Patent ID: 7517629

Claim:
A method of forming a toner image, comprising: electrically charging a photoreceptor; imagewise exposing the photoreceptor so that a latent image is formed on the photoreceptor; developing the latent image with toner so that a toner image is formed on the photoreceptor; transferring the toner image on an image forming material; and removing a residual toner on said electrophotographic photoreceptor; the photoreceptor comprises a photosensitive layer on a cylindrical conductive substrate, Formula (1) and Formula (2) are held, P<Pmax<2P Formula (1) 2≦( P max/ D )×100<50 Formula (2) wherein P (μm) is the average of the coating layer thickness in central section in the width direction of the photoreceptor, Pmax (μm) is average of the maximum value of the layer thickness out of the image forming region, and D (μm) is average of distance between point, at which said maximum value is obtained, and edge of the coating layer, and the toner contains 1.0 to 7.0 number % of toner particles having number based particle diameter not more than 3.17 μm based on whole number of toner particles, and number average toner particle diameter is 4-9 μm.