To provide an image forming apparatus and an image forming method by which stable high image quality is attained over time by improving carrier adhesion, surface roughness and edge effect which become problems in the case of using a small-particle-diameter polymerized toner and carrier, surface stain in the case of a small image area due to additive embedding, and shortening of the lifetime of a developer due to scraping of a carrier film.

In the image forming apparatus in which a polymerized toner having a volume average particle diameter of 5.5-7 μm and a carrier having an average particle diameter of 20-40 μm are used, a saturation magnetization of the carrier is ≥70 emu/g, a gap (Gp) between a photoreceptor 8 and a sleeve 7 is ≤0.4 mm, a frequency of an alternating electric field of a developing bias is ≥5.4 kHz, and a peak-to-peak voltage of the alternating electric field of the developing bias is ≤900 V, hydrophobic silica having a particle diameter of ≥100 nm added to the toner in an amount of ≥0.5 wt.% is used.