PURPOSE: To enhance color tone, maximum density, contrast, and sharpness by incorporating an alkylpyridinium compound in the image receiving layer containing physical development nuclei and/or a nonphotosensitive hydrophilic colloidal layer same in water permeability as that layer.

CONSTITUTION: The photosensitive material having processing silver halide emulsion layers is imagewise exposed and the exposed emulsion layer is developed with an alkaline processing solution containing a silver halide solvent to diffuse the silver complex salt to the image receiving material including the image receiving layer containing the physical development nuclei and to form a transferred silver image. The alkylpyridinium compound is incorporated in the image receiving layer containing physical development nuclei and/or the nonphotosensitive hydrophilic colloidal layer same in water permeability as that layer, thus permitting color tone, maximum density, contrast, and sharpness to be enhanced.