Toner set for electrostatic image development, image forming method and image forming apparatus

1. A toner set for electrostatic image development, comprising:

at least one colored toner comprising a coloring agent and a first noncrystalline polyester resin as a first binder resin; and

a transparent toner comprising mother particles, a coloring agent in an amount of 0 to 1 wt. % based on a weight of the transparent toner, and a crystalline polyester resin and a second noncrystalline polyester resin as a second binder resin,

wherein

a content of the crystalline polyester resin in the transparent toner is from about 2 to about 10 wt. % based on the weight of the crystalline polyester resin and the second noncrystalline polyester resin of the second hinder resin,

a proportion of particles in the mother particles of the transparent toner having a shape factor of 0.94 or less is about 5% by number or less based on particles having a particle diameter of 7.5 to 15 μm,

a reflectance of the mother particles of the transparent toner is about 90% or more for light at a wavelength of 700 nm, and

a volume average particle diameter D 50v of the transparent toner is 3.0 μm to 9.0 μm.

2. The toner set according to claim 1 , wherein a shape factor of the mother particles of the transparent toner as a whole is from about 0.950 to about 0.975.

3. The toner set according to claim 1 , wherein the reflectance of the mother particles of the transparent toner is about 93% or more for light at a wavelength of 700 nm.

4. The toner set according to claim 1 , wherein a crystal melting temperature Tm of the crystalline polyester resin is from about 50 to about 100° C.

5. The toner set according to claim 1 , wherein a weight average molecular weight of the crystalline polyester resin is from about 10,000 to about 60,000.

6. The toner set according to claim 1 , wherein an amount of a monomer unit derived from a polyvalent carboxylic acid having a sulfonic acid group in the crystalline polyester resin contained in the transparent toner is (a) mol %, a ratio of the crystalline polyester resin to the total amount of the crystalline polyester resin and the second noncrystalline polyester resin in the transparent toner is (b), and (a)×(b) is about 4 mol % or less.

7. The toner set according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first noncrystalline polyester resin and the second noncrystalline polyester resin contains a noncrystalline polyester resin polymerized using a polycondensable monomer having an aromatic group.

8. The toner set according to claim 1 , wherein the second noncrystalline polyester resin contained in the transparent toner contains a noncrystalline polyester resin polymerized using a polycondensable monomer having an aromatic group.

9. The toner set according to claim 8 , wherein the polycondensable monomer having an aromatic group has a bisphenol A structure.

10. The toner set according to claim 1 , wherein a glass transition temperature of the first noncrystalline polyester resin contained in the colored toner is Tg(A) a glass transition temperature of the second noncrystalline polyester resin contained in the transparent toner is Tg(B), and Tg(B)−Tg(A)≧2° C.

11. The toner set according to claim 1 , wherein the colored toner contains a yellow toner, a magenta toner and a cyan toner.

12. The toner set according to claim 1 , wherein each of the colored toner and the transparent toner independently contains a release agent.

13. The toner set according to claim 12 , wherein an amount of the release agent added is from about 1 to about 20 wt % based on the total amount of each of the transparent toner and the colored toner.

14. The toner set according to claim 1 , wherein a content of the crystalline polyester resin in the transparent toner is from about 2 to about 8 wt. % based on the weight of the crystalline polyester resin and the second noncrystalline polyester resin of the second binder resin.

15. The toner set according to claim 1 , wherein a content of the crystalline polyester resin in the transparent toner is from about 2 to about 6 wt. % based on the weight of the crystalline polyester resin and the second noncrystalline polyester resin of the second binder resin.

16. The toner set according to claim 1 , wherein the volume average particle diameter D 50v of the transparent toner is 3.0 μm to 8.0 μm.

17. The toner set according to claim 1 , wherein the volume average particle diameter D 50v of the transparent toner is 3.0 μm to 7.0 μm.

18. An image forming method, comprising:

forming an electrostatic latent image on a latent image holding member;

developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the latent image holding member by using the toner set for electrostatic image development according to claim 1 held on a developer holding member to form a toner image;

transferring the toner image formed on the latent image holding member onto a transfer-receiving material; and

fixing the toner image transferred onto the transfer-receiving material.

19. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a latent image holding member;

a charging unit that electrically charges the latent image holding member;

an exposure unit that exposes the electrically charged latent image holding member to form an electrostatic latent image on the latent image holding member;

a developing unit comprising the toner set according to claim 1 that develops the electrostatic latent image with the toner set to form a toner image;

a transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto a transfer-receiving material from the latent image holding member; and

a fixing unit that fixes the toner image.

20. The image forming apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein the transfer unit includes a primary transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto an intermediate transfer material and a secondary transfer unit that transfers the toner image transferred onto the intermediate transfer material, onto a recording medium.