To provide an image having proper white background and a stable color tone of a black dot image, in image formation with an area coverage modulation image forming apparatus, in which variable density pixels are formed and dots are reproduced by aggregates thereof.

In a silver halide color image forming method with the area coverage modulation image forming apparatus, in which variable density pixels are formed and dots are reproduced by aggregates thereof, a silver halide photosensitive material is exposed, developed, bleach-fixed, and rinsed and/or stabilized to form an image comprising Y, M, C and K dot images, wherein the photosensitive material has at least one each of yellow, magenta and cyan image forming silver halide emulsion layers, and at least one non-photosensitive hydrophilic colloidal layer as coatings on a paper support, obtained by coating both sides of base paper with resin and which contains an optical whitening agent in the base paper and/or resin coating layer of the paper support, and the rinsing or stabilization is carried out in a rinsing bath or a stabilizing bath containing water subjected to electrolysis treatment.