Abstract: A method of processing a silver halide photographic material comprises passing the material through a processing solution repeatedly at a temperature suitable for processing, the material spending the major part of the processing time out of the liquid, wherein said processing solution has a viscosity from 0.7 to 5 cP at the processing temperature.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and a system for processing light sensitive photographic material, comprising the steps of exposing an image onto the photographic material, applying to the material in an imagewise manner at least one developer wherein the amount of developer applied at any point depends on the image density to be produced at that point, wherein the exposure is controlled to account for the response of the photographic material to the amount of developer applied. The invention provides a method and system for processing photographic material that is simple, chemically efficient and produces low or zero-effluent whilst also providing fully satisfactory photographic performance.

Abstract: A method of bleaching and fixing a developed silver halide color negative element comprising mixing a bleaching solution containing an oxidizing agent with a fixing solution containing a silver ion solubilizing agent to form a bleach-fixing solution; shortly after or simultaneously with said mixing, bleach/fixing the silver halide element by contacting it with the bleach/fixing solution; and discarding the bleach/fixing solution after one use; wherein the bleach/fixing step is performed at an elevated temperature; and wherein the silver halide color negative element comprises a silver bromoiodide emulsion with an average iodide content of more than 1 mol % iodide.

Abstract: A method of producing a photographic image in an imagewise exposed photographic material comprising one or more silver halide emulsion layers comprises applying to the material in an imagewise manner a developer solution containing a silver halide developing agent wherein the amount of solution applied depends on the image density to be produced, removing unreacted developing agent from the material or inactivating unreacted developing agent in the material by means other than immersion of the material in a liquid in a tank.

Abstract: A method of producing a photographic image in an imagewise exposed photographic material comprising one or more silver halide emulsion layers comprises developing the material with a developer solution containing a silver halide developing agent, applying to the surface of the developed material a solution of a sulphite compound that reacts with oxidised developing agent and prevents further development, and applying to the surface of the developed material a solution of an oxidant that oxidises any remaining developing agent, wherein said sulphite compound is present in an amount sufficient to react with all the oxidised developing agent and said solutions of sulphite and oxidant are applied to the material by means other than immersion in a tank.

Abstract: An aqueous photographic bleach solution comprises, as primary oxidant, in a concentration eg from about 0.1 to about 1 Molar of a transition metal oxidizing agent and, as secondary oxidant, from about 0.03 to about 0.15 Molar of a persulphate or from about 0.1 to about 0.8 Molar of a peroxide. The primary oxidant is preferably a ferric complex of an aminopolycarboxylic acid such as ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), propylene diamine tetraacetic acid (PDTA), diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA), or a substituted imino diacetic acid such as methyl imino diacetic acid (MIDA). The peroxide can be provided by a compound that liberates peroxide under the bleach conditions. The solutions of the invention are particularly suitable for use with a single use surface application device in which a small volume of the solution is used once and then discarded.

Abstract: A method of processing a silver halide photographic material comprises passing the material through a processing solution repeatedly at a temperature suitable for processing, the material spending the major part of the processing time out of the liquid, wherein said processing solution has a viscosity from 0.7 to 5 cP at the processing temperature.

Abstract: A photographic washing bath comprises a chamber containing a wash solution for a silver halide photographic material having a pH of less than 7 and comprising water having dissolved therein an oxidizing agent, said oxidizing agent having an oxidizing potential of at least 1 volt and being in a concentration of from 0.05 to 2 Molar. The oxidation potential of the oxidizing agent is preferably at least 1.2 volts and may be hydrogen peroxide or a source of hydrogen peroxide, a persulphate, a perborate, a bromate, or an iodate. A washing process using the invention is suitable for being carried out in same chamber as the development and fixing stages in which case hydrogen peroxide is the preferred oxidizing agent because any peroxide remaining at the end of the wash stage can be removed by evaporation, thereby avoiding risk of contamination of the next stage to be carried out in the chamber.

Abstract: A method of producing a photographic image in an imagewise exposed photographic material comprising one or more silver halide emulsion layers comprises

Abstract: A method of producing a photographic image in an imagewise exposed photographic material comprising one or more silver halide emulsion layers comprises

Abstract: A photographic recording material for use in redox amplification comprises a support having thereon a plurality of emulsion layers, each emulsion layer containing a color-forming coupler, and wherein the activity of the couplers is from 45 to 70% as measured by the citrazinic acid method. These materials may be developed by a redox development step which may be followed by a bleach-fix step without any intervening step. Staining is eliminated with the use of these photographic materials.

Abstract: A photographic recording material for use in redox amplification comprises a support having thereon a plurality of emulsion layers, each emulsion layer containing a color-forming coupler, and wherein the activity of the couplers is from 45 to 70% as measured by the citrazinic acid method. These materials may be developed by a redox development step which may be followed by a bleach-fix step without any intervening step. Staining is eliminated with the use of these photographic materials.

Abstract: A process for the development of an imagewise exposed photographic recording material containing more than 200 mg/m.sup.2 of silver comprises subjecting the photographic recording material to a development/amplification step using a developer/amplifier solution containing an oxidizing agent, and controlling the process temperature within the range of from 20 to 50.degree. C. and the process time between 5 and 20 seconds. After the development/amplification step, the photographic material can be immediately subjected to a bleach-fix step, and staining is avoided.

Abstract: A process for processing light sensitive photographic materials in which oxidation of replenisher solution in a tubing between replenisher and processing tanks is prevented comprises the steps of processing the light sensitive photographic material in a tank containing a processing solution; and supplying replenisher solution to the processing tank and causing the processing solution to be displaced from the processing tank. Replenisher solution which is supplied to the processing tank is conveyed in a tubing which is coaxial with a further tubing of larger diameter containing a solution of an oxygen scavenger such as a reducing agent which can be provided by displaced processing solution.

Abstract: A photographic processing apparatus (100) for processing photographic materials and comprising at least one processing stage (10,20), a washing/stabilizing stage (30), replenishment system (14,15,16,24,25,26,34,35,36) for replenishing each processing and washing/stabilizing stage (10,20,30), and a treatment system (50,60,65,66,70,72) for treating effluent displaced at least from each replenished processing stage (10,20,30) during replenishment. The treatment system (50,60,65,66,70,72) comprises a collecting tank (50) in which the effluent is collected and at least one treatment chemistry holding tank (60) which contains treatment chemistry for the collected effluent. A pump head (66) controlled by a pump-motor (40) is provided for each holding tank and is used to deliver treatment chemistry to the collecting tank (50) in accordance with the amount of photographic material processed.

Abstract: It is important to control the temperature during the development stage of a photographic process in order to maximize the efficiency thereof. This is a particular problem when photographic materials are processed in high throughput processors which operate with reduced volume chemistry as these material have a tendency to cool the developer solution if not at the correct temperature. Described herein is a method for improving the temperature stability of the material to be processed by heating it before processing. The material is passed through a conditioning chamber where it is heated to the desired processing temperature prior to entering the development stage of a processor.

Abstract: A photographic processing machine has at least two processing tanks for holding different processing solutions and a removable container containing at least two working strength processing solutions in separate sub-containers. The sub-container which feeds the first used processing tank comprises a level detector. When the level falls to a predetermined limit, an indicator means is activated signaling the necessity for changing the processing solution container.

Abstract: A process for the bleaching of an exposed photographic material utilizes a peroxide bleach solution to remove metallic silver from the exposed photographic material. The silver from the photographic material passes into the bleach solution such that at least part of the excess silver over that required to catalyze the bleaching action is removed from the bleach solution by forming an insoluble silver compound, for example, by the addition of a halide. The invention provides an apparatus for use in the bleaching method.

Abstract: A method of imagewise exposing and processing a photographic silver halide color material in a machine containing a number of non-replenished processing tanks or processing tanks that are supplied from a non-replenished source,the method comprising increasing the exposure time automatically by a predetermined factor related to the area of photographic material already processed and the volume of the non-replenished processing solution.

Abstract: A method of processing an imagewise exposed photographic silver halide material in a machine containing a number of non-replenished processing tanks or processing tanks that are supplied from a non-replenished source, the method wherein the silver halide comprises at least 95% by weight silver chloride and processing in each tank is carried out with sufficient agitation to avoid the need for replenishment.