Patent ID: 6501556
Filing Date: 2002-12-31
Classification: G06K,H04N

Abstract:
An image forming apparatus comprising:a first storage for storing image data; an image data minifying device for converting the image data stored in the first storage into minified image data; a second storage for storing the minified image data; a plotting section for developing the image data stored in the first storage or the minified image data stored in the second storage into a plotting pattern; a third storage for storing the plotting pattern; an output section for processing the plotting pattern stored in the third storage into a visible image on a recording medium and outputting the recording medium; a mode setting device for setting an operational mode of the image forming apparatus, the mode setting device switching the operational mode between a normal mode and a trial output mode, wherein in the normal mode, input image data for a plurality of pages are processed into images on the plurality of pages of the recording medium, while in the trial output mode, the input image data is processed into minified images on fewer pages of the recording medium for trial output such that a user can check an output result to be obtained in the normal mode beforehand; and a blank page detector for detecting a blank page with no image data from the input image data, wherein in the trial output mode, an image corresponding to the blank page detected by the blank page detector is not formed on the recording medium.