A substantially light-insensitive thermographic recording material comprising a support and a thermosensitive element, the thermosensitive element containing silver behenate including phase I silver behenate having an X-ray diffraction spectrum upon irradiation with a copper K&agr;1 X-ray source with Bragg angles 2&THgr; of 4.53°, 5.96-6.05°, 7.46-7.56°, 8.90-9.12°, 10.45-10.66°, 12.02-12.12°, 13.53-13.62°, a reducing agent therefor in thermal working relationship therewith and a binder, wherein the thermographic recording material is capable upon thermal development of containing 1% of phase II silver behenate, having an X-ray diffraction spectrum upon irradiation with a copper K&agr;1 X-ray source with Bragg angles 2&THgr; of 5.34-5.78°, 6.12-6.41°, 7.68-7.79°, 8.30-8.59°, 9.36-9.84°, 10.6-10.96°, and/or phase III silver behenate phase, having an X-ray diffraction spectrum upon irradiation with a copper K&agr;1 X-ray source with Bragg angles 2&THgr; of 4.76-4.81°, 5.9-6.3°, 6.76-7.35°, 8.27-8.44° and 9.06-9.43°, which is stable at 25° C., with respect to the quantity of the phase I silver behenate in the thermographic recording material before said thermal development; a recording process therefor; and use of the above-defined phase II silver behenate stabilized at 25° C. and/or the above-defined phase III silver behenate stabilized at 25° C. as a tone modifier in thermographic recording materials.