Image forming method and light-sensitive material using silver halide, reducing agent and polymerizable compound

We claim:

1. An image forming method comprising the steps of (1), (2), (3) and (4):

(1) imagewise exposing to light a light-sensitive polymerizable layer of a light-sensitive material, said light-sensitive material comprising a support and the light-sensitive polymerizable layer which contains silver halide, a reducing agent, an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and a cross-linkable polymer and a colorant;

(2) heating the light-sensitive polymerizable layer at a temperature in the range of 70.degree. to 200.degree. C. for 1 to 180 seconds to harden the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer within the exposed area or, in the alternative, within the unexposed area;

(3) removing the unhardened area with a solvent to obtain a hardened image whereby a color image is formed; and then

(4) placing the light-sensitive material in contact with an image receiving material whereby the color image is transferred to the image receiving material.

2. The image forming method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light-sensitive polymerizable layer comprises a light-sensitive layer containing the silver halide and a polymerizable layer containing the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer and the colorant, and the light-sensitive material comprises the support, the polymerizable layer and the light-sensitive layer in this order.

3. The image forming method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the steps (1) to (4) are repeated twice or more using light-sensitive materials each having a color different from each other, to form a multicolor image on the image receiving material.

4. An image forming method comprising the steps of (A), (B), (1), (2) and (3):

(A) laminating a light-sensitive material on an image-receiving material, said light-sensitive material comprising a support and a light-sensitive polymerizable layer which contains silver halide, a reducing agent, an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and a cross-linkable polymer and a colorant;

(B) peeling the support of the light-sensitive material from the lamination of the light-sensitive material and the image-receiving material;

(1) imagewise exposing to light the light-sensitive polymerizable layer;

(2) heating the light-sensitive polymerizable layer at a temperature in the range of 70.degree. to 200.degree. C. for 1 to 180 seconds to harden the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer within the exposed area or, in the alternative, within the unexposed area; and

(3) removing the unhardened area with a solvent to obtain a hardened image whereby a color image is formed,

wherein (A) is prior to (B), (1) is prior to (2), (2) is prior to (3), and (B) is prior to (3), the light sensitive polymerizable layer comprises a light-sensitive layer containing the silver halide and a polymerizable layer containing the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer and the colorant, and the light-sensitive material comprises the support, the light-sensitive layer and the polymerizable layer in this order.

5. The image forming method as claimed in claim 4, wherein (A) is prior to (1).

6. An image forming method comprising the steps of (A), (B), (1), (2) and (3):

(A) laminating a light-sensitive material on an image-receiving material, said light-sensitive material comprising a support and a light-sensitive polymerizable layer which contains silver halide, a reducing agent, an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and a cross-linkable polymer and a colorant;

(B) peeling the support of the light-sensitive material from the lamination of the light-sensitive material and the image-receiving material;

(1) imagewise exposing to light the light-sensitive polymerizable layer;

(2) heating the light-sensitive polymerizable layer at a temperature in the range of 70.degree. to 200.degree. C. for 1 to 180 seconds to harden the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer within the exposed area or, in the alternative, within the unexposed area; and

(3) removing the unhardened area with a solvent to obtain a hardened image whereby a color image is formed,

wherein (A) is prior to (B), (1) is prior to (2), (2) is prior to (3), and (B) is prior to (3), and the steps (A), (B) and (1) to (3) are repeated twice or more using light-sensitive materials each having a color different from each other, to form a multicolor image on the image receiving material.

7. An image forming method comprising the steps of (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5):

(1) imagewise exposing to light the light-sensitive polymerizable layer of a light-sensitive material, said light-sensitive material comprising a support, an adhesive layer and a light-sensitive polymerizable layer which contains silver halide, a reducing agent and an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and a cross-linkable polymer in this order;

(2) developing the light-sensitive polymerizable layer to harden the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer within the exposed area or, in the alternative, within the unexposed area;

(3) removing the unhardened area with an solvent whereby the adhesive layer is imagewise exposed;

(4) applying color toner on the surface of the adhesive layer whereby a toner image is formed; and then

(5) placing the light-sensitive material in contact with an image receiving material whereby the toner image is transferred to the image receiving material.

8. The image forming method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the light-sensitive polymerizable layer comprises a light-sensitive layer containing the silver halide and a polymerizable layer containing the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer, and the light-sensitive material comprises the support, the adhesive layer, the polymerizable layer and the light-sensitive layer in this order.

9. The image forming method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the steps (1) to (5) are repeated twice or more using color toners each having a color different from each other, to form a multicolor image on the image receiving material.

10. A light-sensitive material comprising a support, an adhesive layer and a light-sensitive polymerizable layer which contains silver halide, a reducing agent and an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and a cross-linkable polymer in this order, wherein the adhesive layer contains a natural or synthetic rubber.

11. The light-sensitive material as claimed in claim 10, wherein the light-sensitive polymerizable layer comprises a light-sensitive layer containing the silver halide and a polymerizable layer containing the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer, and the light-sensitive material comprises the support, the adhesive layer, the polymerizable layer and the light-sensitive layer in this order.

12. An image forming method comprising the steps of (A), (B), (1), (2), (3) and (4):

(A) laminating a light-sensitive material on an image-receiving material, said light sensitive material comprising a support, a light-sensitive polymerizable layer which contains silver halide, a reducing agent and an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and a cross-linkable polymer, and an adhesive layer in this order;

(B) peeling the support of the light-sensitive material from the lamination of the light-sensitive material and the image-receiving material;

(1) imagewise exposing to light the light-sensitive polymerizable layer;

(2) developing the light-sensitive polymerizable layer to harden the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer within the exposed area or, in the alternative, within the unexposed area;

(3) removing the unhardened area with an solvent whereby the adhesive layer is imagewise exposed; and

(4) applying color toner on the surface of the adhesive layer whereby a toner image is formed,

wherein (A) is prior to (B), (1) is prior to (2), (2) is prior to (3), (3) is prior to (4), and (B) is prior to (3).

13. The image forming method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the light-sensitive polymerizable layer comprises a light-sensitive layer containing the silver halide and a polymerizable layer containing the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer, and the light-sensitive material comprises the support, the light-sensitive layer, the polymerizable layer and the adhesive layer in this order.

14. The image forming method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the steps (A), (B) and (1) to (4) are repeated twice or more using color toners each having a color different from each other, to form a multicolor image on the image receiving material.

15. A light-sensitive material comprising a support, a light-sensitive polymerizable layer which contains silver halide, a reducing agent and an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and a cross-linkable polymer, and an adhesive layer in this order, wherein the adhesive layer contains a natural or synthetic rubber.

16. The light-sensitive material as claimed in claim 10, wherein the light-sensitive polymerizable layer comprises a light-sensitive layer containing the silver halide and a polymerizable layer containing the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer, and the light-sensitive material comprises the support, the light-sensitive layer, the polymerizable layer and the adhesive layer in this order.

17. An image forming method comprising the steps of (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5):

(1) imagewise exposing to light a light-sensitive polymerizable layer of a light-sensitive material, said light-sensitive material comprising a support and a light-sensitive polymerizable layer which contains silver halide, a reducing agent and an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and a cross-linkable polymer;

(2) developing the light-sensitive polymerizable layer to harden the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer within the exposed area or, in the alternative, within the unexposed area;

(3) removing the unhardened area with an solvent whereby the adhesive hardened area is imagewise formed;

(4) applying color toner on the surface of the adhesive hardened area whereby a toner image is formed; and then

(5) placing the light-sensitive material in contact with an image receiving material whereby the toner image is transferred to the image receiving material.

18. The image forming method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the light-sensitive polymerizable layer comprises a light-sensitive layer containing the silver halide and a polymerizable layer containing the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer, and the light-sensitive material comprises the support, the polymerizable layer and the light-sensitive layer in this order.

19. The image forming method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the steps (1) to (5) are repeated twice or more using color toners each having a color different from each other, to form a multicolor image on the image receiving material.

20. An image forming method comprising the steps of (A), (B), (1), (2), (3) and (4):

(A) laminating a light-sensitive material on an image-receiving material, said light sensitive material comprising a support, a light-sensitive polymerizable layer which contains silver halide, a reducing agent and an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and a cross-linkable polymer;

(B) peeling the support of the light-sensitive material from the lamination of the light-sensitive material and the image-receiving material;

(1) imagewise exposing to light the light-sensitive polymerizable layer;

(2) developing the light-sensitive polymerizable layer to harden the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer within the exposed area or, in the alternative, within the unexposed area;

(3) removing the unhardened area with an solvent whereby the adhesive hardened area is imagewise formed; and

(4) applying color toner on the surface of the adhesive hardened area whereby a toner image is formed,

wherein (A) is prior to (B), (1) is prior to (2), (2) is prior to (3), (3) is prior to (4), and (B) is prior to (3).

21. The image forming method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the light-sensitive polymerizable layer comprises a light-sensitive layer containing the silver halide and a polymerizable layer containing the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer, and the light-sensitive material comprises the support, the light-sensitive layer and the polymerizable layer in this order.

22. The image forming method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the steps (A), (B) and (1) to (4) are repeated twice or more using color toners each having a color different from each other, to form a multicolor image on the image receiving material.

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FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an image forming method using a polymerization reaction initiated by silver halide. The invention also relates to an image forming method using a light-sensitive material which can be imaged with a scanning light such as a laser bean. The invention further relates to an image forming method which is advantageously used for forming a color proof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As the computer technology has recently been developed, a technical innovation is greatly introduced in printing. The field of color printing is now digitized by using a computer system named as CEPS (Color Electronic Prepress System). The CEPS digitizes the printing data of a color image and the data of all the prepress process down to stripping. Further, the newest system directly outputs the digitized printing data to a presensitized printing plate of a high sensitivity to prepare a printing plate without use of a conventional lith film. The technical innovation in the printing field makes the lith film unnecessary.

Before running on, a proofread is necessary to inspect the finished quality of printing. The proofing systems include a pressproof and an analogue offpress proof. The pressproof comprises preparing a printing plate for a proof sheet and printing an image using a proof press. The analogue offpress proof employs an image forming system different from the printing system. The offpress system comprises uniformly exposing to light a light-sensitive material through a lith film. The light-sensitive material contains a photopolymer, and the light source usually is ultraviolet. These two proofing systems are based on the premise that the printing system uses a lith film. The proof sheet itself is prepared from the image on the lith film (cf., M. H. Bruno, Principle of Color Proofing).

As is mentioned above, the conventional proofing systems are based on use of the lith film. Now, it is an important problem how to inspect the printing quality when the technical innovation in the printing field makes the lith film unnecessary. Therefore, the newest printing system requires a proof system of preparing a proof sheet directly from digital image data without use of the lith film. The required proof system is named as DDCP (Digital Direct Color Proof). With respect to the DDCP, several systems have been proposed, and some of them are practically used.

The DDCP systems employ an electrophotography and a thermal transfer recording system, which are completely different from the conventional analogue offpress proof using a photopolymer. The proofing qualities of DDCP (such as resolving power, color tone, gradation, reproducibility of half tone, analogy to printing and stable reproducibility of the image) are insufficient compared with the conventional systems. The image qualities of the direct output from a digital image are not satisfied. Therefore, an improved proofing method which can directly output the digital image is required to obtain a color proof of high quality.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 48(1973)-31323, Japanese Patent Provisional Publications No. 59(1984)-97140, No. 62(1987)-267736, No. 2(1990)-244151 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,438 disclose an analogue offpress proof using a conventional photopolymer. If the digital image data can directly be recorded on the offpress proof using the photopolymer, the proofing qualities are probably satisfactory. However, the digital image data should be recorded on a light-sensitive material for proof by a scanning exposure using a specific light source such as a laser beam. Therefore, the light-sensitive material should have a high sensitivity to the wave length of the scanning light. The conventional light-sensitive material using a photopolymer does not have such a high sensitivity. Further, it is particularly difficult to sensitize the photopolymer to a laser beam of a long wave such as a He-Ne laser and a semiconductor laser. The photopolymer merely has a sensitivity to a laser beam of a short wave. Accordingly, the conventional analogue offpress proof is not available in the DDCP systems.

In conclusion, the offpress proof using a photopolymer cannot directly record the digital image data, since the photopolymer does not have a high sensitivity to the wave length of the scanning light (particularly a laser beam of a long wave). On the other hand, the proofing qualities of the conventional DDCP systems (using an electrophotography or a thermal transfer recording system) are insufficient with respect to resolving power, reproducibility of half tone or stable reproducibility of color. Therefore, a new DDCP method is required to record a color proof of high quality with a high sensitivity to the wave length of a scanning light.

By the way, Japanese Patent Provisional Publications No. 61(1986)-69062 and No. 61(1986)-73145 (the contents of these two publications are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,676 and European Patent Provisional Publication No. 0174634A) discloses an image forming method using a light-sensitive material which contains silver halide, a reducing agent and a polymerizable compound. The method comprises the steps of imagewise exposing to light the light-sensitive material, and heating the material to develop the silver and to harden imagewise the polymerizable compound. Thus a polymer image is formed on the light-sensitive material. In a representative embodiment of the method, the developed light-sensitive material (containing a colorant) is pressed on an image receiving material to transfer the colorant with the unpolymerized polymerizable compound to the image receiving material. Thus a color image is formed on the image receiving material. In the case that a multicolor image is formed on the image receiving material, the light-sensitive material should contain two or more kinds of microcapsules (or packet emulsions) each containing a colorant different from each other.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present inventors paid attention to the image forming method using a polymerization reaction initiated by silver halide, and have tried to apply the method to formation of a color proof. However, the inventors note some problems when the image forming method itself is applied to the color proof.

For example, it is not appropriate for the color proof to form a transferred image with the unpolymerized polymerizable compound. The transferred image tends to be distorted by the transferring pressure, since the mechanical strength of the unhardened area containing the unpolymerized polymerizable compound is very weak compared with that of the hardened area. Accordingly, the reproducibility of the half tone is low, the width of the line is increased, and the outlined character is crushed. Therefore, the image quality is insufficient as the color proof.

An object of the present invention is to improve the image forming method using a polymerization reaction initiated by silver halide and to provide a method advantageously used for forming a color proof.

Another object of the invention is to provide an image forming method which can form a color proof directly from digital image data without use of a lith film.

A further object of the invention is to provide an image forming method which forms a color proof of a high quality by a scanning exposure with a laser beam, particularly a laser beam of a long wave.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an image forming method which can form a hardened image with a low exposure energy, whereby a color proof is made from the hardened image.

The present invention provides an image forming method comprises the following six embodiments.

The first embodiment of the present invention is a method which uses a light-sensitive material and an image receiving material. The light-sensitive material comprises a support and a light-sensitive polymerizable layer. The light-sensitive polymerizable layer contains silver halide, a reducing agent, an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and a cross-linkable polymer and a colorant.

The first embodiment comprises the steps of:

(1) imagewise exposing to light the light-sensitive polymerizable layer (hereinafter referred to as an exposing step);

(2) developing the light-sensitive polymerizable layer to harden the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer within the exposed area or, in the alternative, within the unexposed area (hereinafter referred to as a developing step);

(3) removing the unhardened area with an solvent to obtain a hardened image whereby a color image is formed (hereinafter referred to as a removing step); and

(4) placing the light-sensitive material in contact with the image receiving material whereby the color image is transferred to the image receiving material (hereinafter referred to as a transferring step),

wherein the order is (1).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(3).fwdarw.(4).

The second embodiment of the invention is a method which uses a light-sensitive material and an image receiving material. The light-sensitive material comprises a support and a light-sensitive polymerizable layer. The light-sensitive polymerizable layer contains silver halide, a reducing agent, an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and a cross-linkable polymer and a colorant.

The second embodiment comprises the steps of:

(A) laminating the light-sensitive material on the image-receiving material (hereinafter referred to as a laminating step);

(B) peeling the support of the light-sensitive material from the lamination of the light-sensitive material and the image-receiving material (hereinafter referred to as a peeling step);

(1) imagewise exposing to light the light-sensitive polymerizable layer (an exposing step);

(2) developing the light-sensitive polymerizable layer to harden the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer within the exposed area or, in the alternative, within the unexposed area (a developing step); and

(3) removing the unhardened area with an solvent to obtain a hardened image whereby a color image is formed (a removing step),

wherein the order is selected from:

(A).fwdarw.(B).fwdarw.(1).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(3);

(A).fwdarw.(1).fwdarw.(B).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(3);

(A).fwdarw.(1).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(B).fwdarw.(3);

(1).fwdarw.(A).fwdarw.(B).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(3);

(1).fwdarw.(A).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(B).fwdarw.(3); and

(1).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(A).fwdarw.(B).fwdarw.(3).

The third embodiment of the invention is a method which uses a light-sensitive material and an image receiving material. The light-sensitive material comprises a support, an adhesive layer and a light-sensitive polymerizable layer in this order. The light-sensitive polymerizable layer contains silver halide, a reducing agent and an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and a cross-linkable polymer.

The third embodiment comprises the steps of:

(1) imagewise exposing to light the light-sensitive polymerizable layer (an exposing step);

(2) developing the light-sensitive polymerizable layer to harden the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer within the exposed area or, in the alternative, within the unexposed area (a developing step);

(3) removing the unhardened area with an solvent whereby the adhesive layer is imagewise exposed (a removing step);

(4) applying color toner on the surface of the adhesive layer whereby a toner image is formed (a toning step); and

(5) placing the light-sensitive material in contact with the image receiving material whereby the toner image is transferred to the image receiving material (a transferring step),

wherein the order is (1).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(3).fwdarw.(4).fwdarw.(5).

The fourth embodiment of the invention is a method which uses a light-sensitive material and an image receiving material. The light-sensitive material comprises a support, a light-sensitive polymerizable layer and an adhesive layer in this order. The light-sensitive polymerizable layer contains silver halide, a reducing agent and an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and a cross-linkable polymer.

The fourth embodiment comprises the steps of:

(A) laminating the light-sensitive material on the image-receiving material (a laminating step);

(B) peeling the support of the light-sensitive material from the lamination of the light-sensitive material and the image-receiving material (a peeling step);

(1) imagewise exposing to light the light-sensitive polymerizable layer (an exposing step);

(2) developing the light-sensitive polymerizable layer to harden the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer within the exposed area or, in the alternative, within the unexposed area (a developing step);

(3) removing the unhardened area with an solvent whereby the adhesive layer is imagewise exposed (a removing step); and

(4) applying color toner on the surface of the adhesive layer whereby a toner image is formed (a toning step),

wherein the order is selected from:

(A).fwdarw.(B).fwdarw.(1).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(3).fwdarw.(4);

(A).fwdarw.(1).fwdarw.(B).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(3).fwdarw.(4);

(A).fwdarw.(1).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(B).fwdarw.(3).fwdarw.(4);

(1).fwdarw.(A).fwdarw.(B).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(3).fwdarw.(4);

(1).fwdarw.(A).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(B).fwdarw.(3).fwdarw.(4); and

(1).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(A).fwdarw.(B).fwdarw.(3).fwdarw.(4).

The fifth embodiment of the invention is a method which uses a light-sensitive material and an image receiving material. The light-sensitive material comprises a support and a light-sensitive polymerizable layer. The light-sensitive polymerizable layer contains silver halide, a reducing agent and an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and a cross-linkable polymer.

The fifth embodiment comprises the steps of:

(1) imagewise exposing to light the light-sensitive polymerizable layer (an exposing step);

(2) developing the light-sensitive polymerizable layer to harden the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer within the exposed area or, in the alternative, within the unexposed area (a developing step);

(3) removing the unhardened area with an solvent whereby the adhesive hardened area is imagewise formed (a removing step);

(4) applying color toner on the surface of the adhesive hardened area whereby a toner image is formed (a toning step); and

(5) placing the light-sensitive material in contact with the image receiving material whereby the toner image is transferred to the image receiving material (a transferring step),

wherein the order is (1).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(3).fwdarw.(4).fwdarw.(5).

The sixth embodiment of the invention is a method which uses a light-sensitive material and an image receiving material. The light-sensitive material comprises a support and a light-sensitive polymerizable layer. The light-sensitive polymerizable layer contains silver halide, a reducing agent and an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and a cross-linkable polymer.

The sixth embodiment comprises the steps of:

(A) laminating the light-sensitive material on the image-receiving material (a laminating step);

(B) peeling the support of the light-sensitive material from the lamination of the light-sensitive material and the image-receiving material (a peeling step);

(1) imagewise exposing to light the light-sensitive polymerizable layer (an exposing step);

(2) developing the light-sensitive polymerizable layer to harden the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer within the exposed area or, in the alternative, within the unexposed area (a developing step);

(3) removing the unhardened area with an solvent whereby the adhesive hardened area is imagewise formed (a removing step); and

(4) applying color toner on the surface of the adhesive hardened area whereby a toner image is formed (a toning step),

wherein the order is selected from:

(A).fwdarw.(B).fwdarw.(1).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(3).fwdarw.(4);

(A).fwdarw.(1).fwdarw.(B).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(3).fwdarw.(4);

(A).fwdarw.(1).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(B).fwdarw.(3).fwdarw.(4);

(1).fwdarw.(A).fwdarw.(B).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(3).fwdarw.(4);

(1).fwdarw.(A).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(B).fwdarw.(3).fwdarw.(4); and

(1).fwdarw.(2).fwdarw.(A).fwdarw.(B).fwdarw.(3).fwdarw.(4).

The present invention further provides a new light-sensitive material used in the third embodiment, which comprises a support, an adhesive layer and a light-sensitive polymerizable layer containing silver halide, a reducing agent and an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and a cross-linkable polymer in this order.

The invention furthermore provided another new light-sensitive material used in the fourth embodiment, which comprises a support, a light-sensitive polymerizable layer containing silver halide, a reducing agent and an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and a cross-linkable polymer, and an adhesive layer in this order.

In the six embodiments, the light-sensitive polymerizable layer preferably comprises a light-sensitive layer containing the silver halide and a polymerizable layer containing the ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound or/and the cross-linkable polymer.

The colorants used in the first and second embodiments are contained in the polymerizable layer. The reducing agent may be contained in the light-sensitive layer or/and the polymerizable layer. Further, the light-sensitive polymerizable layer may comprise a light-sensitive layer, a polymerizable layer and an image formation accelerating layer. The reducing agent may also be contained in the image formation accelerating layer. In the present specification, the light-sensitive polymerizable layer comprising two or more functional layers is referred to as "a complex light-sensitive polymerizable layer". A light-sensitive material having the complex light-sensitive polymerizable layer is referred to as "a multi-layered light-sensitive material". On the other hand, a light-sensitive material having a single light-sensitive polymerizable layer is referred to as "a single-layered light-sensitive material".

In the first and fifth embodiments, a polymerizable layer is provided on a support, and a light-sensitive layer is provided thereon. In the second and sixth embodiments, a light-sensitive layer is provided on a support, and a polymerizable layer is provided thereon. In the third embodiment, an adhesive layer is provided on a support, a polymerizable layer is provided thereon, and a light-sensitive layer is further provided thereon. In the fourth embodiment, a light-sensitive layer is provided on a support, a polymerizable layer is provided thereon, and an adhesive layer is further provided thereon.

When a multi-layered light-sensitive material is used, the light-sensitive layer should be removed before the removing step (after the developing step) or simultaneously with the removing step. In the case that layers other than the light-sensitive layer and the polymerizable layer is provided on a support, the layer provided on or above the polymerizable layer should also be removed.

The above-mentioned steps are preferably repeated twice or more using light-sensitive materials or color toners each having a color different from each other, to form a multicolor image on the image receiving material. The color is determined by the kind of the colorant or the color toner.

In the present invention, two or more steps can be conducted simultaneously provided that the above-defined order is not reversed. For example, the exposing step (1) can be conducted simultaneously with the developing step (2). A process conducting two or more steps simultaneously is included within the scopes of the present invention.

The image forming method is characterized in that the unhardened area is removed with a solvent and an image is formed with the hardened area. The unhardened area, which is mechanically weak, does not relate to the image formation. Therefore, the reproducibility of a minute image such as a half tone is improved to form a clear image according to the present invention. Thus the problem of the image forming method using a polymerization reaction initiated by silver halide is solved by the present invention. This method now can be applied to formation of a color proof.

Therefore, a color proof can be formed directly from digital image data without use of a lith film. Further, a color proof of a high quality can be formed by a scanning exposure with a laser beam, particularly a laser beam of a long wave. Furthermore, a hardened image can be formed with a low exposure energy.

Further, the following effects can be obtained by using the specific embodiments of the present invention.

1. In the third, forth, fifth and sixth embodiments of the present invention, color toner is used to obtain a color image. The color toner has the following advantages (1) to (5) compared with the colorant contained in the light-sensitive material.

(1) The color tone of an image can easily be altered by changing the color toner. There is no need of preparing various light-sensitive materials with respect to colors. Only one kind of the light-sensitive material can form all the colors. Accordingly, the color tone can optionally be determined within a wide range of choice.

(2) A dye or pigment having a function of inhibiting a polymerization reaction can be used as a color toner. The inhibiting function must be checked in the case that a colorant is contained in the light-sensitive material.

(3) There is an upper limit on the amount of the colorant contained in the light-sensitive material. On the other hand, there is no upper limit on the amount of the toner. Therefore, a very high maximum density of an image can be obtained by using a large amount of the toner.

(4) Some of the functional components of the exposing or developing step such as silver halide, has an influence on the color tone of the colorant. The color toner is free from the influence.

(5) In the light-sensitive material containing a dye or pigment as a colorant, the sensitivity of silver halide is reduced by the colorant. On the other hand, a color image formed from a leuco dye is unstable. The color toner forms a stable color image without reducing the sensitivity of silver halide.

2. In the second, fourth and sixth embodiments of the invention, the light-sensitive material is laminated on the image-receiving material. These embodiments have an advantage of easy adjustment and easy operation with respect to the setting of an image.

3. In the multi-layered light-sensitive material having a light-sensitive layer and a polymerizable layer, silver halide does not influence on the color tone of the polymerizable layer.

Further, the components of the light-sensitive layer such as silver halides are not contained in the polymerizable layer. Therefore, the polymer image formed in the polymerizable layer has a high mechanica