An image-forming member excellent in the developing ability and printing durability can be obtained and images can be formed without being accompanied by any accumulation of scum in a developing bath used, by developing an image-forming material, in particular, a negative-working image-forming material which comprises a substrate provided thereon with an image-recording layer comprising an infrared light absorber, a polymerization initiator, an ethylenically unsaturated bond-containing monomer and a binder polymer, using a developer which comprises at least one carbonate and at least one hydrogen carbonate, and at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of nonionic aromatic ether type surfactants represented by the following general formula (1): X--Y--O-(A).sub.n-(B).sub.m--H (wherein X represents an aromatic group; Y represents a single bond or an alkylene group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms; A and B represent groups different from one another and each represents either --CH.sub.2CH.sub.2O-- or --CH.sub.2CH(CH.sub.3)O--; m and n are 0 or an integer ranging from 1 to 100, respectively, provided that n and m cannot simultaneously represent 0 and that when either n or m is 0, n and m cannot represent 1) and anionic surfactants in an amount ranging from 1.0 to 10% by weight; and which has a pH value ranging from 8.5 to 11.5 and an electrical conductivity x falling within the range: 30