Method of electrostatically forming visual image

A method of electrostatically forming a visual image, comprising the steps of:

• charging the surface of a rotating photoconductive drum to a uniform potential by a charging brush;
• exposing the charged surface of said photoconductive drum to a light image to form an electrostatic latent image;
• forming a visual toner image on said photoconductive drum by developing said electrostatic latent image in a developing zone with a two-component magnetic developer which is transported to said developing zone by a rotating cylindrical permanent magnet member having on the circumferential surface thereof a plurality of magnetic poles extending along the axial direction, said magnetic developer comprising a magnetic carrier having a specific volume resistance of 10.sup.5 -10.sup.10 .OMEGA..multidot.cm and a magnetic or non-magnetic toner;
• transferring said toner image to a recording sheet by means of a transfer roll having an elastic surface;
• and
• fixing the transferred toner image to said recording sheet, wherein an outer diameter (D) of said permanent magnet, a peripheral speed (Vm) of said permanent magnet member, a number, (M) of magnetic poles on a circumferential surface of said permanent magnet member, and a peripheral speed (Vp) of said photoconductive drum are selected such that (.pi.D.multidot.Vp)/(M.multidot.Vm) is less than 2 mm.