Patent ID: 8722302

Claim:
A method for producing a liquid developer by a coacervation method comprising steps of: preparing a mixed solution by mixing a pigment, a pigment dispersant so as to disperse the pigment in the mixed solution, an acid group-containing resin, a binder resin, an organic solvent, a particle dispersant, and an insulating hydrocarbon dispersion medium, wherein the step of preparing the mixed solution comprises: a step of preparing a pigment dispersion by mixing the pigment, the pigment dispersant, and a portion of the organic solvent, a step of preparing a pre-mixed solution by adding the binder resin, the acid group-containing resin, and a remaining portion of the organic solvent, to the pigment dispersion, and a step of obtaining the mixed solution by adding the particle dispersant to the pre-mixed solution and stirring a mixture of the particle dispersant and the pre-mixed solution, wherein the insulating hydrocarbon dispersion medium is present in the mixture; and removing the organic solvent from the mixed solution, so that colored resin particles precipitate and the particle dispersant disperses the colored resin particles in the insulating hydrocarbon dispersion medium, wherein the colored resin particle is a particle encapsulating the pigment in the acid group-containing resin, and the particle dispersant is a reaction product of a polyamine compound and a self-condensation product of a hydroxycarboxylic acid.