Patent ID: 8126369

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: an electrophotographic photoreceptor; a charging unit that charges a surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor; an exposure unit that exposes the charged surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor to form an electrostatic latent image; a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image using a toner to form a toner image; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image from the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor to a transfer material or an intermediate transfer medium; a fixing unit that fixes the transferred toner image on a recording material; and a cleaning unit that removes toner remaining on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor after completion of the transfer of the toner image; the electrophotographic photoreceptor having an outermost layer containing a charge transporting material and at least one curable resin selected from the group consisting of a phenol resin, an epoxy resin and a melamine resin, the toner including a polyester resin, the polyester resin having been functionalized to include an ammonium ion, and the toner having an ammonium ion concentration as determined by ion chromatography of from about 50 ppm to about 300 ppm.