Abstract: A method for manufacturing a microporous film comprising the steps of:

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a microporous film comprising the steps of: (a) providing a first polymer which is a hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer and a second polymer which is a hydrophilic polymer or copolymer of N-vinylpyrrolidone; (b) dissolving said first and second polymers in a solvent system which is compatible with both polymers, said solvent system comprising a blend of an aprotic organic solvent and an alcohol; (c) coating the resulting solution on a support; (d) effecting at least a partial drying of the resulting coating; and (e) washing the coating in an aqueous medium so as to extract at least 50% by weight of the said second polymer.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a microporous film comprising the steps of:

Abstract: A laser addressable thermal imaging element comprising a bleachable photothermal converting dye in association with a heat-sensitive imaging medium, and a photoreducing agent for said dye, said photoreducing agent bleaching said dye on laser address of the element. The imaging element may be in the form of a colorant transfer system, a peel-apart system, a phototackification system or a unimolecular thermal fragmentation system. Also provided is a method of crosslinking a resin by laser irradiation, which is useful in the production of colored images.

Abstract: A laser addressable thermal imaging element comprising a bleachable photothermal converting dye in association with a heat-sensitive imaging medium, and a photoreducing agent for said dye, said photoreducing agent bleaching said dye on laser address of the element. The imaging element may be in the form of a colorant transfer system, a peel-apart system, a phototackification system or a unimolecular thermal fragmentation system. Also provided is a method of crosslinking a resin by leaser irradiation, which is useful in the production of colored images.

Abstract: A laser addressable thermal imaging element comprising a bleachable photothermal converting dye in association with a heat-sensitive imaging medium, and a photoreducing agent for said dye, said photoreducing agent bleaching said dye on laser address of the element. The imaging element may be in the form of a colorant transfer system, a peel-apart system, a phototackification system or a unimolecular thermal fragmentation system. Also provided is a method of crosslinking a resin by leaser irradiation, which is useful in the production of colored images.

Abstract: A laser-induced thermal imaging system having a donor element and a receptor element. The donor element includes a substrate on which is coated transfer material that includes: a binder including a hydroxylic resin; a fluorocarbon additive; a cationic infrared absorbing dye; a dihydropyridine latent crosslinking agent; and a dispersible material. The receptor element comprises a texturized surface.

Abstract: A method comprising the following steps:(a) creating a thermal transfer donor sheet by vapor depositing a colorant layer onto a support;(b) contacting a receptor sheet with the donor sheet such that the colorant layer is in intimate contact with the receptor sheet, wherein at least one of the donor and receptor sheets comprises a radiation-absorbing material;(b) imagewise exposing the contacted sheets to radiation of a wavelength absorbed by the radiation-absorbing material, thereby causing heating in the exposed regions, said heating causing thermal transfer of colorant from the donor sheet to the receptor sheet in an imagewise fashion.

Abstract: A color reproduction method is described using laser addressable thermal transfer donor elements which may be used to image both color proofing films and printing plates. Matched proofs and plates may be generated by direct digital address since identical transfer media are used in the respective imaging processes. In addition, each plate bears a resin image of a color that matches the color of the ink that will be used with that plate thus providing a convenient means of identification. In other words, the identity of each plate (i.e. whether it bears the y, m, c or k separation image) is immediately apparent by visual inspection, thus removing any risk of confusion and any need to provide individual plates with identification marks.

Abstract: An imaging method is provided that includes a tetraarylpolymethine dye, and bleaching this dye by bringing the dye into contact with a 4-alkyl or 4-unsubstituted 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative.

Abstract: An image-forming element comprising a substrate, and an image-forming medium comprising (a) a compound absorbing at a first wavelength in the UV/blue region and (b) a dye absorbing at a second wavelength which is longer than the first wavelength, irradiation at said second wavelength bleaching absorption of said compound at said first wavelength, said element being free of thermally unstable urea and/or carbamate molecules.

Abstract: A photosensitive element having a photosensitive medium comprising silver halide in reactive association with an organoborate salt and wherein said medium is selected from:(a) silver halide photographic emulsions comprising a cationic dye, and(b) photothermographic media comprising in one or more layers a reducible silver source, a reducing agent for silver ion and an antifoggant.

Abstract: A thermal imaging assembly for imaging a heat-sensitive material comprising:a source of radiant or projected energy (9)two surfaces (1,3) which co-operate to form a pinch (5), one of the two surfaces being the surface of a solid roller (1) which is transparent to the exposing radiation;means to bias one or both surfaces against the other so as to exert a minimum pinch pressure of at least 10 g/mm.sup.2,the assembly being constructed and arranged such that radiation from the source is focused at the pinch by means of the solid roller (1).

Abstract: Positive-acting photothermographic elements suitable for use at contact speeds comprising a base layer having at least two layers thereon, which layers define a photosensitive medium comprising a photocurable composition, a reducible silver source, and a reducing system for silver ion comprising one or more components including a compound capable of reducing silver ion to silver metal, such that the reducible silver source and at least one component of the reducing system for silver ion are present in separate layers, wherein exposure of the element to actinic radiation causes curing of the photocurable composition in the exposed area(s), said curing preventing the reducing system from interacting with the reducible silver source during thermal processing and in which the photocurable composition comprises a free radical curable resin and a photoinitiator therefor having an absorbance to radiation in the wavelength range of 340 to 440 nm, which photoinitiator upon exposure to said actinic radiation or during

Abstract: A method of forming an image in which a color donor element and a receiving element are placed in face-to-face contact and opposed imagewise to infrared radiation, e.g. by laser exposure, in which at least one of the donor and receptor elements comprises a near-infrared absorbing dye which is a squarilium dye having dihydroperimidine terminal groups.

Abstract: A negative-acting, photothermographic material having a first layer comprising an amine compound and a second layer comprising an amine-reactive dye which undergoes a visible change when in reactive association with the amine compound. The amine compound and the amine-sensitive dye are in non-reactive association at ambient and moderate temperatures, but at elevated temperatures the two components are able to interact to produce a visible change in the heated areas of the material. The materials are particularly suitable for the preparation of overhead projector transparencies.

Abstract: Thermally imageable compositions, comprising a silver salt of an organic acid, a reducing agent, and, optionally, an activator, coated together in a suitable polymeric binder, can be rendered photoimageable by the addition of a salt of a tetrahydrocarbylborate anion.

Abstract: A dye-transfer-sheet in the form of a self supporting film having a total thickness of from 4 to 15 .mu.m and consisting of a layer of one or more thermally mobile sublimation dyes dissolved or dispersed in a polymeric binder and a hydrophilic barrier layer adjacent to, but distinct from the dye-containing layer comprising a polymeric binder substantially impermeable to migration of the sublimable dye(s).The dye-transfer-sheets have a high sensitivity due to the absence of a separate support substrate and are capable of producing clear, high density transferred images.

Abstract: Compounds having a utility as photosensitive dyes in photocurable polymer based imaging systems having a nucleus of general formula (I): ##STR1## wherein: n is 1 or 2,Y is selected from the group consisting of 0 and ##STR2## Z is selected from the group consisting of 0.sup..crclbar. and ##STR3## M.sup..sym. is a cation.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for producing a color image on a photosensitive medium having low sensitivity in which color separation image masks are sequentially generated in a smectic liquid crystal device which may be controlled by a computer and the photosensitive medium is exposed through the image mask. The separation image masks may be altered during exposure to compensate for uneven illumination and to achieve tonal scales.