The present invention is directed to a method of scanning silver-halide-containing color photographic and photothermographic film. In particular, the present invention comprises a photographic element comprising at least one infrared imaging dye-forming agent in a blue-sensitive color layer of the element, thereby forming at least one image record in the infrared region of the imagewise exposed and developed element. This expedient leads to the formation of high quality images when scanning photographic elements in which the silver halide, metallic silver, and/or any organic silver salts have not been removed.