Patent ID: 7387860

Claim:
An image forming method comprising: a charging step of externally applying a voltage to a charging member to charge an electrostatic latent image bearing member; a latent image formation step of forming an electrostatic latent image on the electrostatic latent image bearing member thus charged; a developing step of bringing a toner layer formed of a toner held on the surface of a toner carrying member, into contact with the surface of the electrostatic latent image bearing member to develop the electrostatic latent image with the toner to form a toner image on the electrostatic latent image bearing member; a transfer step of transferring the toner image to a transfer material via, or not via, an intermediate transfer member; and a fixing step of fixing the toner image held on the transfer material; in said fixing step, any point on the transfer material taking 1/24 seconds to 1/8 seconds to pass through a fixing nip; and said toner comprising toner particles containing at least a binder resin and a colorant, and inorganic fine particles; wherein; said toner particles have a shape factor SF-1 of from 100 or more to less than 130; said toner has a storage elastic modulus at 140° C., G′ (140° C.), of from 2.0×10 3 dN/m 2 or more to less than 2.0×10 4 dN/m 2 ; said toner comes to have a viscosity of 1.0×10 3 Pa·s according to the flow tester heating method at a temperature of from 115° C. or more to less than 130° C.; and where a wettability of said toner to a methanol/water mixed solvent is measured as transmittance of 780 nm wavelength light, the methanol concentration at the time the transmittance is 50% is within the range of from 30% by volume to 60% by volume.