Method for developing an exposed photographic silver halide material

Abstract

According to this invention a developer has been disclosed having a low pH value between 9.6 and 11.0, preferably between 9.6 and 10.3, and comprising hydroquinone in an amount from 0 to less than 30 g per liter, an auxiliary developing agent, and as silver halide complexing agents alkali metal sulphite salts, preferably sodium salts, in an amount from 0 to less than 50 g per liter, more preferably to less than 40 g per liter, and thiocyanate salts in amounts from 0.1 to 3 g, more preferably from 0.5 to 2.5 g per liter, and at least 1 g of a compound corresponding to the formula (I), a precursor thereof, a derivative thereof and/or a metal salt thereof wherein each of A, B and D independently represents an oxygen atom or NR1; X represents an oxygen atom, a sulphur atom, NR2; CR3R4; C═O; C═NR5 or C═S; Y represents an oxygen atom, a sulphur atom, NR′2; CR′3R′4; C═O; C═NR′5 or C═S; Z represents an oxygen atom, a sulphur atom, NR″2; CR″3R″4; C═O; C═NR″5 or C═S; n equals 0, 1 or 2; each of R1 to R5, R′1 to R′5 and R″1 to R″5, independently represents hydrogen, subsituted or unsubstituted alkyl, aralkyl, hydroxyalkyl, carboxyalkyl; substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl or substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclyl; and wherein R3 and R4, R′3 and R′4, R″3 and R″4, may further form together a ring; and wherein in the case that X═CR3R4 and Y═CR′3R′4, R3 and R′3 and/or R4 and R′4 may form a ring and wherein in the case that Y═CR′3R′4 and Z═CR″3R″4 with n=1 or 2, R′3 and R″3 and/or R′4 and R″4 may form a ring.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.