Patent ID: 7135274

Claim:
An image forming method comprising: providing a photothermographic material which comprises at least a non-photosensitive silver salt, a photosensitive silver halide, a binder and a reducing agent, wherein a silver iodide content of the photosensitive silver halide is 80% by mole or more; providing a laser comprising a laser diode having a peak light-emission intensity at a wavelength of 350 nm to 450 nm, and the image forming method comprising the steps of: A) conveying the photothermographic material; and B) exposing the photothermographic material to a laser beam by scanning it in a main scanning direction while conveying the photothermographic material, wherein an angle between a plane extending in a normal direction of the photothermographic material including a straight line representing the main scanning direction and a plane extending in an incidence direction of the laser beam including a straight line representing the main scanning direction is 1° to 10°.