PURPOSE: To enhance stability of rinsing water or a stabilizing soln. itself without impairing stability of a dye image by incorporating a specified compd. in a rinsing or stabilizing step after a bleaching step and a fixing step or a bleach- fixing step.

CONSTITUTION: The rinsing or stabilizing step following the bleaching and fixing steps or the bleach-fixing step uses, preferably in an amt. of 1×10-5W1.0mol/l of rinsing water or stabilizing soln., at least one kind of compds. represented by the formula in which R1, R2 are each 1W10C alkyl, alkyl substd. by halogen or the like, preferably, having the total C number of 1W10, and optionally substd. aryl, preferably having the total C number of 6W16C, and a heterocyclic group, such as pyrazole or oxazole. Accordingly, the stability of the rinsing water or the stabilizing soln. itself can be enhanced without imparing the stability of a dye image.