as to allow the foremost instant film unit to be withdrawn with reduced friction force from the film pack. To do this, the pressure relieving mechanism temporarily presses rearwardly against the pressure plate.

Abstract: An internal latent image-type direct positive silver halide light-sensitive material is described, comprising a support having at least one photographic emulsion layer thereon, wherein said layer contains internal latent image-type direct positive silver halide grains, the surfaces of which are chemically sensitized, wherein a compound of the general formula (I) is added as a finish additive to the photographic emulsion layer or at least one hydrophilic colloid layer adjacent to the photographic emulsion layer.General Formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are defined as herein. The light-sensitive material exhibits a very satisfactory reversal performance and is greatly improved in stability over the course of time.

Abstract: A silver halide photographic light-sensitive material comprising a support having provided thereon at least one internal latent image type direct positive silver halide emulsion layer is disclosed, wherein(1) said internal latent image type direct positive silver halide emulsion layer comprises at least two layers having substantially the same color sensitivity, or(2) at least said internal latent image type direct positive silver halide emulsion and a solid pigment-containing layer contiguous thereto, which is positioned on the side opposite to the side of the silver halide emulsion layer to be exposed, are provided,and wherein at least one internal latent image type direct positive silver halide emulsion in (1) or (2) has a binder/silver halide (calculated as silver) ratio by weight of more than 1.25.

Abstract: A photographic element comprised of a support having provided thereon at least one silver halide emulsion layer, the element containing a development inhibitor precursor. The development inhibitor precursor is represented by the following general formula (I): ##STR1## wherein A represents an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl group or a 5-membered or 6-membered nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring; R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent substituent; and R.sup.2 represents an organic ballasting group. The element is capable of providing color images having improved image quality particularly with respect to having a low density in the Dmin areas. The photographic element can be processed over a wide range of processing temperatures. Further, the element can be preserved for long periods of time without having a reduction in the density in the Dmax areas.

Abstract: There is disclosed a novel direct positive silver halide emulsion and a color diffusion transfer photographic film unit in which the above emulsion is used and which provides a high sensitivity and a low minimum density. The direct positive silver halide emulsion contains a core/shell type grain in which 60% or more of the projected area of all grains is shared by a monodispersed parallel twin crystal-containing type tabular grain having an aspect ratio of 1.5 or more, wherein the shell of the core/sell grain is formed by adding a silver salt in which at least 30 mole % of the silver salt is a non-twin crystal silver halide fine grain emulsion having an average grain size of 0.12 .mu.m or less.