Toner for electrophotography

A production method of a toner comprising toner particles, each of which comprises an inner layer and an outer layer covering the inner layer, the method comprising the steps of:

• preparing a dispersion of core particles as the inner layer and,
• forming the outer layer by dividing an outer layer forming resinous particle dispersion into 2 to 8 portions and adding each of the portions discontinuously into the dispersion of core particles as the inner layer,
• wherein the toner satisfies a), b), c), d), e) and f):
• a) a cross-sectional area ratio of the outer layer to the inner layer ranges from about 0.05 to about 0.46,
• b) the thickness of the outer layer is non-uniform,
• c) the average thickness (t) taken at 5 positions of the outer layer ranges from about 0.2 to about 1.0 μm, and is calculated according to the formula t=(t1+t2+t3+t4+t5)/5 (unit of t1-t5 is μm) wherein t1 represents a thickness of the thickest part of the outer layer, and t2-t5 represent a thickness of a second to a fifth thickest part of the outer layer in one particle, respectively,
• d) a glass transition point Tg of the inner layer ranges from about 2 to about 45° C. lower than a glass transition point Tg of the outer layer,
• e) the inner layer comprises a core particle having an average value of circularity ranging from 0.903 to 0.954, which is calculated by averaging the circularity of at least 2000 core particles having a particle diameter of at least 1 μm, wherein the circularity of a core particle=(peripheral length of equivalent circle)/(peripheral length of projected image of core particle)=2π×(projected area of particle/π)1/2/(peripheral length of projected image of core particle), and
• f) the toner exhibits an average value of circularity ranging from 0.954 to about 0.992, which is calculated by averaging the circularity of at least 2000 toner particles having a particle diameter of at least 1 μm, wherein the circularity of a toner particle=(peripheral length of equivalent circle)/(peripheral length of projected image of toner particle)=2π×(projected area of particle/π)1/2/(peripheral length of projected image of toner particle).