Abstract: A photothermographic element comprising a photosensitive silver halide, an organic silver salt and a reducing agent in concentrations such that imagewise exposure to actinic radiation generates from the silver halide a catalyst which accelerates an image-forming reaction between the organic silver salt and the reducing agent is processed by a method comprising the steps of (1) imagewise-exposing the element to actinic radiation to form a latent image therein, (2) subjecting the imagewise-exposed element to a first heating step at a temperature and for a time sufficient to intensify the latent image but insufficient to produce a visible image, and thereafter (3) subjecting the element to a second heating step at a temperature and for a time sufficient to produce a visible image.

Abstract: A method of making a photothermographic silver halide element comprises the combination of (I) adding an alkyl carboxylic acid containing 8 to 22 carbon atoms to a layer of the element comprising photosensitive silver halide and (II) after preparation of the layer comprising silver halide and before exposure of the element to light heating the element uniformly at a temperature and for a time sufficient to enable the photothermographic element to exhibit increased latent image stability upon imagewise exposure to light. The photothermographic element includes photosensitive silver halide and an oxidation-reduction image forming combination in a polmeric binder. A developed visible image is provided in such a photothermographic element after exposure to light by uniformly heating the exposed photothermographic element to moderately elevated temperatures.

Abstract: Mesoionic 1,2,4-triazolium-3-thiolates are silver halide stabilizers and fixing agents. They are useful in heat developable and heat stabilizable photographic silver halide materials and processes. After imagewise exposure of the photographic materials, developed and stabilized silver images are produced by heating the materials. The mesoionic 1,2,4-triazolium-3-thiolates are also silver halide stabilizers and fixing agents in photographic silver halide processing compositions.