Toner, image forming apparatus, image forming method, and toner stored unit

A toner stored unit, comprising

• a toner,
• wherein the toner stored unit stores the toner,
• wherein the toner comprises a binder resin comprising a polyester resin,
• wherein an alcohol component constituting the polyester resin comprises a bisphenol A component,
• wherein the toner has a peak ratio W/R of from 0.20 to 0.70 when measured according to a Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopic analysis (FT-IR) method according to an Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) method, where the peak ratio W/R is a ratio of a height W of a maximum spectral peak attributed to a bisphenol A skeleton of the toner and observed at from 1,480 cm−1 to 1,520 cm−1 to a height R of a maximum spectral peak attributed to a carbonyl group of the toner and observed at from 1,700 cm−1 to 1,750 cm−1,
• wherein a molecular weight distribution of the toner obtained by Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) of a tetrahydrofuran (THF)-soluble component of the toner has a main peak in a range of from 1,000 to 10,000, and a half value width of the molecular weight distribution is a molecular weight of 20,000 or less, and
• wherein a content of a THF-insoluble component in the toner is from 5% by mass to 40% by mass.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• an electrostatic latent image bearer;
• a charging unit configured to electrically charge the electrostatic latent image bearer;
• an electrostatic latent image forming unit configured to form an electrostatic latent image over the electrically charged electrostatic latent image bearer;
• a developing unit configured to develop the electrostatic latent image formed over the electrostatic latent image bearer with a toner to form a toner image;
• a transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image formed over the electrostatic latent image bearer onto a recording medium;
• and
• a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image transferred onto the recording medium,
• wherein the toner comprises a binder resin comprising a polyester resin,
• wherein an alcohol component constituting the polyester resin comprises a bisphenol A component,
• wherein the toner has a peak ratio W/R of from 0.20 to 0.70 when measured according to a Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopic analysis (FT-IR) method according to an Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) method, where the peak ratio W/R is a ratio of a height W of a maximum spectral peak attributed to a bisphenol A skeleton of the toner and observed at from 1,480 cm−1 to 1,520 cm−1 to a height R of a maximum spectral peak attributed to a carbonyl group of the toner and observed at from 1,700 cm−1 to 1,750 cm−1,
• wherein a molecular weight distribution of the toner obtained by Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) of a tetrahydrofuran (THF)-soluble component of the toner has a main peak in a range of from 1,000 to 10,000, and a half value width of the molecular weight distribution is a molecular weight of 20,000 or less, and
• wherein a content of a THF-insoluble component in the toner is from 5% by mass to 40% by mass.