Photothermographic material comprising at least one dye absorbing electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range 700 to 1100NM

A recording process for a photothermographic recording material comprising the steps of:

• imagewise exposing to infrared actinic radiation a photothermographic material, having a photo-addressable thermally developable element containing a substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt, photosensitive silver halide in catalytic association with said substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt and spectrally sensitized to infra-red light with a dye, a supersensitizer for said dye, a reducing agent in thermal working relationship with said substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt and a binder, produced by a production process including the steps of:
• (i) producing an aqueous dispersion or aqueous dispersions comprising said substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt, said photosensitive silver halide spectrally sensitized to infra-red light with said dye, said supersensitizer for said dye, said reducing agent and said binder;
• (ii) coating said aqueous dispersion or aqueous dispersions onto a support;
• and overall heating of said photothermographic recording material, wherein said binder includes a water soluble polymer, a water-dispersible polymer or a water soluble polymer and a water-dispersible polymer;
• said dye absorbs electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range from 700 to 1100 nm;
• and said supersensitizer is a stilbene compound represented by formula (I):
• ##STR11## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are independently hydrogen or alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkaryl, alkoxy or aryloxy groups;
• and R.sup.5, R.sup.6, R.sup.7, R.sup.8, R.sup.9, R.sup.10, R.sup.11 and R.sup.12 are independently hydrogen and alkyl, alkoxy, carboxy or sulfo groups.