When a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material is exposed to light and is then color-developed, a dye is produced in the light-exposed areas of the light-sensitive material upon reaction of an oxidized aromatic primary amine color developing agent with a dye-forming coupler, so that a color image is formed.
Generally, in this photographic method, a color subtractive reproduction process is used to form each of yellow, magenta and cyan images.
For example, the couplers for photographic use for forming the above-mentioned yellow color images include acylacetanilide type couplers; those for forming the magenta color images include pyrazolone type, pyrazolobenzimidazole type, pyrazolotriazole type or indazolone type couplers; and those for forming the cyan color images include phenol type or naphthol type couplers; each of which is generally used.
It is a requirement of such dye images that they not be discolored even if they are exposed to light for a long time or are stored at a high temperature and a high humidity.
The phenol type and naphthol type couplers have been studied for use as the couplers for forming cyan dyes. However, they are as yet not quite satisfactory in spectral absorption characteristics, resistance to heat, moisture and light, and so forth. Aiming at solutions to these problems, there have been various proposals including those for selected substituents. But, no compound has yet been obtained to solve the above-mentioned problems.