Electrophotographic toner and method for producing the electrophotographic toner

An apparatus for forming electrophotographic image, which uses:

• an electrophotographic toner, produced by spray-drying a toner ingredient-containing liquid,
• wherein the toner ingredient-containing liquid dissolves or disperses at least a resin, a low molecular mass organic material, and a colorant in an organic solvent,
• the resin is soluble in the organic solvent, the low molecular mass organic material is a crystalline compound or a composition of crystalline compounds that is soluble in the organic solvent, the toner ingredient-containing liquid contains substantially no particles having a particle diameter of 500 nm or more, the crystalline compound or the composition of crystalline compounds crystallizes upon the spray-drying to deform toner particles into a circularity of 0.93 or higher to 0.98 or less, and volume average particle diameter of the toner particles is 3.0 μm or higher to less than 7.0 μm, or
• an electrophotographic toner, obtained by the method for producing electrophotographic toner comprising spray-drying a toner ingredient-containing liquid,
• wherein the toner ingredient-containing liquid dissolves or disperses at least a resin, a low molecular mass organic material, and a colorant in an organic solvent,
• the resin is soluble in the organic solvent, the low molecular mass organic material is a crystalline compound or a composition of crystalline compounds that is soluble in the organic solvent, the toner ingredient-containing liquid contains substantially no particles having a particle diameter of 500 nm or more, the crystalline compound or the composition of crystalline compounds crystallizes upon the spray-drying to deform toner particles into a circularity of 0.93 or higher to 0.98 or less, and volume average particle diameter of the toner particles is 3.0 μm or higher to less than 7.0 μm.