To rapidly obtain high image quality color images by simple heat development processing by utilizing the image obtd. by using a photosensitive material which forms the coupling dyestuff image by a heat treatment under specific conditions in the presence of water, photographing the material and subjecting the image to development processing as the input image of a system executing digital image processing.

The digital image information and/or the information inputted by conversion to digital data is subjected to the image processing and is outputted as a hard copy print. The image obtd. by using the silver halide color photosensitive material for photography which forms the coupling dyestuff image by the heat treatment for 5 to 60 seconds at 60 to 100°C in the presence of the water, photographing this material and subjecting the material to the development processing is utilized for the input image of the system. Further, the coupling dyestuff image is formed by the heat treatment for 5 to 60 seconds at 60 to 100°C in the presence of the water without using a processing liquid after the scanning exposure by a semiconductor laser, etc., as a light source according to the digital image output information. The image is diffusion transferred to an image receiving element, by which the print is obtd.