To provide a low cost and high quality digital color printing system having compatibility with conventional analog exposure systems and to provide an image forming method using the printing system.

In the image forming method using a silver halide color photographic sensitive material having a color mixture preventing layer and a protective layer, a blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion containing at least one of the blue-sensitive sensitizing dyes of formula (I) and having ≥90 mol% silver chloride content is comprised in a silver halide emulsion layer containing a yellow dye forming coupler and exposure is carried out with a blue semiconductor laser having a wavelength 30-60 nm shorter than the wavelength at which the blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion has the spectral absorption maximum. In the formula, Y is a benzene ring or a heterocycle; R1 and R2 are each alkyl, aryl or the like; V1-V4 are each H, a substituent or the like; L is methine; and M is a counter ion.