Patent ID: 8086118

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an electrostatic image-bearing member; and a developing device, wherein the developing device includes a developer-carrying member disposed to face the electrostatic image-bearing member, and a developer carried on the developer-carrying member, and the developer comprises a carrier having a volume-average particle size dc (μm) and a toner having a volume-average particle size dt (μm) of at most 5 μm and contained at a weight ratio C with respect to the carrier of from 5 to 10% and is controlled so as to provide a surface coverage F of the carrier with the toner of from 30 to 80% as calculated according to Formula (I) below: F =(¼)×( dc/dt )×( pc/pt )× C, Formula (1) wherein pc denotes a true specific gravity (−) of the carrier, pt denotes a toner absolute specific gravity (−), and C denotes a weight ratio (−) of the toner to the carrier.