Image forming method

An image forming method comprising the steps of:

• forming a toner layer on a recording medium, the toner layer being of a color toner containing at least a binder resin, a coloring agent, and an infrared absorbent;
• and
• fixing the toner layer by flashlight emission,
• where the relationship among the PAS level S of the color toner that is obtained by integrating an infrared PAS spectrum obtained through photoacoustic spectroscopy analysis in the range of 800 nm to 2000 nm, the melt viscosity ρ of the color toner at a reference temperature, and the energy E of the flashlight, is expressed by the following relational expression:
• 1000±ρ/E·S±5500

An image forming method for performing image forming operations using flash-fixable color toners each containing at least a binder resin, a coloring agent, and an infrared absorbent,

• said method comprising the steps of:
• carrying out development and flash fixating for a first toner;
• and
• repeating the step of development and flash fixing n-1 times for second through nth toners, thereby carrying out sequential development and sequential fixing,
• where the relationship among the PAS level SX of the toner used in an Xth step of development and flash fixing, the melt viscosity ρX of the toner at a reference temperature, and the energy EX of the flashlight, is expressed by the following relational expression:
• 4950±ρX−1/EX−1·SX−1±ρX/EX·SX±1150 and EX−1±EX

An image forming method for performing image forming operations using flash-fixable color toners each containing at least a binder resin, a coloring agent, and an infrared absorbent,

• said method comprising the steps of:
• developing a first toner;
• repeating the developing step n-1 times to develop second through nth toners, thereby forming first through nth toner layers on a recording medium;
• and
• flash-fixing the n toners at once, thereby completing sequential development and batch fixing,
• where the relationship among the PAS level SY of the toner forming a Yth toner layer counted from the recording medium side, the melt viscosity ρY of the toner at a reference temperature, and the energy E of the flashlight, is expressed by the following relational expression:
• 4000±ρY/SY·E±1000

An image forming method for performing image forming operations using flash-fixable color toners each containing at least a binder resin, a coloring agent, and an infrared absorbent,

• said method comprising the steps of:
• developing a first toner;
• repeating the developing step n-1 times to develop second through nth toners, thereby forming first through nth toner layers on a recording medium;
• and
• flash-fixing the n toners at once, thereby completing sequential development and batch fixing,
• where the relationship among the PAS level SY of the toner forming a Yth toner layer counted from the recording medium side, the melt viscosity ρY of the toner at a reference temperature, and the energy EY of the flashlight, is expressed by the following relational expression:
• 4000±ρY−1/SY−1·E±ρY/SY·E±1000 and SY−1±SY

An image forming method for performing image forming operations using flash-fixable color toners each containing at least a binder resin, a coloring agent, and an infrared absorbent,

• said method comprising the steps of:
• forming n toner layers on a recording medium;
• and
• flash-fixing the n toner layers formed on the recording medium, where the PAS level SZ of the toner forming a Zth toner layer counted from the recording medium side and the covering power CZ of the Zth toner layer image satisfy the following relational expression:
• SZ−1±SZ and CZ−1±CZ