Patent ID: 7824834

Claim:
A toner comprising: a binder resin; a colorant; a release agent; and a modified layered inorganic material in which at least part of interlayer ions is modified with an organic ion, wherein the toner has a volume average particle diameter (Dv) of from 3 to 7 μm and a ratio (Dv/Dn) of the volume average particle diameter (Dv) to a number average particle diameter (Dn) of the toner of from 1.00 to 1.30, and satisfies the following relationships: 1%≦A≦10%, and 0.7≦ B/A≦ 1.3, wherein A represents an amount of the release agent included in the toner in units of percent by weight based on the total weight of the toner, and B represents an amount of the release agent included in particles of the toner in units of percent by weight based on the weight of toner particles comprising the release agent, wherein the particles of the toner are obtained by classifying the toner to an extent such that the following relationship is satisfied: ( Dv′/Dn′ −1)/( Dv/Dn −1)≦¾, wherein Dv′ and Dn′ respectively represent a volume average particle diameter and a number average particle diameter of the particles of the toner obtained by classification.