Patent ID: 7449267

Claim:
An image forming method comprising: forming an electrostatic latent image on an organic photoreceptor, and developing the electrostatic latent image by a developing device containing a developing sleeve and developer containing toner, to form a toner image on the photoreceptor, wherein the photoreceptor contains inorganic particles in a surface layer, the toner has circle equivalent diameter d of 3.0 to 8.0 μm viewed from a direction which maximizes the projective area of toner particles, the toner has a flatness ratio d/t of 2.0 to 5.0, wherein d is the circle equivalent diameter and t is an average thickness of toner particles, and the electrostatic latent image is developed in such a manner that the developing sleeve is rotated in an opposite direction with respect to a rotation direction of the photoreceptor.