Electrophotographic process

An electrophotographic process for the formation of an electrostatic latent image which comprises the steps of:

• (a) initially electrically charging a photosensitive element comprising an electrically conductive substrate having laminated thereon, in order, an electrically insulating intermediate layer, a photoconductive layer and an electrically insulating surface layer, whereby the surface of said electrically insulating surface layer is electrically charged in a certain polarity;
• (b) entirely exposing said photosensitive element to light from the side of the surface of the electrically insulating surface layer to polarize said photoconductive layer such that an electric charge of a polarity opposite to that on the surface is formed at the boundary between said electrically insulating surface layer and said photoconductive layer;
• (c) subsequently electrically charging said electrically insulating surface layer in a polarity opposite to that of said initial charging to neutralize the electric charge on the surface;
• and then
• (d) image-wise exposing said photosensitive element to light from the side of the surface of the electrically insulating surface layer to neutralize charges in the areas exposed to light by discharging so that said electrostatic latent image is formed at the boundary between said electrically insulating surface layer and said photoconductive layer, wherein the polarity between the initial electrical charging and the subsequent electrical charging is changed from positive to negative, or vice-versa, simultaneously at the time when said image-wise exposing to light occurs.