Abstract: A method of developing an exposed lith-type silver halide emulsion is described wherein development takes place in the presence of a sulphonium compound corresponding to the formula: ##STR1## wherein: EACH OF X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 represents an alkyl group at least one of which carries a hydroxy, carboxy, sulpho or cyano group,R represents an alkyl group, an aryl group or the group ##STR2## wherein A is a divalent organic group, or R may represent hydrogen when both X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 are hydroxyalkyl,n is an integer of at least 1 when the compound is a disulphonium compound and is an integer of at least 2 when the compound is a monosulphonium compound, andZ is an anion but does not exist when one of X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 itself contains an anionic group.

Abstract: Direct-positive emulsions are described comprising incorporated developing agents wherein the developing agents are 1,4-dihydroxybenzene compounds of which at least one of the hydroxyl groups has been esterified to form a hydrolyzable aliphatic acyloxy group comprising a quaternary ammonium group.