An image-forming method comprising, in this order: charging the surface of an electrophotographic photosensitive member; irradiating the charged surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member with image exposure light to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member; developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member with toner to form a toner image on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member; transferring the toner image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member onto a transfer material; and irradiating the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member with pre-exposure light to remove charge on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member in the stated order, wherein: the electrophotographic photosensitive member has a substrate, a photoconductive layer formed on the substrate, the photoconductive layer being formed of at least an amorphous silicon, and a surface layer formed on the photoconductive layer, the surface layer being formed of at least a hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide; a ratio (C/(Si + C)) of the number of carbon atoms to the sum of the number of silicon atoms (Si) and the number of the carbon atoms in the surface layer is 0.61 or more and 0.75 or less; the sum of an atomic density of the silicon atoms and an atomic density of the carbon atoms in the surface layer is 6.60 × 10 22 atoms/cm 3 or more; and a peak wavelength (λ P) of the pre-exposure light is shorter than a peak wavelength (λ I) of the image exposure light. charging the surface of an electrophotographic photosensitive member; irradiating the charged surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member with image exposure light to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member; developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member with toner to form a toner image on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member; transferring the toner image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member onto a transfer material; and irradiating the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member with pre-exposure light to remove charge on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member in the stated order, wherein: the electrophotographic photosensitive member has a substrate, a photoconductive layer formed on the substrate, the photoconductive layer being formed of at least an amorphous silicon, and a surface layer formed on the photoconductive layer, the surface layer being formed of at least a hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide; a ratio (C/(Si + C)) of the number of carbon atoms to the sum of the number of silicon atoms (Si) and the number of the carbon atoms in the surface layer is 0.61 or more and 0.75 or less; the sum of an atomic density of the silicon atoms and an atomic density of the carbon atoms in the surface layer is 6.60 × 10 22 atoms/cm 3 or more; and a peak wavelength (λ P) of the pre-exposure light is shorter than a peak wavelength (λ I) of the image exposure light. the electrophotographic photosensitive member has a substrate, a photoconductive layer formed on the substrate, the photoconductive layer being formed of at least an amorphous silicon, and a surface layer formed on the photoconductive layer, the surface layer being formed of at least a hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide; a substrate, a photoconductive layer formed on the substrate, the photoconductive layer being formed of at least an amorphous silicon, and a surface layer formed on the photoconductive layer, the surface layer being formed of at least a hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide; a ratio (C/(Si + C)) of the number of carbon atoms to the sum of the number of silicon atoms (Si) and the number of the carbon atoms in the surface layer is 0.61 or more and 0.75 or less; the sum of an atomic density of the silicon atoms and an atomic density of the carbon atoms in the surface layer is 6.60 × 10 22 atoms/cm 3 or more; and a peak wavelength (λ P) of the pre-exposure light is shorter than a peak wavelength (λ I) of the image exposure light.