Patent ID: 7566521
Filing Date: 2009-07-28
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming method comprising: forming a latent electrostatic image on a latent electrostatic image bearing member; developing the latent electrostatic image by use of a toner in the form of toner particles to form a visible image; transferring the visible image to a recording medium; and fixing the transferred visible image to the recording medium, wherein the toner has a substantially spherical shape with irregularities on its surface and comprises a toner material which comprises a binder resin and a colorant, wherein a surface factor SF-1 represented by the following Equation (1) that represents the sphericity of the toner particles is 105 to 180, a surface factor SF-2 represented by the following Equation (2) that represents the degree of surface irregularities of the toner particles for toner particles with a particle diameter of equal to or larger than the most abundant toner particle diameter in a number-based particle size distribution of the toner particles is higher than SF-2 for toner particles with a particle diameter of smaller than the most abundant toner particle diameter in a number-based particle size distribution of the toner particles, and the toner particles have an inorganic oxide particle-containing layer within 1 μm from their surfaces, where MXLNG represents the maximum length across a two-dimensional projection of a toner particle, and AREA represents the area of the projection, where PERI represents the perimeter of a two-dimensional projection of a toner particle, and AREA represents the area of the projection.