Patent ID: 7830555
Filing Date: 2010-11-09
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image formation apparatus comprising: a visible image data generation portion that acquires content data of a print object and generating image data of a visible image containing the content; an invisible image data generation portion that generates image data of a code image describing predetermined code information, the code image being an invisible image that can be hardly recognized by eyes of a human being; a print image data generation portion that generates print image data by superposing the invisible image data onto the visible image data, a part of the invisible image data being changed to be printed as a visible image; and a colorant remaining amount monitor portion that monitors the remaining amount of a colorant in an image formation unit, the colorant including a colorant for the visible image and a colorant for the invisible image, wherein if the remaining amount of the colorant for the invisible image detected by the colorant remaining amount monitor portion becomes equal to or less than a given amount, said print image data generation portion does not superpose the invisible image data onto the visible image data and adopts the visible image data intact as the print image data.