A developer station and method for an electrographic printer is provided that reduces developer agitation. The developer station includes a sump of magnetic developer, and a magnetic brush roller mounted above sump and having a rotatable magnetic core surrounded by a substantially cylindrical toning shell rotatably mounted with respect to the core. The toning shell defines a nip at its closest point to the photoconductor element. A tangent line tangent to the cylindrical toning shell at the nip is oriented substantially vertically, and the magnetic developer is applied to the toning shell at an angular distance of no more than about 120° from the nip. The toning shell may be eccentrically mounted with respect to the magnetic core and is substantially closest to the rotatable magnetic core within about +30° and −30° from the nip. Such a configuration advantageously reduces the residence time of the developer on the toning shell.