Patent ID: 7914964

Claim:
An image forming method of forming images on both sides of a recording sheet; comprising the steps of: (1) forming a first electrostatic latent image on an image carrying member, developing the first electrostatic latent image with a two-component developer so as to form a first toner image on the image carrying member, transferring the first toner image from the image carrying member to a first surface of a recording sheet at a transfer section, and fixing the first toner image on the first surface of the recording sheet with heat at a fixing section; (2) returning the recording sheet bearing the fixed toner image on the first surface from the fixing section to the transfer section without stacking the recording sheet in a tray between the fixing section and the transfer section; (3) forming a second electrostatic latent image on the image carrying member, developing the second electrostatic latent image with the two-component developer so as to form a second toner image on the image carrying member, transferring the second toner image from the image carrying member to a second surface of the recording sheet at the transfer section, and fixing the second toner image on the second surface of the recording sheet with heat at the fixing section; wherein the two-component developer includes toner particles each containing a binder resin having a glass transition temperature Tg° C. and a colorant and carrier particles in each of which magnetic powder is dispersed in a binder resin including a phenol formaldehyde obtained by a polymerization process, and the first toner image is fixed with the heat in such a way that the surface temperature of the first surface of the recording sheet is made to a temperature in a range from the Tg° C. or more and lower than 100° C. after the first toner image has been fixed on the first surface of the recording sheet with heat.