Brilliant developer, developer container, developing device, image forming apparatus, and method of producing developer
A brilliant developer contains a metallic pigment containing pigment particles, a binder resin, and an external additive. A percentage of the pigment particles not less than 2 μm and not more than 4 μm in a volume particle size distribution of a residue separated from a mixture obtained by dissolving the brilliant developer in tetrahydrofuran after removing the external additive from the brilliant developer is not less than 21.5% and not more than 25.3%.
1. A brilliant developer comprising:
a metallic pigment containing pigment particles;
a binder resin; and
an external additive,
wherein a percentage of the pigment particles not less than 2 μm and not more than 4 μm in a volume particle size distribution of a residue separated from a mixture obtained by dissolving the brilliant developer in tetrahydrofuran after removing the external additive from the brilliant developer is not less than 21.5% and not more than 25.3%.
2. The brilliant developer of claim 1 , wherein the residue has a volume average particle size of not less than 5 μm and not more than 20 μm.
3. The brilliant developer of claim 1 , wherein
the pigment particles are flat-plate-shaped brilliant pigment particles, and
the residue has a volume average particle size of not less than 5.44 μm and not more than 6.15 μm.
4. A developer container containing the brilliant developer of claim 1 .
5. A developing device comprising:
a photoreceptor on which a latent image is formed by illumination; and
a developer carrier that develops the latent image by supplying the brilliant developer of claim 1 .
6. An image forming apparatus comprising:
the developing device of claim 5 ; and
a fixing unit that fixes a developer image formed by the developing device to a medium.
7. A method of producing a developer by using a dissolution suspension method, the method comprising:
dispersing at least a metallic pigment and a binder resin in an organic solvent to prepare a resin solution,
wherein the metallic pigment contains pigment particles, and
wherein a percentage of the pigment particles not less than 2 μm and not more than 4 μm in a volume particle size distribution of the metallic pigment is not less than 22.85% and not more than 26.62%.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the metallic pigment has a volume average particle size of not less than 5 μm and not more than 20 μm.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein
the pigment particles are flat-plate-shaped brilliant pigment particles, and
the brilliant pigment particles have a volume average particle size of not less than 5.37 μm and not more than 5.80 μm.