An image forming method, includes: forming a latent electrostatic image on
a latent electrostatic image carrier; developing the latent electrostatic
image with a toner to thereby form a visible image; transferring the
visible image to a recording medium; and fixing the image transferred to
the recording medium. The latent electrostatic image carrier includes: a
support, a photoconductive layer on the support, and a surface protective
layer on the support. The surface protective layer includes a reactant
made by cross-linking the following: an electric charge transporting
material which comprises a reactive functional group, a cross-linking
resin, and a fluorine surfactant. The toner comprises an inorganic fine
particle which defines an effective inorganic fine particle amount in a
range of 0.8% by mass to 3.0% by mass calculated from the following
equation (1):.times..times..times..times..times..times..times..times..tim-
es..times..times..times..times..times..times..times. ##EQU00001## where
SF-2 denotes a shape factor of the toner.