Patent ID: 8530129

Claim:
An image forming method comprising the steps of: electrostatically charging an image bearing member in association with discharging; forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image bearing member; developing the electrostatic latent image with a developer to form a toner image; transferring the toner image onto a transfer material through or without an intermediate transfer member; and fixing the toner image on the transfer material, wherein, said method further comprises a step of applying onto the surface of the image bearing member, hydrophobized calcium carbonate particles having a number average particle diameter of 30 to 300 nm and strontium titanate particles having a number average particle diameter of 30 to 300 nm, wherein when, in the measurement of hydrophobicity with methanol, a concentration (% by volume) of methanol at a light transmittance reduction starting point of the hydrophobized calcium carbonate particles is represented by Ac; a concentration (% by volume) of methanol at a light transmittance reduction starting point of the strontium titanate particles is represented by As; a concentration (% by volume) of methanol at a light transmittance reduction ending point of the hydrophobized calcium carbonate particles is represented by Bc; and a concentration (% by volume) of methanol at a light transmittance reduction ending point of the strontium titanate particles is represented by Bs, the following expressions are satisfied: 50≦( Ac+Bc )/2≦80 80≦( As+Bs )/2≦95 5≦ Bc−Ac≦ 20 1≦ Bs−As≦ 5.