An image forming method includes forming an electrostatic latent image on an electrostatic latent image bearer, developing the electrostatic image with a toner to form a visible image, transferring the visible image onto a recording medium, and fixing the transferred visible image on the recording medium. The toner includes toner base particles each including a binder resin, a release agent, and particles of an inorganic antibacterial antiviral agent, and satisfies conditions (1) to (3) below. The image forming method satisfies a relationship of 2.0X (micrometers)Z2.5X (micrometers). Conditions (1) the number average particle diameter X of the particles of the inorganic antibacterial antiviral agent is 1.5 (micrometers)X2.5 (micrometers), (2) 3X (micrometers)Y4X (micrometers), and (3) an amount of the inorganic antibacterial antiviral agent in the toner is 2.8% by mass or greater, but 5.0% by mass or less.

A toner including toner particles and an external additive adherent to a surface of the toner particles has the following configuration. The toner particles contain an amorphous polyester resin, a crystalline polyester resin, a release agent, and a first fatty acid metal salt. The first fatty acid metal salt includes a trivalent or higher metal ion. The first fatty acid metal salt in the toner particles has an average dispersion size of 50 nm or more and 500 nm or less. The external additive contains a second fatty acid metal salt.

The electrophotographic apparatus includes: an electrophotographic photosensitive member; a charging unit configured to charge a surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member; an image exposing unit configured to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member; a developing unit configured to form a toner image on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member; a transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image from the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member onto a transfer material; and a cleaning unit configured to remove a residual toner remaining on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member. The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a surface layer containing a compound represented by the formula (A), a binder resin, and silicon atom-containing particles. The silicon atom-containing particles are one of silica particles or silicone resin particles. The toner includes toner particles each containing a polyester resin having a polyethylene terephthalate segment.

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