Patent ID: 7179585

Claim:
An image forming method comprising: providing an image recording apparatus comprising a laser irradiating means for laser scanning of a photothermographic material and a conveying means for guiding the laser scanned photothermographic material in a sub-scanning direction to a thermal development unit, providing a photothermographic material that has a support and includes on at least one surface thereof a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent and a binder; and forming an image by using the image recording apparatus to laser scan the photothermographic material, convey the photothermographic material to the thermal development unit and thermally develop the photothermographic material, wherein a distance between scanning exposure position of the photothermographic material and an inserting portion of the thermal development unit is equal to or shorter than 40 cm, and the reducing agent is at least one selected from the group of compounds represented by the following formula (R1): wherein, in formula (R1), R 1 and R 1′ each independently represents an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms; R 2 and R 2′ each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a substituent for a benzene ring; R 3 represents a substituent for forming a 3- to 7-membered ring composed of atoms selected from a carbon atom, an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom, a sulfur atom and a phosphor atom; and X and X′ each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a substituent for a benzene ring; and compounds represented by the following formula (R2): wherein, in formula (R2), R 1 and R 1′ each independently represents an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms; R 2 and R 2′ each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a substituent for a benzene ring; R 3 represents an alkenyl group or an alkyl group having a substituent having an unsaturated bond; and X and X′ each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a substituent for a benzene ring.