Image processing device, image forming apparatus, and image processing method

Abstract

Provided are an image processing device, an image forming apparatus and an image processing method. The image processing device includes a data acquisition unit, an instruction receiving unit, an image conversion pattern storage unit, and an image processing unit. The image conversion pattern storage unit stores a plurality of image conversion patterns having different dot thinning ratios and scaling ratios corresponding to the respective image conversion patterns, in which the image conversion patterns having smaller dot thinning ratios are mapped to greater scaling ratios. The image processing unit reads the image conversion pattern mapped to the scaling ratio designated for the n-up printing out of the image conversion pattern storage unit when the instructions to carry out the n-up printing and the toner-saving printing are received by the instruction receiving unit, and performs image processing on the image data acquired by the data acquisition unit using the image conversion pattern. According to the invention, both the n-up printing and the toner-saving printing can be carried out, and readability of character images is not lowered.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to an image processing device, an image forming device, and an image processing program, and more particularly to image processing for reducing the amount of toner used in printing. Background technique [0002] Among image forming apparatuses such as copiers and printers, there are image forming apparatuses that perform reduction as Image processing of image data to be printed. By this collective printing, it is possible to save recording paper when printing a multi-page document. In addition, there is an image forming apparatus that performs image processing for masking image data with a predetermined mask pattern (Mask Pattern), and prints the image to be printed while reducing the amount of toner used. Toner-saving Printing of images. [0003] However, in the collective printing described above, image processing is performed to reduce the image data of multiple pages to generate image data equivalent to one page, an...

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Problems solved by technology

[0003] However, in the collective printing described above, image processing is performed to reduce the image data of multiple pages to generate image data equivalent to one page, and since the image quality in the toner-saving printing described above reduces the adjustments originally required for printing the image, Therefore, if concentrated printing and toner-saving printing are performed at the same time, for example, for a text image, not only the text becomes smaller, but also the image is rough due to the above-mentioned reduction in the toner amount, and the readability of the text decreases.

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