It is widely known that an image layer of a photographic print contains gelatin, and therefore, it is easily affected by water, showing degeneration caused even by few waterdrops, fingerprints stay thereon easily, and sticking of the image layer to another photogaphic print also takes place. Further, even when a thermal transfer image is formed on the image layer of the photographic print by the use of heat-fusible thermal transfer material, the transferred image is caused by waterdrops to come off, which is a problem.
Heretofore, therefore, an image layer has been provided with a protective layer. It is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection (hereinafter referred to as Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication) Nos. 201248/1986 and 21150/1987 that radiation hardenable resin is coated and hardened by radiation to beaprotective layer. It is also disclosed in Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication Nos. 62360/1987 and 259570/1988 that a photographic print is laminated. However, photographic prints obtained through the methods mentioned above are extremely deteriorated in portraying texture.
It is further described in Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication No. 247370/1987 that a protective resin layer for a photographic print is obtained by coating resin latices, drying and heating them under pressure. However, resin latices are not specified in particular, and heating under pressure is required after coating and drying.
In recent years, in a method for replenishing developing solutions, water and tablets of developing agents (developing agents tableted with water-soluble polymer) are used for replenishing, and replenishment of water for water evaporation as well as ion exchange for unnecessary salts are conducted, so that no waste solutions may be drained out. In this case, water-soluble polymer stays in a photographic print and causes a problem of sticking.