A process of forming an image includes the steps of: developing an electrostatic latent image with a toner, the latent image being formed through charge of the surface of an electrostatic latent image carrier and exposure of the surface to light; and applying a lubricant onto the surface of the electrostatic latent image carrier. The toner includes a toner matrix particle and an external additive nanoparticle. The external additive nanoparticle comprises a silica-polymer composite nanoparticle. A percentage of atomic silicon present on the surface of the silica-polymer composite nanoparticle satisfies Condition A expressed by Expression: 15.0 atm %≦percentage of atomic silicon ({Si/(C+O+Si)}×100)≦30.0 atm %. The percentage of atomic silicon is determined from total amounts of atomic carbon, oxygen, and silicon present on the topmost surface of the silica-polymer composite nanoparticle and within 3 nm inwards from the topmost surface.

A block copolymer includes a crystalline polyester block and an amorphous polyalkylsiloxane block, the block copolymer exhibiting baroplastic behavior. The block copolymer is used in a cold pressure fix toner. A method of making a block copolymer including a crystalline polyester block and an amorphous polyalkylsiloxane block includes heating a mixture of a diacid, a diol, and a carbinol-terminated poly(alkylsiloxane).

Provided is a toner, including toner particle having surface layer, in which: the surface layer includes organosilicon polymer which has a partial structure represented by formula (1); in .sup.29Si-NMR measurement of tetrahydrofuran-insoluble matter of toner particle, a ratio of a peak area for the partial structure represented by formula (1) to a total peak area for the organosilicon polymer is 5.0% or more; in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis of a surface of toner particle, a ratio of a density of a silicon atom dSi in the surface of toner particle is 1.0 to 28.6 atom %; and in a roughness curve of toner particle measured by using a scanning probe microscope: an arithmetic average roughness Ra is 10 to 300 nm; σRa/Ra is 0.60 or less; an average length RSm of a roughness curve element is 20 to 500 nm; and σRSm/RSm is 0.60 or less.

An external additive for a toner includes: a particulate of a polymerization product of at least one silicon compound selected from a silane compound represented by Chemical Formula 1: Si(OR.sup.1).sub.4 (wherein R.sup.1 is a C1 to C6 monovalent hydrocarbon group) and a hydrolysis-condensation product thereof. The particulate has the following properties: a number average particle diameter of about 50 nm to about 250 nm, a first specific surface area (a) measured by a gas adsorption method of about 13 m.sup.2/g to about 80 m.sup.2/g, and true density measured by a nominal volume expansion method of about 1.9 g/cm.sup.3 to about 2.1 g/cm.sup.3.

Provided is a toner that is excellent in development durability and has excellent solid followability even when the amount of the toner in a toner cartridge is small. The toner includes toner particles each having a surface layer containing an organosilicon polymer, in which: the organosilicon polymer includes a siloxane-based polymer having partial structures represented by the following formulae (1) and (2); and in a chart obtained by .sup.29Si-NMR measurement of a tetrahydrofuran-insoluble matter of the toner particles, an area RT3 of a peak assigned to the partial structure represented by the following formula (1) and an area RfT3 of a peak assigned to the partial structure represented by the following formula (2) satisfy the following formula (3).

0.300>(RfT3/RT3)≧0.010  (3)

R—SiO.sub.3/2  (1)

Rf—SiO.sub.3/2  (2)

A toner comprising a toner particle comprising a resin A, and an external additive A, wherein the resin A is a resin represented by formula (1) below, the resin A is present at the surface of the toner particle, the external additive A is a fine particle containing silicon, the average value of the shape factor SF-1 of the external additive A is from 105 to 120, the average value of the shape factor SF-2 of the external additive A is from 100 to 130.

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Toner contains toner base particles and an organosilicon polymer on the surface of the toner base particles, and silica particles are added to the toner as an external additive. The surface roughness Rz of an intermediate transfer belt, against which a blade abuts, in the width direction of the intermediate transfer belt perpendicular to the belt conveying direction is larger than the average particle diameter Ry of the organosilicon polymer and is smaller than the average particle diameter Rk of the silica particles.

Toner contains toner base particles and an organosilicon polymer on the surface of the toner base particles. After a toner image is transferred from an intermediate transfer belt to a transfer material, residual toner on the intermediate transfer belt is collected into a belt cleaning device by a blade. A CPU executes supply control of supplying toner from a developing device toward the blade via a photosensitive drum and via the intermediate transfer belt on the basis of the counter accumulated value that correlates with the amount of organosilicon polymer adhering to the blade.

A toner includes toner particles. The toner particles each include a toner mother particle and an external additive attached to the surface of the toner mother particle. The external additive includes specific resin particles. The specific resin particles contains a specific resin having an alkoxysilyl group. The specific resin may include a first repeating unit derived from a specific monomer having the alkoxysilyl group and a (meth)acryloyl group.

Herein is described a method of providing a printed label. The method comprises: providing a printed label substrate having disposed thereon an electrostatically printed ink; applying a radiation curable overcoat composition to the printed ink, wherein the radiation curable overcoat composition comprises: radiation curable monomers and/or oligomers; a photoinitiator; and an organosilane having at least one hydrolysable group. Printed labels and an ink and overcoat set are also described herein.