US Patent 7727698 Image forming method

Disclosed is an image forming method comprising developing a latent electrostatic image formed on the surface of a latent electrostatic image bearing body by a developer borne and conveyed by a developer bearing body which is brought into contact with a developer layer control member to control an amount of the developer on the surface of the developer bearing body through a nonmagnetic single-component development system, wherein an acid value (SAV) of the surface of the developer and a total acid value (TAV) of the developer meet the following requirements:1<SAV/TAV≦5 and 5≦TAV≦25,and a ratio of a mass average particle size (d50, μm) of the developer to a surface roughness (Ra, μm), d50/Ra being in a range of 0.5 to 3.0 and an average spacing (Sm) between protruding peaks of the developer bearing body being in a range of 20 to 200 μm.