Patent ID: 8918025

Claim:
An image forming method, comprising: charging a latent electrostatic image bearing member; forming a latent electrostatic image on the charged latent electrostatic image bearing member; developing the latent electrostatic image formed on the latent electrostatic image bearing member with a two-component developer by a developing element to form a visible image, where the two-component developer contains a toner and a carrier, and where the developing contains: stirring the toner and the carrier to prepare the two-component developer to have a flow energy amount of 30 mJ to 70 mJ; and periodically discharging the stirred two-component developer and transporting the two-component developer to the developer unit by air pressure to thereby supply the two-component developer for the developing; transferring the visible image to a recording medium; and fixing the transferred visible image onto the recording medium by a fixing member, wherein the flow energy amount is a total energy amount attained from a sum of running torque and vertical load as measured by a powder rheometer containing a ventilation unit and a rotary wing, when the rotary wing rotates and enters the two-component developer packed in a container by 50 mm in the direction parallel to a rotational axis of the rotary wing with the top edge of the rotary wing having a peripheral velocity of 100 mm/sec, and the rotary wing having an entering angle of −10°, while ventilating at a ventilating rate of 0.8 mm/sec.