Patent ID: 7078138
Filing Date: 2006-07-18
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming method employing an image forming apparatus having a photoreceptor comprising a photosensitive layer and a surface layer on a support, a charging means, an exposing means for irradiating light, a developing means, a transferring means, and a cleaning means, the image forming method comprising charging a surface of the photoreceptor by the charging means, exposing the photoreceptor to form a static latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor by the exposing means, developing the static latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor with a toner and forming a colored toner image corresponding to the static latent image by the developing means, transferring the toner image to an intermediate transfer member, transferring the toner image from the intermediate transfer member to an image receiving material by the transferring means, and removing the toner remained on the photoreceptor surface by the cleaning means, wherein said toner used in the developing means has a saturated moisture content within the range of from 0.1 to 2.0% by weight at a temperature of 30° C. and a relative humidity of 80%, at least 70 percent of the toner exhibits sum (M) of (M1) and (M2), (M1) being the relative frequency of toner particles included in the highest frequency class and (M2) being the relative frequency of toner particles included in the second highest frequency class, in a number based histogram in which natural logarithm ln D is taken as the abscissa and said abscissa is divided into a plurality of classes at an interval of 0.23, D being diameter of toner particles in μm, and the surface layer contains a siloxane resin having an electric charge transfer ability and a crosslinked structure.