Patent ID: 8385790

Claim:
A two-component developing method, comprising: regulating a two-component developer borne on a developer bearer with a doctor blade regulation member; and transferring the regulated two-component developer to the developer bearer to develop a latent image on an image bearer, wherein the two-component developer includes a pulverized toner having a volume-average particle diameter of from 3.0 to 6.0 μm, including particles having a particle diameter not greater than 4.0 μm in an amount not less than 30% by number, and including particles having a particle diameter not greater than 2.0 μm in an amount not greater than 10% by number, and wherein the doctor blade has a surface regulating the developer at an upstream side relative to a rotational direction of the developer bearer, which has a surface roughness Ra not greater than 0.2 μm.