Silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material Number:6,824,968 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent A silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material comprising at least one interimage effect imparting layer (a) defined below and at least one interimage effect imparting layer (b) defined below, wherein, when the photographic light-sensitive material is exposed to light of a "skin color" having the spectral distribution of Table 1 described in the specification and is then subjected to development, a ratio of the chroma C*.sub.70 at a brightness L*=70 represented by CIE Lab color system to the chroma C*.sub.50 at a brightness L*=50, C*.sub.70 /C*.sub.50, is 0.7 or more. (a) an interimage effect imparting layer containing a short-wavelength green-sensitive silver halide emulsion having a weight-averaged wavelength of a spectral sensitivity distribution of 500 to 560 nm; (b) an interimage effect imparting layer containing a red-sensitive silver halide emulsion having a weight-averaged wavelength of a spectral sensitivity distribution of 580 to 700 nm.<H photographic, sensitive, Silver, halide, c, 6824968.html, Patent, pto, 6824968

Title: Silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material

Abstract: A silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material comprising at least one interimage effect imparting layer (a) defined below and at least one interimage effect imparting layer (b) defined below, wherein, when the photographic light-sensitive material is exposed to light of a "skin color" having the spectral distribution of Table 1 described in the specification and is then subjected to development, a ratio of the chroma C*.sub.70 at a brightness L*=70 represented by CIE Lab color system to the chroma C*.sub.50 at a brightness L*=50, C*.sub.70 /C*.sub.50, is 0.7 or more. (a) an interimage effect imparting layer containing a short-wavelength green-sensitive silver halide emulsion having a weight-averaged wavelength of a spectral sensitivity distribution of 500 to 560 nm; (b) an interimage effect imparting layer containing a red-sensitive silver halide emulsion having a weight-averaged wavelength of a spectral sensitivity distribution of 580 to 700 nm.

Patent Number: 6,824,968 Issued on 11/30/2004 to Maeno, et al.

Inventors: Maeno; Yutaka (Minami-Ashigara, JP); Shuto; Sadanobu (Minami-Ashigara, JP); Kakinuma; Akihiro (Minami-Ashigara, JP)
Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. (Kanagawa, JP)

Appl. No.: 682525

Filed: October 10, 2003

Foreign Application Priority Data


Oct 11, 2002 [JP]			2002-299509

Current U.S. Class: 430/505 ; 430/379; 430/502; 430/503; 430/504; 430/508

Current International Class: G03C 7/30 (20060101)

Field of Search: 430/502,503,504,505,508,379

References Cited [Referenced By]

U.S. Patent Documents


5378590	January 1995	Ford et al.
6048673	April 2000	Kuramitsu et al.
6346372	February 2002	Yoshikawa et al.
6645680	November 2003	Abe et al.

Primary Examiner: Letscher; Geraldine
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material having on a transparent support at least one blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer containing a yellow-coloring coupler, at least one green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer containing a magenta-coloring coupler and at least one red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer containing a cyan-coloring coupler, wherein said photographic light-sensitive material comprising at least one interimage effect imparting layer (a) defined below and at least one interimage effect imparting layer (b) defined below in addition to the blue-, green- and red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layers, wherein, when the photographic light-sensitive material is exposed to light of a "skin color" having the spectral distribution of Table 1 and is then subjected to development, a ratio of the chroma C*.sub.70 at a brightness L*=70 represented by CIE Lab color system to the chroma C*.sub.50 at a brightness L*=50, C*.sub.70 /C*.sub.50, is 0.7 or more (a) an interimage effect imparting layer containing a short-wavelength green-sensitive silver halide emulsion having a weight-averaged wavelength of a spectral sensitivity distribution in the range of 500 nm to 560 nm; (b) an interimage effect imparting layer containing a red-sensitive silver halide emulsion having a weight-averaged wavelength of a spectral sensitivity distribution in the range of 580 nm to 700 nm.

2. The silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of the chroma C*.sub.20 at a brightness L*=20 to the chroma C*.sub.50 at a brightness L*=50, C*.sub.20 /C*.sub.50, is 0.7 or more.

3. The silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material according to claim 1, wherein the standard deviation of the hue angle in the CIE Lab color system of a "skin color" image that is reproduced by the photographic light-sensitive material is within 1.0 in the range of brightness L*=20 to 70.

4. The silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material according to claim 2, wherein the standard deviation of the hue angle in the CIE Lab color system of a "skin color" image that is reproduced by the photographic light-sensitive material is within 1.0 in the range of brightness L*=20 to 70.

5. The silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material according to claim 1, wherein when the photographic light-sensitive material is exposed to light having a "gray" spectral reflectance distribution shown in Table 2 and is then subjected to development, the chroma C* value represented in the CIE Lab color system of a "gray" image that is reproduced by the photographic light-sensitive material, is 0 or more, but 10 or less, in the range of L*=20 to 70.

6. The silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material according to claim 2, wherein when the photographic light-sensitive material is exposed to light having a "gray" spectral reflectance distribution shown in Table 2 and is then subjected to development, the chroma C* value represented in the CIE Lab color system of a "gray" image that is reproduced by the photographic light-sensitive material, is 0 or more, but 10 or less, in the range of L*=20 to 70.

7. The silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material according to claim 3, wherein when the photographic light-sensitive material is exposed to light having a "gray" spectral reflectance distribution shown in Table 2 and is then subjected to development, the chroma C* value represented in the CIE Lab color system of a "gray" image that is reproduced by the photographic light-sensitive material, is 0 or more, but 10 or less, in the range of L*=20 to 70.

8. The silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material according to claim 4, wherein when the photographic light-sensitive material is exposed to light having a "gray" spectral reflectance distribution shown in Table 2 and is then subjected to development, the chroma C* value represented in the CIE Lab color system of a "gray" image that is reproduced by the photographic light-sensitive material, is 0 or more, but 10 or less, in the range of L*=20 to 70.

9. The silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material according to claim 1, wherein the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer is 580 nm or more and 630 nm or less and the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer is 520 nm or more and 560 nm or less.

10. The silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material according to claim 2, wherein the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer is 580 nm or more and 630 nm or less and the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer is 520 nm or more and 560 nm or less.

11. The silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material according to claim 3, wherein the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer is 580 nm or more and 630 nm or less and the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer is 520 nm or more and 560 nm or less.

12. The silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material according to claim 4, wherein the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer is 580 nm or more and 630 nm or less and the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer is 520 nm or more and 560 nm or less.

13. The silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material according to claim 5, wherein the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer is 580 nm or more and 630 nm or less and the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer is 520 nm or more and 560 nm or less.

14. The silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material according to claim 6, wherein the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer is 580 nm or more and 630 nm or less and the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer is 520 nm or more and 560 nm or less.

15. The silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material according to claim 7, wherein the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer is 580 nm or more and 630 nm or less and the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer is 520 nm or more and 560 nm or less.

16. The silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material according to claim 8, wherein the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer is 580 nm or more and 630 nm or less and the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer is 520 nm or more and 560 nm or less.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-299509, filed Oct. 11, 2002, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a color reversal photographic light-sensitive material having an improved color reproduction, and particularly to a color reversal photographic light-sensitive material which is superior in skin color reproduction and in faithful color reproduction and which shows a slight change with respect to light and shade of an object and to variation in exposure. Moreover, the present invention relates to a color reversal-photographic light-sensitive material improved in adaptability for various light sources and in color temperature dependency of light source.

2. Description of the Related Art

For color reversal photographic light-sensitive materials, the color reproduction is an important feature. Heretofore, there have been made many attempts to improve the color reproduction, such as correction of side absorption of coloring materials by means of masking and utilization of an interimage effect.

In particular, the reproduction of "skin color" is important in the field of fashion portrait photographing and it has been required to be improved.

However, in the reproduction of the color of the human skin, there is some difference between the real skin color and a skin color favorable to be reproduced. For example, although a normal skin color is desired to have a chroma higher than the real tone, it is preferable that no defects such as pimples be noticeable. It, therefore, is not necessarily proper to reproduce the real tone of the skin faithfully. Moreover, the human eyes are very sensitive to skin color and can recognize a slight color difference in skin color, which difference would not be noticed in case of a normal color. Accordingly, the reproduction of skin color has some difficulty due to the necessity for an extremely precise control of color reproduction.

As a technology for improving the reproduction of skin color, disclosed is a color reversal photographic element comprising interimage effect controlling means, which element can reproduce a red tint of high relative chroma and a yellow-red tint (skin color) of substantially low relative chroma (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,590). However, the color reversal photographic element of this invention defines the relative chroma of a yellow-red tint (skin color) only. There is no reference to the hue of skin color.

On the other hand, a color reversal photographic light-sensitive material comprising interimage effect controlling means, wherein chroma and hue are defined with respect to "skin color" and "red-tint skin color" (see, or example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,673). However, this invention also provides no definition relating to a chroma ratio between skin colors different in brightness and, therefore, is not satisfactory with respect to improvement in skin color. This invention includes a description that there may be arranged an interimage effect imparting layer having a spectral sensitivity distribution different than that of a main blue-, green- and red-sensitive layers. However, it does not disclose any specific approach. Moreover, there is no description to teach the usefulness of the two kinds of interimage effect imparting layers.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material having an improved color reproduction and particularly to provide a color reversal photographic light-sensitive material which is superior in skin color reproduction and in faithful color reproduction and which shows a slight change with respect to light and shade of an object and to variation in exposure. Moreover, another object of the present invention is to provide a color reversal photographic light-sensitive material improved in adaptability for various light sources and in color temperature dependency of light source.

The objects of the invention have been attained by the following approaches.

(1) A silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material having on a transparent support at least one blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer containing a yellow-coloring coupler, at least one green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer containing a magenta-coloring coupler and at least one red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer containing a cyan-coloring coupler, wherein the photographic light-sensitive material comprising at least one interimage effect imparting layer (a) defined below and at least one interimage effect imparting layer (b) defined below in addition to the blue-, green- and red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layers, wherein, when the photographic light-sensitive material is exposed to light of a "skin color" having the spectral distribution of Table 1 and is then subjected to development, a ratio of the chroma C*.sub.70 at a brightness L*=70 represented by CIE Lab color system to the chroma C*.sub.50 at a brightness L*=50, C*.sub.70 /C*.sub.50, is 0.7 or more.

(a) an interimage effect imparting layer containing a short-wavelength green-sensitive silver halide emulsion having a weight-averaged wavelength of a spectral sensitivity distribution in the range of 500 nm to 560 nm;

(b) an interimage effect imparting layer containing a red-sensitive silver halide emulsion having a weight-averaged wavelength of a spectral sensitivity distribution in the range of 580 nm to 700 nm.

TABLE 1 Spectral reflectance distribution of skin color Wave- Spectral length reflectance of (nm) skin color 400 0.1687 405 0.1621 410 0.1611 415 0.1577 420 0.1560 425 0.1570 430 0.1605 435 0.1675 440 0.1809 445 0.1937 450 0.2044 455 0.2105 460 0.2184 465 0.2223 470 0.2279 475 0.2337 480 0.2397 485 0.2439 490 0.2490 495 0.2546 500 0.2625 505 0.2685 510 0.2802 515 0.2853 520 0.2893 525 0.2931 530 0.2932 535 0.2967 540 0.2993 545 0.2994 550 0.2999 555 0.3022 560 0.3041 565 0.3056 570 0.3103 575 0.3095 580 0.3136 585 0.3272 590 0.3450 595 0.3630 600 0.3841 605 0.3970 610 0.4106 615 0.4187 620 0.4273 625 0.4398 630 0.4458 635 0.4548 640 0.4615 645 0.4755 650 0.4796 655 0.4858 660 0.4913 665 0.4988 670 0.5041 675 0.5034 680 0.4991 685 0.5043 690 0.5072 695 0.5163 700 0.5189

(2) The silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material described in item (1) above, wherein a ratio of the chroma C*.sub.20 at a brightness L*=20 to the chroma C*.sub.50 at a brightness L*=50, C*.sub.20 /C*.sub.50, is 0.7 or more.

(3) The silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material described in items (1) or (2) above, wherein the standard deviation of the hue angle in the CIE Lab color system of a "skin color" image that is reproduced by the photographic light-sensitive material is within 1.0 in the range of brightness L*=20 to 70.

(4) The silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material described in any one of items (1) to (3) above, wherein when the photographic light-sensitive material is exposed to light having a "gray" spectral reflectance distribution shown in Table 2 and is then subjected to development, the chroma C* value represented in the CIE Lab color system of a "gray" image that is reproduced by the photographic light-sensitive material, is 0 or more, but 10 or less, in the range of L*=20 to 70.

TABLE 2 Spectral reflectance distribution of gray Wave- Spectral length reflectance of (nm) gray 400 0.1719 405 0.1824 410 0.1868 415 0.1887 420 0.1896 425 0.1906 430 0.1914 435 0.1927 440 0.1937 445 0.1948 450 0.1949 455 0.1948 460 0.1948 465 0.1943 470 0.1944 475 0.1943 480 0.1940 485 0.1938 490 0.1940 495 0.1941 500 0.1946 505 0.1947 510 0.1949 515 0.1950 520 0.1954 525 0.1958 530 0.1959 535 0.1961 540 0.1964 545 0.1965 550 0.1964 555 0.1966 560 0.1967 565 0.1970 570 0.1973 575 0.1977 580 0.1982 585 0.1984 590 0.1983 595 0.1983 600 0.1979 605 0.1974 610 0.1970 615 0.1965 620 0.1961 625 0.1953 630 0.1949 635 0.1943 640 0.1937 645 0.1929 650 0.1924 655 0.1919 660 0.1914 665 0.1908 670 0.1904 675 0.1898 680 0.1893 685 0.1886 690 0.1882 695 0.1878 700 0.1874

(5) The silver halide color reversal photographic light-sensitive material described in any one of items (1) to (4) above, wherein the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer is 580 nm or more and 630 nm or less and the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer is 520 nm or more and 560 nm or less.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a spectro-sensitometer device.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing changes in chroma C* to brightness L* in the range of L*=20 to 70 with respect to sample 101 of the present invention and sample 108 of a comparative example.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing changes in hue angle H to brightness L* in the range of L*=20 to 70 with respect to sample 101 of the present invention and sample 108 of a comparative example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A silver halide color reversal light-sensitive material of the present invention is described in more detail below. The color reversal light-sensitive material of the present invention has on a support at least one yellow color-forming coupler-containing blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer, at least one magenta color-forming coupler-containing green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer and at least one cyan color-forming coupler-containing red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer and also has at least one interimage effect imparting layer defined by (a) below and at least one interimage effect imparting layer defined by (b) below:

(a) an interimage effect imparting layer containing a short-wavelength green-sensitive silver halide emulsion having a weight-averaged wavelength of a spectral sensitivity distribution of 500 nm or more and 560 nm or less;

(b) an interimage effect imparting layer containing a red-sensitive silver halide emulsion having a weight-averaged wavelength of a spectral sensitivity distribution of 580 nm or more and 700 nm or less.

In the present invention, weight-averaged wavelengths of the spectral sensitivity distribution of a red-sensitive emulsion layer, green-sensitive emulsion layer, interimage effect imparting layer containing a short wave green-sensitive silver halide emulsion of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "short-wavelength green-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer") and interimage effect imparting layer containing a red-sensitive silver halide emulsion of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "red-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer"), .lambda.r, .lambda.g, .lambda.ic and .lambda.ir, are determined, respectively, according to the following equations: ##EQU1##

In the equations, Sn(.lambda.) is the spectral sensitivity distribution of each color-sensitive layer at its color density of 1.0. However, when the color-sensitive emulsion layer does not assume color, Sn(.lambda.), can be determined from a result of the spectral response imparting the blackened silver concentration of 0.2 by silver-developing a sample on which a single layer is coated using the emulsion. In many cases, the weight-averaged wavelength of a spectral sensitivity distribution corresponds to an absorption wavelength of a J-aggregation of a light-sensitization dye adsorbed to the emulsion and often agrees with a maximum value of the spectral sensitivity distribution.

The light-sensitive material of the present invention is subjected to a color reversal treatment. A concrete treating method may typically be Process CR-56 provided by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. and "Developing Treatment A" disclosed below.

(Developing Treatment A)

For evaluation, commercially available reversal films are used at a ratio of unexposed one to completely exposed one of 1:1 after running processing was carried out until replenishment amount becomes 4 times the tank volume.

(Hereinafter, liter and milliliter are indicated by "L" and "mL," respectively.)

Tank Replenishment Processing Step Time Temperature volume rate 1st development 6 min 38.degree. C. 12 L 2,200 mL/m.sup.2 1st washing 2 min 38.degree. C. 4 L 7,500 mL/m.sup.2 Reversal 2 min 38.degree. C. 4 L 1,100 mL/m.sup.2 Color development 6 min 38.degree. C. 12 L 2,200 mL/m.sup.2 Pre-bleaching 2 min 38.degree. C. 4 L 1,100 mL/m.sup.2 Bleaching 6 min 38.degree. C. 12 L 220 mL/m.sup.2 Fixing 4 min 38.degree. C. 8 L 1,100 mL/m.sup.2 2nd washing 4 min 40.degree. C. 8 L 7,500 mL/m.sup.2 Final rinsing 1 min 25.degree. C. 2 L 1,100 mL/m.sup.2

The compositions of the processing solutions were as follows.

<1st developer> <Tank solution> <Replenisher> Nitrilo-N,N,N-trimethylene 1.5 g 1.5 g phosphonic acid.pentasodium salt Diethylenetriamine 2.0 g 2.0 g pentaacetic acid.pentasodium salt Sodium sulfite 30 g 30 g Hydroquinone.potassium 20 g 20 g monosulfonate Potassium carbonate 15 g 20 g Sodium bicarbonate 12 g 15 g 1-phenyl-4-methyl-4- 1.5 g 2.0 g hydroxymethyl-3- pyrazolidone Potassium bromide 2.5 g 1.4 g Potassium thiocyanate 1.2 g 1.2 g Potassium iodide 2.0 mg -- Diethyleneglycol 13 g 15 g Water to make 1,000 mL 1,000 mL pH 9.65 9.65

The pH was adjusted by sulfuric acid or potassium hydroxide.

<Reversal solution> <Tank solution> <Replenisher> Nitrilo-N,N,N-trimethylene 3.0 g the same as phosphonic acid.pentasodium salt tank solution Stannous chloride.dihydrate 1.0 g Sodium hydroxide 8 g Glacial acetic acid 15 mL Water to make 1,000 mL pH 6.00

The pH was adjusted by acetic acid or sodium hydroxide.

<Color developer> <Tank solution> <Replenisher> Nitrilo-N,N,N-trimethylene 2.0 g 2.0 g phosphonic acid.pentasodium salt Sodium sulfite 7.0 g 7.0 g Trisodium phosphate.dodecahydrate 25 g 25 g Potassium bromide 1.0 g -- Potassium iodide 50 mg -- Sodium hydroxide 10.0 g 10.0 g Citrazinic acid 0.5 g 0.5 g N-ethyl-N-(.beta.-methanesulfon 9.0 g 9.0 g amidoethyl)-3-methyl-4 aminoaniline.3/2 sulfuric acid.monohydrate 3,6-dithiaoctane-1,8-diol 0.6 g 0.7 g Water to make 1,000 mL 1,000 mL pH 11.85 12.00

The pH was adjusted by sulfuric acid or potassium hydroxide.

<Pre-bleaching solution> <Tank solution> <Replenisher> Ethylenediaminetetraacetic 8.0 g 8.0 g acid.disodium salt.dihydrate Sodium sulfite 6.0 g 8.0 g 1-thioglycerol 0.4 g 0.4 g Formaldehyde sodium bisulfite 25 g 25 g adduct Water to make 1,000 mL 1,000 mL pH 6.30 6.10

The pH was adjusted by acetic acid or sodium hydroxide.

<Bleaching solution> <Tank solution> <Replenisher> Ethylenediaminetetraacetic 2.0 g 4.0 g acid.disodium salt.dihydrate Ethylenediaminetetraacetic 120 g 240 g acid.Fe(III).ammonium.dihydrate Potassium bromide 100 g 200 g Ammonium nitrate 10 g 20 g Water to make 1,000 mL 1,000 mL pH 5.70 5.50

The pH was adjusted by nitric acid or sodium hydroxide.

<Fixing solution> <Tank solution> <Replenisher> Ammonium thiosulfate 80 g the same as tank solution Sodium sulfite 5.0 g the same as tank solution Sodium bisulfite 5.0 g the same as tank solution Water to make 1,000 mL the same as pH 6.60 tank solution

The pH was adjusted by acetic acid or ammonia water.

<Stabilizer> <Tank solution> <Replenisher> 1,2-benzoisothiazoline-3-one 0.02 g 0.03 g Polyoxyethylene-p-monononyl 0.3 g 0.3 g phenylether (average polymerization degree = 10) Polymaleic acid 0.1 g 0.15 g (average molecular weight = 2,000) Water to make 1,000 mL 1,000 mL pH 7.0 7.0

It is noted that when the spectral sensitivity distribution of a layer containing no coupler is measured, evaluation is conducted by a black-and-white developing treatment composed only of the first development, the first rinsing, the fixing and the second rinsing of the procedure of "Developing Treatment A" described above.

In the color reversal photographic light-sensitive material of the present invention, the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution represented by a cyan image, namely, the spectral sensitivity distribution of the red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer containing a cyan-coloring coupler is preferably 580 nm or more and 630 nm or less, more preferably 590 nm or more and 620 nm or less. Moreover, the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution represented by a magenta image, namely, the spectral sensitivity distribution of the green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer containing a magenta-coloring coupler is preferably 520 nm or more and 560 nm or less, more preferably 530 nm or more and 550 nm or less.

The color reversal photographic light-sensitive material of the present invention preferably has, in addition to the aforementioned green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer, at least one short-wavelength green-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer having a weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of 500 nm or more and 560 nm or less, preferably 510 nm or more and 540 nm or less and containing a silver halide emulsion which can impart an interimage effect by containing silver iodide. In the color reversal photographic light-sensitive material of the present invention, it is preferable that the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the green-sensitive layer and the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the short-wavelength green-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer, respectively, meet the ranges described above and that the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the green-sensitive layer be greater than the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the short-wavelength green-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer. The silver halide emulsion contained in the short-wavelength green-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer may be light-sensitive or alternatively non-sensitive. The silver halide emulsion is preferably silver halide containing not less than 1 mol % of silver iodide, and more preferably silver halide containing not less than 5 mol % of silver iodide. The silver halide emulsion contained in the short-wavelength green-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer is not particularly restricted with respect to halogen composition other than silver iodide as long as the emulsion is silver halide containing not less than 1 mol % of silver iodide. However, the halogen composition other than silver iodide is preferably silver iodobromide containing not less than 5 mol % of silver iodide. The amount of silver applied in the short-wavelength green-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer is preferably 0.1 to 1.0 g/m.sup.2, and more preferably 0.2 to 0.7 g/m.sup.2.

It is preferable that the short-wavelength green-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer does not form a magenta image substantially. The short-wavelength green-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer may contain a magenta coupler, but in this case, it is preferable that 1/5 mol % or less, more preferably 1/10 mol % or less of the total amount of the magenta couplers contained in the green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layers.

The color reversal photographic light-sensitive material of the present invention has at least one red-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer having a weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of 580 nm or more and 700 nm or less, preferably 590 nm or more and 670 nm or less and containing a silver halide emulsion which can impart an interimage effect by containing silver iodide. In the color reversal photographic light-sensitive material of the present invention, it is preferable that the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the red-sensitive layer and the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the red-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer, respectively, meet the ranges described above and that the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the red-sensitive layer be smaller than the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the red-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer. The silver halide emulsion contained in the red-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer may be light-sensitive or alternatively non-sensitive. The silver halide emulsion is preferably silver halide containing not less than 1 mol % of silver iodide, and more preferably silver halide containing not less than 5 mol % of silver iodide. The silver halide emulsion contained in the red-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer is not particularly restricted with respect to halogen composition other than silver iodide as long as the emulsion is silver halide containing not less than 1 mol % of silver iodide. However, the halogen composition other than silver iodide is preferably silver iodobromide containing not less than 5 mol % of silver iodide. The amount of silver applied in the red-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer is preferably 0.1 to 1.0 g/m.sup.2, and more preferably 0.2 to 0.7 g/m.sup.2.

It is preferable that the red-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer does not form a cyan image substantially. The red-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer may contain a cyan coupler, but in this case, it is preferable that 1/5 mol % or less, more preferably 1/10 mol % or less of the total amount of the cyan couplers contained in the red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layers.

The short-wavelength green-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer and the red-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer, although may be arranged at arbitrary positions, are preferably arranged close to a red-sensitive layer. In a layer arrangement wherein a blue-sensitive layer is disposed at the remotest position from a support and a red-sensitive layer is disposed at the closest position to the support with a green-sensitive layer disposed between the layers, as generally realized in the color reversal photographic light-sensitive material, the interimage effect imparting layers are preferably arranged at a position closer to the support than the blue-sensitive layer, more preferably at a position closer to the support than the green-sensitive layer, still more preferably between the red-sensitive layer and the support, and optimally in the order of the red-sensitive layer, the red-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer, the short-wavelength green-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer and the support. It is preferable that an undercoat layer and an antihalation layer be disposed between the short-wavelength green-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer and the support so that the undercoat layer may be located closer to the support.

Preferably, in an intermediate layer separating the short-wavelength green-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer and/or the red-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer from the other layer, a competing compound, i.e., a compound that competes with an image-forming coupler to react with an oxidized product of a color developing agent and forms no image, is also added. Examples of the competing compound include reducing compounds such as hydroquinones, catechols, hydrazines and sulfonamidophenols; and compounds that couple with an oxidized product of a color developing agent, but do not substantially form a color image (e.g., non-color-forming couplers as disclosed in German patent No. 1,155,675, British patent No. 861,138 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,428, and couplers that form dyes flowing out during processing processes). The amount of the competing compound is usually 0.01 g to 10 g, preferably 0.10 g to 5.0 g, per m.sup.2 of light-sensitive material.

The spectral reflectances of "skin color" and "gray" referred to in the present invention are shown in the above Tables 1 and 2, respectively. As for the spectral reflectance of "gray," measured values of Munsell color chip N5 were used.

In the present invention, the spectral distribution under the standard illumination of each of the colors (relative spectral luminance) was calculated from the above-described spectral reflectance multiplied by the spectral distribution of an ISO sensito-metric daylight source (D55). The spectral distribution can be generated by a spectro-sensitometer device that is able to produce any of the spectral distributions by using an intensity modulating-type mask formed by arranging liquid crystal panels in the stripe form, and further by electrically controlling the transmittance of each of the liquid crystal segments. The spectro-sensitometer device that is able to generate the above-described spectral distribution can be prepared with reference to the reports presented by Enomoto et al. in the Annual Meeting of SPSTJ (Nihon Shashin Gakkai) '90. FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the device mainly showing its optical system and a schematic diagram of the liquid crystal mask are disclosed in FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,673. A xenon arc lamp having a high luminance is used as a light source, and in addition, a cylindrical lens was used in the optical system, thereby obtaining a long slit light extended to the grating direction of a diffraction grating. A light separated by a transmission-type diffraction grating acts as a spectral face having a wavelength region of from 400 nm to 700 nm at the dispersion face. Onto this spectral face, are placed liquid crystal panels composed of 60 segments, in which 1 segment is 5 nm, and transmittance is controlled at intervals of 5 nm, thereby obtaining an objective spectral distribution. A color-mixed slit light is formed on the surface of exposure to light, and the exposure to light is performed by scanning a light-sensitive material, on which an optical wedge is placed, at an orthogonal angle to the slit light.

The measurement of "skin color" and "gray," each of which is reproduced by a light-sensitive material of the present invention, was carried out under the observational condition based on an isochromatic test in which twice sight (2-degree colorimetric observation) was adopted at the 1931 CIE (Commission International de I'Eclairage) Conference. Further, to calculate CIE Lab values, the CIE 976 (L*, a*, b*) isometric perceptive color space alculations were used. For a more detailed explanation of the above-mentioned calculations, reference can be made to, for example, New-Edition Color Science Handbook, edited by the publication party of Tokyo University (1980), Chapter 4.

In the present invention, for the evaluation of "skin color" and "gray" images, correction is necessary so that the C* value represented by the CIE Lab values of the "gray" image is 0.5 or less at L*=40. For example, the correction can be made using a commercially available color compensating filter. Alternatively, as the method described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,590, the CIE Lab values for the "skin color" and "gray" images can be also re-calculated and evaluated by resealing the tristimulus values X, Y and Z, with L* of the "gray" image being 40, as the reference white. Among these, correction at the time of exposure to light is preferred.

The ratio of the chroma C*.sub.70 at L*=70 represented by the CIE Lab values of a "skin color" image that is reproduced by the light-sensitive material of the present invention to the chroma C*.sub.50 at L*=50, C*.sub.70 /C*.sub.50) is 0.7 or more, more preferably 0.75 or more, and still more preferably 0.8 or more. The larger this value, the higher the chroma of skin color of high brightness and, therefore, the more beautiful skin color is reproduced.

The ratio of the chroma C*.sub.20 at L*=20 represented by the CIE Lab values of a "skin color" image that is reproduced by the light-sensitive material of the present invention to the chroma C*.sub.50 at L*=50, C*.sub.20 /C*.sub.50) is 0.7 or more, more preferably 0.75 or more, and still more preferably 0.8 or more. The larger this value, the smaller the reduction in chroma of skin color of low brightness and, therefore, the more beautiful skin color is reproduced.

The standard deviation of hue angle in the CIE Lab color system of a "skin color" image that is reproduced by the light-sensitive material of the present invention is preferably within 1.0, more preferably with 0.6, and still more preferably within 0.4, in the range of L*=20 to 70. The smaller this value, the smaller the change in hue of skin color over a range from low brightness to high brightness and, therefore, the less favorable it is.

The C* value represented by a CIE Lab value of a "skin color" image that is reproduced by the light-sensitive material of the present invention is preferably within 10 or more and 35 or less, and more preferably 15 or more and 30 or less, in the range of L*=20 to 70.

The hue angle value represented by a CIE Lab value of a "skin color" image that is reproduced by the light-sensitive material of the present invention is 20 degrees or more and 70 degrees or less, and more preferably 30 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less, in the range of L*=20 to 70.

The C* value represented by a CIE Lab value of a "gray" image that is reproduced by the light-sensitive material of the present invention is preferably within 0 or more and 10 or less, more preferably 0 or more and 7 or less, and still more preferably 0 or more and 5 or less, in the range of L*=20 to 70. The smaller this value, the better the reproduction of gray over the range from low brightness to high brightness and, therefore, the more favorable it is.

As is clear from the data of spectral reflectance distribution shown in Table 1, "skin color" is a yellowish red color. The "skin color" image which is reproduced when a photographic light-sensitive material is exposed to a "skin color" light and is then subjected to development is reproduced so that the sensitivity of a red-sensitive layer is reproduced relatively more highly than the sensitivity of a blue- and green-sensitive layer with respect to a "gray" image. This suggests that to control a two-way interimage effect between a blue and green-sensitive layer and a red-sensitive layer is important for achieving a good skin color reproduction. The present invention provides a technology to control a two-way interimage effect between a blue and green-sensitive layer and a red-sensitive layer by disposing two interimage effect imparting layers consisting of a short-wavelength green-sensitive (blue and green-sensitive) interimage effect imparting layer and a red-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer. The technology has enabled a realization of superior skin color reproduction.

The light-sensitive material of the present invention is required only to have on a support at least one blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer, at least one green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer and at least one red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer. It is preferred that these layers be provided by coating in this sequence from the remotest side from the support. However, the coating may be performed in a sequence different therefrom. In the present invention, it is preferred that the coating be performed in the sequence of, from the side close to the support, a red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer, a green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer and a blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer. Preferably, each of these color sensitive layers has a unit constitution including a plurality of light-sensitive emulsion layers with different photographic speeds. It is especially preferred that each of these color sensitive layers have a three-layer unit constitution composed of three light-sensitive emulsion layers consisting of a low-speed layer, an intermediate-speed layer and a high-speed layer arranged in this sequence from the side close to the support. These are described in, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKOKU Publication No. (hereinafter referred to as JP-B-) 49-15495 and Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. (hereinafter referred to as JP-A-) 59-202464.

As one of the preferable mode of the present invention, there can be mentioned the light-sensitive element in which the respective layers are coated, on a support, in order of an undercoat layer/an antihalation layer/a first intermediate layer/a short-wavelength green-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer/a red-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer/a second intermediate layer/a red-sensitive emulsion layer unit (comprising three layers of a low-speed red-sensitive layer/a medium-speed red-sensitive layer/a high-speed red-sensitive layer from the side close to the support)/a third intermediate layer/a green-sensitive emulsion layer unit (comprising three layers of a low-speed green-sensitive layer/a medium-speed green-sensitive layer/a high-speed green-sensitive layer from the side close to the support)/a fourth intermediate layer/a yellow filter layer/a blue-sensitive emulsion layer unit (comprising three layers of a low-speed blue-sensitive layer/a medium-speed blue-sensitive layer/a high-speed blue-sensitive layer from the side close to the support)/a first protective layer/a second protective layer.

Each of the first, second, third and fourth intermediate layers may be a single layer or two or more layers. The second intermediate layer is preferably divided into two or more layers, and the layer directly adjacent to the red-sensitive layer preferably contains yellow colloidal silver. Likewise, the third intermediate layer preferably includes two or more layers, and the layer directly adjacent to the green-sensitive layer preferably contains yellow colloidal silver. In addition, a fifth intermediate layer is favorably formed between the yellow filter layer and the blue-sensitive emulsion layer unit.

In the intermediate layers, a coupler or a DIR compound such as those described in JP-A's-61-43748, 59-113438, 59-113440, 61-20037 and 61-20038 may be contained. A color mixing prevention agent may be contained, as is usually used.

It is also preferable that the protective layer have a three-layer structure of a first to third protective layers. When the protective layer is in a two-layer or three-layer structure, silver halide fine grains having an average equivalent spherical diameter of 0.10 .mu.m or less are preferably contained in the second protective layer. The silver halide is preferably silver bromide or silver iodobromide.

The average equivalent spherical diameter used herein is the average value of diameters of spheres each having a volume equal to that of each individual silver halide grain.

In the photographic light-sensitive material of the present invention, it is also possible to arrange a blue-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer, in addition to the aforementioned short-wavelength green-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer and the red-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer, adjacent to or close to the main blue-, green- and red-sensitive layers. The blue-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer is preferably arranged between the yellow filter layer and the blue-sensitive emulsion layer unit. The blue-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer is preferably a short-wavelength blue-sensitive layer such that the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the main blue-sensitive layer is greater than the weight-averaged wavelength of the spectral sensitivity distribution of the blue-sensitive interimage effect imparting layer.

The light-sensitive material of the present invention usually contains an image-forming coupler. The image-forming coupler means a coupler which couples with the oxidized form of an aromatic primary amine color developing agent to form an image-forming dye. Generally, a yellow coupler, a magenta coupler and a cyan coupler are used in combination to form a color image.

The image-forming coupler used in the present invention is preferably added to a light-sensitive emulsion layer sensitive to a light which is in a complementary color relationship with the color which the coupler forms. Namely, a yellow coupler is added to a blue-sensitive emulsion layer, a magenta coupler is added to a green-sensitive emulsion layer, and a cyan coupler is added to a red-sensitive emulsion layer. Further, couplers which are not in such a complementary color relationship may be additionally used in order to improve, e.g., a shadow imaging power (for example, a cyan coupler is additionally used in a green-sensitive emulsion layer).

The preferable image-forming coupler used in the light-sensitive material of the present invention includes those shown below:

Yellow couplers: couplers represented by formulas (I) and (II) in EP No. 502,424A; couplers represented by formulas (1) and (2) in EP No. 513,496A (e.g. Y-28 on page 18); a coupler represented by formula (I) in claim 1 of EP No. 568,037A; a coupler represented by general formula (I) in column 1, lines 45 to 55, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,576; a coupler represented by general formula (I) in paragraph 0008 of JP-A-4-274425; couplers described in claim 1 on page 40 in EP No. 498,381A1 (e.g. D-35); couplers represented by formula (Y) on page 4 in EP No. 447,969A1 (e.g. Y-1 and Y-54); and couplers represented by formulas (II) to (IV) in column 7, lines 36 to 58, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,476,219, the disclosures of the above documents disclosing the yellow couplers are incorporated herein by reference.

Magenta couplers: couplers described in JP-A-3-39737 (e.g. L-57, L-68, and L-77); couplers described in EP No. 456,257A (e.g. A-4-63, -73 and -75); couplers described in EP No. 486,965A (e.g. M-4, -6 and -7); couplers described in EP No. 571,959A (e.g. M-45); couplers described in JP-A-5-204106 (e.g. M-1); couplers described in JP-A-4-362631 (e.g. M-22) and couplers described in JP-A-11-119393 (e.g. A-12, CA-15, -16, and -18), the disclosures of the above documents disclosing the magenta couplers are incorporated herein by reference.

Cyan couplers: couplers described in JP-A-4-204843 (e.g., CX-1, -3, -4, -5, -11, -12, -14, and -15); Cyan couplers: couplers described in JP-A-4-43345 (e.g., C-7 and -10, -34 and 35, and (I-1) and (I-17); couplers represented by general formulas (Ia) and (Ib) in claim 1 of JP-A-6-67385 (e.g., CB-1, -4, -5, -9, -34, -44, -49, and -51); and couplers represented by general formula (NC-1) of JP-A-11-119393 (e.g., CC-1 and -17), the disclosures of the above documents disclosing the cyan couplers are incorporated herein by reference.

These couplers can be introduced into a light-sensitive material by various known dispersing methods. Preferably, an oil-in-water dispersing method is used, in which the couplers are dissolved in a high-boiling organic solvent (if necessary, a low-boiling solvent is additionally used), and the solution is emulsified and dispersed in an aqueous gelatin solution, which is then added to a silver halide emulsion.

Examples of a high-boiling organic solvent to be used in an oil-in-water dispersion method are described in, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 2,322,027. In addition, the steps and effects of a latex dispersion method, which is one of the polymer dispersion methods, and examples of an impregnating latex are described in, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,199,363 and West German Patent Application (OLS) Nos. 2,541,274 and 2,541,230.

Examples of a high-boiling organic solvent to be used in the oil-in-water dispersion method are phthalic esters (e.g., dibutylphthalate, dioctylphthalate, dicyclohexylphthalate, bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, decylphthalate, bis(2,4-di-tert-amylphenyl)isophthalate, and bis(1,1-diethylpropyl)phthalate); phosphates or phosphonates (e.g., diphenylphosphate, triphenylphosphate, tricresylphosphate, 2-ethylhexyldiphenylphosphate, dioctylbutylphosphate, tricyclohexylphosphate, tri-2-ethylhexylphosphate, tridodecylphosphate, and bis(2-ethylhexyl)phenylphosphonate); benzoates (e.g., 2-ethylhexylbenzoate, 2,4-dichlorobenzoate, dodecylbenzoate, and 2-ethylhexyl-p-hydroxybenzoate); amides (e.g., N,N-diethyldodecaneamide, N,N-diethyllaurylamide, and N,N,N,N-tetrakis(2-ethylhexyl)amide isophthalate; alcohols or phenols (e.g., isostearylalcohol and 2,4-di-tert-amylphenol); aliphatic esters (e.g., dibuthoxyethyl succinate, bis(2-ethylhexyl)succinate, 2-hexyldecyltetradecanoate, tributhyl citrate, diethylazelate, isostearyllactate, and trioctyltosylate); an aniline derivative (e.g., N,N-dibutyl-2-buthoxy-5-tert-octylaniline); chlorinated paraffins (e.g., paraffins having chlorine content of 10%-80%); trimesic esters (e.g., tributhyl trimesate); dodecylbenzene; diisopropylnaphthalene, phenols (e.g., 2,4-di-tert-amylphenol, 4-dodecyloxyphenol, 4-dodecyloxycarbonylphenol, and 4-(4-dodecyloxyphenylsulfonyl)phenol); carboxylic acids (e.g., 2-(2,4-di-tert-amylphenoxybutyric acid, and 2-ethoxyoctanedecanoic acid); and alkylphosphoric acids (e.g., bis(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid, diphenylphosphoric acid) and so on. In addition to the above-mentioned high-boiling organic solvent, compounds described in, e.g., JP-A-6-258803 can be used.

The weight ratio of a high-boiling organic solvent to a coupler is preferably 0 to 2.0, more preferably, 0 to 1.0, and most preferably, 0 to 0.4.

An organic solvent having a boiling point of 30.degree. C. or more and about 160.degree. C. or less (e.g., ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, ethyl propionate, methylethyl ketone, cyclohexanone, 2-ethoxyethylacetate, and dimethylformamide) may be used together with the above-mentioned high-boiling organic solvent as an auxiliary solvent.

The content of each of yellow, magenta and cyan couplers in the light-sensitive material is preferably 0.01 to 10 g per m.sup.2, more preferably 0.1 to 2 g per m.sup.2. In one emulsion layer, a proper content of each of the couplers, per mol of silver halide contained in an emulsion layer(s) having sensitivity to the same color, is 1.times.10.sup.-3 to 1 mol, and preferably 2.times.10.sup.-3 to 3.times..sup.10-1 mol.

When the light-sensitive layer is composed of a unit structure having two or more light-sensitive emulsion layers different in speed, the content of the coupler is preferably 2.times.10.sup.-3 to 2.times.10.sup.-1 mol per mol of silver halide in a lowest sensitivity layer, and is preferably 3.times.10.sup.-2 to 3.times.10.sup.-1 mol per mol of silver halide in a high sensitivity layer.

The light-sensitive material of the present invention may also contain a competing compound (a compound which competes with an image forming coupler to react with an oxidized form of a color developing agent and which does not form any dye image). Examples of this competing compound are reducing compounds such as hydroquinones, catechols, hydrazines and sulfonamidophenols, and compounds which couple with an oxidized form of a color developing agent but do not substantially form a color image (e.g., non-dye-forming couplers disclosed in German Patent No. 1,155,675, British Patent No. 861,138, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,428 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,513, and couplers such as those disclosed in JP-A-6-83002 by which generated dyes flow out during processing steps).

In the light-sensitive material of the present invention, a light-sensitive unit having the same color-sensitivity may include a non-color-forming intermediate layer. The intermediate layer preferably contains a compound that may be selected as the above-mentioned competing compounds.

To prevent deterioration of the photographic properties caused by formaldehyde gas, the light-sensitive material of the present invention preferably contains compounds described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,987 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,503, which can react with and fix formaldehyde gas.

The emulsion used in the silver halide photographic light-sensitive material of the present invention preferably comprises the tabular silver halide grains having the aspect ratio of 1.5 to 100. A tabular silver halide grain (hereinafter referred to also as tabular grain) used in the present invention has one twin plane or two or more parallel twin planes. The twin plane is a (111) plane on the two sides of which ions at all lattice points have a mirror image relationship. The tabular grain has two parallel principal planes and side faces connecting these principal planes, as outer surfaces. When viewed in a direction perpendicular to its principal planes, the tabular grain has a triangular shape, a hexagonal shape, or a rounded triangular or hexagonal shape. Each of these shapes has parallel outer surfaces.

In the present invention, the aspect ratio of a tabular grain means a value obtained by dividing the equivalent-circle diameter of each silver halide grain by its thickness. In the measuring the thickness of tabular grains, a transmission electron micrograph (TEM) thereof is taken according to the replica method, and the thickness of each individual grain are measured. In this method, the thickness of tabular grains is calculated from the length of shadow of the replica.

The term "equivalent-circle diameter" indicates the diameter of a circle having an area equal to the projected area of parallel principal planes of a grain.

The projected area of a grain can be obtained by measuring the area of the grain on electron micrographs and correcting the magnification. The equivalent-circle diameter of a tabular grain is preferably 0.3 to 5.0 .mu.m. Also, the thickness of a tabular grain is 0.05 to 0.5 .mu.m.

In the tabular grains used in the present invention, the sum of their projected areas preferably occupies 50% or more, more preferably 80% or more of the sum of the projected areas of the total silver halide grains in the emulsion. Further, the aspect ratio of the tabular grains which occupy these areas is preferably 1.5 or more and less than 100, more preferably 2 or more and less than 20, and further preferably 2 or more and less than 8.

In some cases, it is preferred that tabular grains used in the present invention are monodisperse. Although the structure and the method of manufacturing monodisperse tabular grains are described in, e.g., JP-A-63-151618, the shape of the grains will be briefly described below. That is, 70% or more of the total projected area of silver halide grains are accounted for by tabular grains having a hexagonal shape, in which the ratio of an edge having the maximum length with respect to the length of an edge having the minimum length is 2 or less, and having two parallel surfaces as outer surfaces. In addition, the grains have monodispersibility; that is, the variation coefficient of the grain diameter distribution of these hexagonal tabular grains (i.e., the value obtained by dividing the variation (standard deviation) of grain diameters, which are represented by the equivalent-circle diameters of the projected areas of the grains, by their average grain size) is 20% or less.

Tabular silver halide grains of the present invention favorably have dislocation lines.

Dislocation lines in tabular grains can be observed by a direct method using a transmission electron microscope at a low temperature described in, for example, J. F. Hamilton, Phot. Sci. Eng., 11, 57, (1967) or T. Shiozawa, J. Soc. Phot. Sci. Japan, 35, 213, (1972).

That is, silver halide grains, extracted carefully from an emulsion so as not to apply a pressure by which dislocations are produced in the grains, are placed on a mesh for electron microscopic observation. Observation is performed by a transmission method while the sample is cooled to prevent damage (e.g., print out) due to electron rays. In this case, as the thickness of a grain is increased, it becomes more difficult to transmit electron rays through it. Therefore, grains can be observed more clearly by using an electron microscope of a high voltage type (200 kV or more for a grain having a thickness of 0.25 .mu.m). Note that dislocation lines can or cannot be seen depending on the angle of inclination of a sample with respect to electron rays. Therefore, in order to observe dislocation lines, it is necessary to obtain the positions of dislocation lines by observing photographs of the same grain taken at as many sample inclination angles as possible. From photographs of grains obtained by the above method, it is possible to obtain the positions of dislocation lines in each grain viewed in the direction perpendicular to the principal planes of the grain.

Dislocation lines in each grain extend from a position corresponding to x% of the distance from the center of tabular grains to the side to the periphery in the long axis direction. In this instance, the value of x is preferably 10.ltoreq..times.<100, more preferably 30.ltoreq..times.<98, and most preferably 50.ltoreq..times.<95. In this instance, the figure created by binding the positions from which the dislocation lines start is nearly similar to the configuration of the grain. The created figure may be one which is not a complete similar figure but deviated. The dislocation lines extend in the direction of the side. However, the dislocation lines often meander and may also cross each other.

In an emulsion of the present invention, tabular grains containing 10 or more dislocation lines per grain account for preferably 50% or more (number), more preferably, 80% or more. It is extremely preferred that tabular grains containing 20 or more dislocation lines per grain account for 80% or more (number).

The process of preparing the tabular grain used in the present invention is described next. The tabular grains used in the present invention can be prepared by improving methods described in, e.g., "Cleave, Photography Theory and Practice (1930), page 13", "Gutuff, Photographic Science and Engineering Vol. 14, pages 248-257 (1970)", and specifications of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,434,226, 4,414,310, 4,433,048 and 4,439,520, and GB 2,112,157.

Any of the silver halides such as silver bromide, silver iodobromide, silver iodochlorobromide and silver chlorobromide may be used for the tabular silver halide grains used in the present invention. The preferable silver halide is silver iodobromide or silver iodochlorobromide, containing 30 mol % or less of silver iodide.

The silver halide grains used in the present invention may have a multilayer structure, for example, a quintuple layer structure, concerning the silver halide distribution within a grain. The structure here refers to a structure concerning the silver iodide distribution, and it is indicated that the difference in silver iodide content between structures is of 1 mol % or more, and preferably 2 mol % or more. This structure concerning the silver iodide distribution can be determined by calculations from the prescribed values in the grain preparation step. In the interface between layers of the structure, the silver iodide content may change either abruptly or moderately. The EPMA (Electron Probe Micro Analyzer) method is usually effective to confirm this structure, although the measurement accuracy of analysis must be taken into consideration. By preparing a sample i