Image-forming apparatus containing electrophotographic system and image-forming method

An image-forming method, which transfers a toner image formed on an image-supporting member onto a recording medium to form an image thereon, comprising the steps of:

• forming a toner pattern on a peripheral face of the image-supporting member having at least one thin-film layer on the peripheral face thereof;
• applying light having a light-emission main wavelength λ, to the peripheral face of the image-supporting member;
• receiving reflected light of the applied light from the image-supporting member;
• and
• carrying out image-stabilizing control, which sets toner image forming conditions based upon the intensity of the reflected light thus received,
• wherein a reflectance function R(d) that indicates the relationship between a reflectance R of the peripheral face of the image-supporting member to light having a light-emission main wavelength λ, and a thickness d (nm) of an outermost surface thin-film layer of the image-supporting member is allowed to satisfy the following conditional expression:
• R(d)≧0.75×{Rmax(d)−Rmin(d)}+Rmin(d)
• in which, d is set in a range of 0<d<1000 nm;
• Rmax (d) is a maximum value that the reflectance function R(d) is allowed to have;
• and
• Rmin (d) is a minimum value that the reflectance function R(d) is allowed to have.