Patent ID: 7846626

Claim:
An image forming method, comprising the steps of: forming an electrostatic latent image on an organic photoreceptor rotating in a rotating direction; forming a magnetic brush with a developing agent containing a toner and a carrier on a rotatable developing sleeve; and visualizing the electrostatic latent image into a toner image by bringing the magnetic brush in contact with the organic photoreceptor at a developing section while the developing sleeve is rotated in a direction counter to the rotating direction of the organic photoreceptor at the developing section; wherein the toner contains toner particles having a particle diameter of 0.7×(Dp50) or less in an amount of 8 number % or less and has a water content of 0.1 to 2.0 mass % under an environment of 30° C. and 80% RH, where Dp50 represents 50% number particle diameter of the toner particles in a number distribution, and the carrier is a resin-coated carrier composed of magnetic particles which have a 50% volume particle diameter of 15 to 100 μm and are covered with resin, wherein the organic photoreceptor comprises a conductive support, an intermediate layer including 100 to 200 parts by volume of N-type semiconductor particles having a number average primary particle diameter of 3 to 200 nm to 100 parts by volume of binder resin, a charge generating layer including 20 to 600 weight parts of a charge generating material to 100 weight parts of a binder resin, and a charge transporting layer including 50 to 200 weight parts of a charge transporting material to 100 weight parts of binder resin, and wherein the visualizing step is conducted on the conditions that a developing gap (Dsd) between the organic photoreceptor and the developing sleeve is 0.2 to 0.6 mm; a bent depth (Bsd) of the magnetic brush at the developing section is 0 to 0.8 mm, where the bent depth (Bsd)=the height (h) of the magnetic brush−the developing gap (DSD); a peripheral speed ratio (Vs/Vopc) of the developing sleeve and the organic photoreceptor is 1.2 to 3.0; and a developing bias includes a direct-current component Vdc of −300 to −650 V and an alternate current component Vac of 0.5 to 1.5 KV.