PURPOSE: To provide the method for subjecting a printed image of dot gradations to gradation conversion by faithfully reproducing the density gradations and color tones of the original image before color fading from the color photographic original which is faded in colors and has the continuous gradations.

CONSTITUTION: The influence of the color fading is eliminated by starting from the density information value DFn of the arbitrary picture element (n point) in the color photographic original faded in colors and the light quantity values Xn of the respective corresponding picture elements in the original before the color fading are determined. Namely, there are the two methods; the first route of (1)→(2)→(3)→(4) and the second route of (1)→(5)→(6). The density information value DFn of the measured arbitrary picture elements is between the density information value DFH of the highlight (H) part and the density information value DFS of the shadow (S) part. The density value DSn before the color fading is estimated from the route of (1)→(2). The light quantity value Xn before the color fading is determined via S-DCC (photograph density characteristic curve) from the DSn value from the route of (2)→(3)→(4). The light quantity value Xn for the second route (1)→(5) is determined by the route (5)→(6) from the correlative relation between DFn and F-DCC.