Patent ID: 6806016
Filing Date: 2004-10-19
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
An image forming method, comprising:a charging step of charging an image-bearing member, an electrostatic image forming step of forming an electrostatic image on the charged image-bearing member; a developing step of developing the electrostatic image with a toner carried on a developer-carrying member to form a toner image on the image bearing member, a first transfer step of transferring the toner image on the image-bearing member to an intermediate transfer member, a second transfer step of transferring the toner image on the intermediate transfer member onto a recording material, and a fixing step of heat-fixing the toner image on the recording material; wherein the toner comprises toner particles each containing a binder resin, a colorant and a wax; the toner has a number-average particle size of 2-6 &mgr;m and a standard deviation in particle size of below 2.6 &mgr;m based on a number-basis distribution of circle-equivalent diameters, an average circularity of 0.970-0.995 and a standard deviation in circularity of below 0.030 based on a circularity frequency distribution, and a residual monomer content of at most 500 ppm; and the toner particles have such a microtexture as to provide a particle cross section as observed through a transmission electron microscope (TEM) exhibiting a matrix of the binder resin and a particle of the wax dispersed in a discrete form in the matrix of the binder resin.