Patent ID: 7846631

Claim:
A toner, comprising: toner particles each containing at least a binder resin, a colorant, and a wax component; and an inorganic fine powder, characterized in that: in a case where, in a microscopic compression test on the toner at a measurement temperature of Y° C., a displacement (μm) obtained when a load is applied to one particle of the toner at a loading rate of 9.8×10 −5 N/sec to reach a maximum load of 2.94×10 −4 N is defined as a displacement X 2(Y) , a displacement (μm) obtained when the particle is left to stand for 0.1 second at the maximum load after the load has reached the maximum load is defined as a maximum displacement X 3(Y) , a displacement (μm) obtained when the load is reduced at an unloading rate of 9.8×10 −5 N/sec to reach 0 N after the standing for 0.1 second is defined as a displacement X 4(Y) , a difference between the maximum displacement X 3(Y) and the displacement X 4(Y) is defined as an elastic displacement (X 3(Y) −X 4(Y) ), and a percentage [{(X 3(Y) −X 4(Y) )/X 3(Y) }×100: recovery ratio] of the elastic displacement (X 3(Y) −X 4(Y) ) to the maximum displacement X 3(Y) is represented by Z(Y) (%), Z(25) when the measurement temperature Y is 25° C. satisfies a relationship of 40≦Z(25)≦80, and Z(50) when the measurement temperature Y is 50° C. satisfies a relationship of 10≦Z(50)≦55; when, in a load-displacement curve obtained by plotting a load and a displacement in the microscopic compression test on the toner at a measurement temperature of 25° C., a gradient of the load-displacement curve from the origin to the maximum load is represented by R(25) [2.94×10 −4 /displacement X 2(25) ] (N/μm), R(25) satisfies a relationship of 0.49×10 −3 ≦R(25)≦1.70×10 −3 ; and the toner has a glass transition temperature (TgA) measured with a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) of 40° C. or higher and 60° C. or lower and a peak temperature (P1) of a highest endothermic peak measured with the DSC of 70° C. or higher and 110° C. or lower, and the peak temperature (P1) of the highest endothermic peak and the glass transition temperature (TgA) satisfy a relationship of 15° C.≦(P1−TgA)≦70° C.