Method of forming thermal transfer dye images

Abstract

Method of forming thermal transfer dye images comprising exposing a recording element comprising at least one layer of an organic photochemical imaging composition comprising a heat-diffusible dye (precursor) monomer, said layer being permeable to said dye (precursor) monomer, to an image-wise distribution of actinic radiation to create a change in its permeability corresponding to said image-wise distribution of actinic radiation, wherein said change in permeability is brought about by the radiation-induced polymerization or crosslinking reaction of said organic photochemical imaging composition combined with a concurrent copolymerization or crosslinking reaction of said heat-diffusible dye (precursor) monomer, bringing said recording element in contact with an image-receiving element, overall heating at least one of said contacting elements to cause diffusion of the heat-diffusible dye (precursor) monomer from the areas having unchanged permeability and transfer to said image-receiving element, causing in the case of said dye precursor monomer reaction of said transferred dye precursor monomer with a reagent present in said recording element, in said image-receiving element, or in a fluid medium applied to said image-receiving element, to convert said transferred dye precursor monomer into a dye. The invention also provides a recording element for use according to this method.