Patent ID: 7029815

Claim:
An image forming method comprising steps of: forming a latent image on a latent image retaining body; developing the latent image on the latent image retaining body using a liquid developer, the liquid developer comprising an electrically insulating solvent and a plurality of toner particles, each comprising a resin particle non-soluble in the electrically insulating solvent and colorant particles, the toner particles comprising a surface portion and an inside portion, a first density of the colorant particles per unit volume of the resin particle at the surface portion being larger than a second density of the colorant particles per unit volume of the resin particle at the inside portion, and transferring an image developed on the latent image retaining body to an intermediate transfer body by applying a shear pressure to an image developed on the latent image retaining body, wherein a coverage rate of the surface of the resin particle by the colorant particles is 3.5% or more.