Image processing apparatus for paper-carving art

An image processing apparatus includes a detecting portion, a correspondence setting portion, a piling order determining portion, and a print data generating portion. The detecting portion detects color information based on image data. The correspondence setting portion determines respective colors of a plurality of paper sheets to be used in creation of a material M based on the color information, and associates the determined colors with respective section image regions which are made by the read image being sectioned based on the color information. The piling order determining portion determines a piling order of paper sheets having those colors. The print data generating portion generates print data of an image that includes cutting lines for each of paper sheets composing the material M1. A control portion causes an image forming portion to form line images indicating the cutting lines based on the print data in accordance with the piling order.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the corresponding Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-037487 filed on Feb. 27, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to an image processing apparatus that automatically performs a part of operations in creation of a piece of work which is three-dimensionally expressed in the thickness direction of a material in the field of art where each paper sheet of the material made by a plurality of kinds of paper sheets having different colors and/or densities being piled in a form of a stack is partially cut out in accordance with a design or a picture.

In the fields of fine arts and hobbies, there has been proposed an art of making a three-dimensional colorful piece of work by partially cutting out, in accordance with a design or a picture, each paper sheet of a material made by a plurality of kinds of paper sheets having different colors and/or densities being piled. This kind of art is called paper-carving art, and will be referred to as paper-carving art herein. The paper-carving art is performed in the following procedure. First, a creator of such paper carving art selects a draft from among drafts prepared in advance, or draws a desired picture pattern on a paper sheet himself/herself. Next, the creator decides colors for respective parts in the picture pattern, prepares paper sheets that correspond to the colors, decides the order in which the respective parts are to be cut out, and piles paper sheets or drafts in the piling order corresponding to the cutting-out order, to create a material. Then, in accordance with the cutting-out order, the creator cuts out the piled paper sheets with a cutter or the like along cutting lines drawn on each paper sheet of the material.

SUMMARY

An image processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an image processing apparatus configured to create a material in a form of a stack made by a plurality of paper sheets being piled so as to be used in production of a piece of work, the piece of work being made by each of the plurality of paper sheets being cut out along cutting lines formed thereon. The image processing apparatus includes a detecting portion, a correspondence setting portion, a piling order determining portion, and a print data generating portion. The detecting portion detects, based on obtained image data, at least one of color information and density information included in the image data. The correspondence setting portion sets correspondence between each of a plurality of section image regions which are made by an image, indicated by the image data, being sectioned based on the information detected by the detecting portion, and either one or both of a color and a density of each of a plurality of paper sheets to be used in creation of the material. The piling order determining portion determines, based on a condition defined in advance, a piling order for a case where paper sheets having either one or both of the colors and the densities whose correspondence with the respective section image regions has been set by the correspondence setting portion are to be used in the material. The print data generating portion generates, for each paper sheet to be used in the material, print data that includes line images indicating cutting lines in accordance with the piling order defined based on borders of the respective section image regions and determined by the piling order determining portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described below are merely specific examples of the present disclosure, and do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure. First, a schematic structure of an image processing apparatus1according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference toFIG. 1.

The image processing apparatus1is a multifunction peripheral having an image reading function, a facsimile function, an image forming function, and the like. As shown inFIG. 1, the image processing apparatus1includes an image reading portion2, a document sheet cover3, an automatic document sheet feeder4(hereinafter, referred to as ADF4), an image forming portion5, and sheet feed cassettes7. In the following, as one example of an image processing apparatus according to the present disclosure, the image processing apparatus1being a multifunction peripheral will be described. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, a printer, a facsimile device, a copying machine, or a scanner device also corresponds to the image processing apparatus according to the present disclosure.

The image reading portion2executes an image reading process of reading image data from a document sheet. As shown inFIG. 1, the image reading portion2includes a contact glass10, a reading unit11, mirrors12and13, an optical lens14, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device)15, and the like.

The reading unit11includes an LED light source16and a mirror17, and is configured to be movable in a secondary scanning direction18(left-right direction inFIG. 1) by a moving mechanism (not shown) using a drive motor such as a stepping motor. When the reading unit11is moved in the secondary scanning direction18by the drive motor, light emitted from the LED light source16toward the contact glass10provided on the top surface of the image reading portion2scans in the secondary scanning direction18.

When light is applied from the LED light source16, the mirror17reflects, toward the mirror12, light reflected by a document sheet or the reverse surface of the document sheet cover3. The light reflected by the mirror17is guided to the optical lens14by the mirror12and the mirror13. The optical lens14collects the light incident thereon, to be incident on the CCD15.

The CCD15is a photoelectric converter that converts the received light to an electric signal (voltage) according to the amount of the received light (intensity of brightness), to output the electric signal to a control portion9(seeFIG. 2). The control portion9generates image data of the document sheet by subjecting the electric signal from the CCD15to image processing. In the present embodiment, an exemplary case where the CCD15is used as an imaging device is described. However, instead of the reading mechanism using the CCD15, a reading mechanism that uses a contact image sensor (CIS) having a focal length shorter than that of the CCD15may be used.

To the image reading portion2, the document sheet cover3is pivotably provided. By the document sheet cover3being operated to pivot, the contact glass10on the top surface of the image reading portion2is opened or closed. In a pivoting support portion of the document sheet cover3, a cover-opening detection sensor (not shown) such as a limit switch is provided. When a user opens the document sheet cover3such that an image of a document sheet is read, the cover-opening detection sensor is actuated to output a detection signal (cover-opening detection signal) to the control portion9.

The image reading portion2reads an image of a document sheet in the following procedure. First, the document sheet is placed on the contact glass10, and the document sheet cover3is then caused to be in a closed position. Thereafter, when an image reading instruction is inputted through an operation display portion6(seeFIG. 2), one line of light is sequentially applied continuously from the LED light source16while the reading unit11is being moved rightward in the secondary scanning direction18. Light reflected by the document sheet or the reverse surface of the document sheet cover3is guided to the CCD15via the mirrors17,12, and13, and the optical lens14, and light amount data based on the amount of light received by the CCD15is sequentially outputted to the control portion9. When light amount data for the entirety of the region to which light has been applied is obtained, the control portion9processes the light amount data, to generate image information of the document sheet based on the light amount data.

The CCD15includes a plurality of pixels. The control portion9generates clock signals such as, for example, a timing signal for integration start/end (exposure start/end), a reading control signal (horizontal synchronization signal, vertical synchronization signal, transfer signal, and the like) for a received light signal of each pixel, and outputs these signals to the CCD15, thereby to control outputting operation of a pixel signal by each pixel.

The ADF4is provided in the document sheet cover3. The ADF4sequentially conveys one or more document sheets set on a document sheet set portion19, by means of a plurality of conveying rollers, and moves the document sheet rightward in the secondary scanning direction18through an automatic document sheet reading position defined on the contact glass10. When the document sheet is moved by the ADF4, the reading unit11is positioned below the automatic document sheet reading position, and an image of the document sheet being moved is read by the reading unit11at this position.

The image forming portion5executes an image forming process (printing process) by electrophotography according to image information read by the image reading portion2or a printing job inputted from an external information processing apparatus such as a personal computer. Specifically, the image forming portion5includes a photosensitive drum20, a charging portion21, a developing portion22, a toner container23, a transfer roller24, an electricity removing portion25, a fixing roller26, a pressure roller27, and the like. In the present embodiment, the image forming portion5using electrophotography is illustrated. However, the image forming portion5is not limited to an image forming portion using electrophotography, and may be an image forming portion using an inkjet recording mode, or an image forming portion using another recording mode or printing mode.

In the image forming portion5, an image forming process on a print sheet fed by the sheet feed cassette7is performed in the following procedure. First, when a printing job including a print instruction is inputted, the photosensitive drum20is uniformly charged at a predetermined potential by the charging portion21. Subsequently, light based on image information included in the printing job is applied to the surface of the photosensitive drum20by a laser scanning unit (not shown). Thus, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum20. The electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum20is developed (visualized) into a toner image by the developing portion22. Toner (developer) is additionally supplied to the developing portion22from the toner container23. Subsequently, the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum20is transferred to the print sheet by the transfer roller24. Thereafter, the toner image having been transferred to the print sheet is heated and fused by the fixing roller26, to be fixed onto the print sheet, when the print sheet passes between the fixing roller26and the pressure roller27and is discharged. Potential of the photosensitive drum20is removed by the electricity removing portion25.

The paper sheet having been subjected to the fixing process by the fixing roller26and the pressure roller27is discharged on a discharge tray45by a discharge roller pair28. In the present embodiment, when printing is continuously performed on a plurality of paper sheets, the paper sheets are piled in order from the bottom, with their printed surfaces facing upward.

As shown inFIG. 2, a communication I/F portion8is an interface configured to perform data communication with an external device such as a computer connected to the image processing apparatus1via a communication network such as the Internet or a LAN. A storage portion40is formed by a storage portion such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or the like. In the present embodiment, in the storage portion40, paper sheet information is stored in advance. In the present embodiment, the paper sheet information is information of a plurality of kinds of paper sheets of different colors provided in the image processing apparatus1. For example, when paper sheets of colors “blue”, “brown”, “green”, “red”, “yellow”, “white”, “black”, and “purple” are provided in the image processing apparatus1, information of the paper sheets of these colors is the paper sheet information.

The operation display portion6includes a display portion29and an operation portion30. The display portion29is formed by a color liquid crystal display, for example, and displays various kinds of information for the user who operates the operation display portion6. The operation portion30is formed by various kinds of press button keys disposed adjacent to the display portion29, a touch panel sensor disposed on the display screen of the display portion29, and the like. To the operation portion30, various kinds of instructions are inputted by the user of the image processing apparatus1. When the user performs an operation on the operation display portion6in order to cause an image reading operation or an image forming operation to be executed, an operation signal caused by that operation is outputted from the operation display portion6to the control portion9.

The control portion9includes a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor configured to execute various kinds of calculation processes. The ROM is a nonvolatile storage portion in which information such as a control program for causing the CPU to execute various kinds of processes is stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile storage portion to be used as a temporary storage memory (work area) for various kinds of processes executed by the CPU. By the CPU executing programs stored in the ROM, the control portion9controls operations of the respective portions.

In the fields of fine arts and hobbies, there has been proposed a so-called paper-carving art of making a three-dimensional colorful piece of work by partially cutting out, in accordance with a design or a picture, each paper sheet of a material M1(seeFIG. 3) made by a plurality of kinds of paper sheets having different colors and/or densities being piled. In the paper-carving art, first, a creator selects a draft from among drafts prepared in advance, or draws a desired picture pattern on a paper sheet himself/herself. Next, the creator decides colors for respective parts in the picture pattern, prepares paper sheets that correspond to the colors, decides the order in which the respective parts are to be cut out, and piles paper sheets or drafts in the piling order corresponding to that cutting-out order, to create the material M1. Then, in accordance with the cutting-out order, the creator cuts out the piled paper sheets with a cutter or the like along cutting lines drawn on each paper sheet of the material M1.

However, conventionally, the creator has no other choice than to select a draft from drafts prepared in advance, or to draw a desired picture pattern on a paper sheet himself/herself. When the creator selects a draft from among drafts prepared in advance, the degree of freedom for selecting a picture pattern is low. When the creator draws a desired picture pattern on a paper sheet himself/herself, it takes the creator a lot of effort and time in creating the material. Thus, in order to contribute to making the paper-carving art easily enjoyable for the user, the image processing apparatus1has the following configuration.

The image processing apparatus1has a function of creating a material in a form of a stack made by a plurality of paper sheets being piled so as to be used in production of a piece of work, the piece of work being made by each of the plurality of paper sheets being cut out along cutting lines formed thereon. Moreover, the image processing apparatus1according to the present embodiment has a function of reading a desired image and creating the material M1based on the read image. In the following description, the expression of an upper layer and a lower layer relative to paper sheets included in the material M1is on the premise that the surface of each paper sheet with cutting lines representing the draft or the picture pattern printed thereon faces upward. The printed surface side corresponds to an upper layer, and the reverse side of the printed surface corresponds to a lower layer.

By the CPU executing programs, the control portion9realizes a detecting portion91, a correspondence setting portion92, a piling order determining portion93, and a print data generating portion94as shown inFIG. 2.

Based on image data of an image read by the image reading portion2, the detecting portion91detects color information included in the image data. For example, it is assumed that the image read by the image reading portion2is a read image G1as shown inFIG. 4. It is assumed that, as shown inFIG. 5, the read image G1is composed of section image regions R1to R4which are sectioned by means of colors “light blue”, “brown”, “dark green”, and “vermilion”. At this time, based on mixing ratios of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) being three primary colors of color, the detecting portion91detects “light blue”, “brown”, “dark green”, and vermilion”.

The correspondence setting portion92sets correspondence between each of the plurality of section image regions R1to R4which are made by the read image G1, indicated by the image data read by the image reading portion2, being sectioned based on the color information detected by the detecting portion91, and the color of each of a plurality of paper sheets to be used in creation of the material M1. In the present embodiment, the correspondence setting portion92determines the colors of the plurality of paper sheets to be used in creation of the material M1, from among the colors indicated by the paper sheet information stored in the storage portion40in advance. At that time, for each of the section image regions R1to R4, the correspondence setting portion92selects, from among the paper sheets of those colors, a paper sheet having a color that is the same as or most similar to the color of that section image region. For example, it is assumed that the colors of the paper sheets set in advance in the respective sheet feed cassettes7are “blue”, “brown”, “green”, “red”, “yellow”, “white”, “black”, and “purple”. In this case, the correspondence setting portion92selects the respective colors for the plurality of paper sheets to be used in creation of the material M1, from among the colors of the paper sheets set in advance in the respective sheet feed cassettes7, and determines to use “blue” which is most similar to “light blue”, “brown”, “green” which is most similar to “dark green”, and “red”.

Then, the correspondence setting portion92sets the correspondence between the respective section image regions R1to R4and the colors determined as above. That is, in the present embodiment, the correspondence setting portion92associates the color of a section image region with a color that is the same as or most similar to the color of that section image region from among the determined colors of the paper sheets. In the case of the example described above, the correspondence setting portion92associates the section image region R1with a “blue” paper sheet whose color is most similar to “light blue”. Similarly, the correspondence setting portion92associates the section image region R2with a “brown” paper sheet, associates the section image region R3with a “green” paper sheet whose color is most similar to “dark green”, and associates the section image region R4with a “red” paper sheet whose color is most similar to “vermilion”.

After the correspondence setting portion92has associated the respective section image regions R1to R4with the kinds (colors) of paper sheets in this manner, the correspondence setting portion92stores, in the storage portion40, correspondence information indicating the correspondence among: identification information of the respective section image regions R1to R4; color information of the respective section image regions R1to R4detected by the detecting portion91; and paper sheet information indicating the kinds (colors) of paper sheets associated with the respective section image regions R1to R4, in a form of a table.

In the present embodiment, based on a condition defined in advance, the piling order determining portion93determines a piling order for the case where paper sheets having the colors whose correspondence with the respective section image regions R1to R4has been set by the correspondence setting portion92are to be used in the material. Here, in the image processing apparatus1according to the present embodiment, as described above, the paper sheets having been subjected to printing are each discharged onto the discharge tray45with their printed surfaces facing upward, to be piled in order from the bottom on the discharge tray45. Therefore, in the present embodiment, during creation of the material M1, the paper sheets are conveyed in order, starting with the paper sheet to be positioned at the lowest layer of the material M1, and then they are subjected to printing, to be discharged.

In the present embodiment, the condition defined in advance which determines the piling order of paper sheets is the order of magnitude of the distances between the center position of the read image G1and the center positions of the respective section image regions, and in this condition, the farther an image of a section image region is from the center of the read image G1, the lower the layer of the paper sheet to express that image becomes. For example, in the read image G1shown inFIG. 6, it is assumed that the distance from a center S of the read image G1to a center of gravity K1of the section image region R3is a distance D1, the distance from the center S to a center of gravity K2of the section image region R2is a distance D2, and the distance from the center S to a center of gravity K3of the section image region R4is a distance D3. In addition, it is assumed that the distances D1to D3are in a relationship of D2<D1<D3. At this time, the piling order determining portion93determines the piling order such that, from lower layers upwards, a red paper sheet corresponding to the section image region R4having the distance D3, a green paper sheet corresponding to the section image region R3having the distance D1, and a brown paper sheet corresponding to the section image region R2having the distance D2, in this order. In addition, the piling order determining portion93determines a blue paper sheet corresponding to the section image region surrounding the section image regions R2to R4, as the uppermost layer.

As described above, the correspondence setting portion92determines paper sheets having colors necessary for creating the material M1. In addition, the correspondence setting portion92determines which section image regions' images in the read image G1are expressed by such paper sheets, respectively. Moreover, the piling order determining portion93determines in what order such paper sheets are conveyed and in what order the paper sheets are to be piled. InFIG. 6, in order to clearly show the centers of gravity K1to K3and the distances D1to D3, hatching indicating the difference in colors inFIG. 4is eliminated, and the borders of the section image regions are shown with lines, instead.

The print data generating portion94generates, for each paper sheet to be used in the material M1, print data that includes line images indicating cutting lines in accordance with the piling order defined based on the borders of the respective section image regions R2to R4and determined by the piling order determining portion93. Specifically, using the border lines of the respective section image regions associated with the colors of respective paper sheets having lower positions in the piling order in the material M1to be created, than the position in the piling order of a target paper sheet whose print data is to be generated, as the cutting lines for the target paper sheet, the print data generating portion94generates print data that includes line images indicating those cutting lines. The generated print data is stored in the storage portion40until an image forming operation is performed by the image forming portion5.

For example, as shown inFIG. 7A, for a paper sheet P1to be positioned at the uppermost layer, the print data generating portion94sets, as cutting lines W1, the respective borders of the section image regions R2to R4respectively corresponding to paper sheets P2to P4to be positioned at lower layers than the layer of the paper sheet P1in the material M1to be created. Then, the print data generating portion94generates image data of the cutting lines W1as print data.

As shown inFIG. 7B, for the paper sheet P2to be positioned at the immediately lower layer than the layer of the paper sheet P1, the print data generating portion94sets, as cutting lines W2, the respective borders of the section image regions R3and R4respectively corresponding to the paper sheets P3and P4to be positioned at lower layers than the layer of the paper sheet P2in the material M1to be created. Then, the print data generating portion94generates image data of the cutting lines W2as print data.

As shown inFIG. 7C, for the paper sheet P3to be positioned at the immediately lower layer than the layer of the paper sheet P2, the print data generating portion94sets, as a cutting line W3, the border of the section image region R4corresponding to the paper sheet P4to be positioned at the lower layer than the layer of the paper sheet P3in the material M1to be created. Then, the print data generating portion94generates image data of the cutting line W3as print data.

For the paper sheet P4to be positioned at the immediately lower layer than the layer of the paper sheet P3, there is no paper sheet to be positioned in a lower layer than the layer of the paper sheet P4, and this paper sheet P4is the paper sheet at the lowest layer. Therefore, as shown inFIG. 7D, the print data generating portion94does not set any cutting line for the paper sheet P4. Accordingly, the print data generating portion94does not generate print data for the paper sheet P4.

Next, a material creation process performed by the control portion9will be described.FIG. 8is a flow chart of the material creation process. The material creation process is executed when, for example, a material creation mode is selected and an instruction to start execution of that mode is inputted. In the flow chart shown inFIG. 8, steps S1, S2, and the like represent the process procedure (step) numbers, respectively.

When there is an instruction to start execution of the material creation mode, i.e., an instruction to create the material M1(YES in step S1), the control portion9causes the image reading portion2to perform an operation of reading an image (step S2). Next, the detecting portion91of the control portion9detects color information from image data of the image read by the image reading portion2(step S3). Then, based on the color information detected by the detecting portion91, the correspondence setting portion92of the control portion9determines the respective colors for the plurality of paper sheets to be used in creation of the material M1(step S4).

Next, the correspondence setting portion92associates the determined colors with the respective section image regions which are made by the read image being sectioned based on the color information detected by the detecting portion91(step S5). The piling order determining portion93of the control portion9determines a piling order of the paper sheets having the colors determined by the correspondence setting portion92such that the farther a section image region is from the center of the read image G1, the lower the layer of the paper sheet to express that section image region becomes (step S6). Then, the print data generating portion94of the control portion9generates, for each of the paper sheets composing the material M1to be created, print data of the image including cutting lines (step S7).

Then, the control portion9causes the image forming portion5to execute formation of the line image indicating cutting lines based on the print data generated by the print data generating portion94, in accordance with the piling order determined by the piling order determining portion93(step S8). Accordingly, the paper sheets P1to P4as shown inFIG. 7AtoFIG. 7Dare generated, and the material M1in which the paper sheets P1, P2, P3, and P4are piled from upper layers in this order is created.FIG. 9shows states where the paper sheets P1to P4of the created material M1having been cut out along the cutting lines W1to W3, respectively. As seen fromFIG. 9, in the square portion pointed at by an arrow Q1inFIG. 9A, the ground color of the paper sheet P2inFIG. 9Bis exposed. That is, the square portion is expressed by the paper sheet P2. In the triangular portion pointed at by an arrow Q2inFIG. 9AandFIG. 9B, the ground color of the paper sheet P3inFIG. 9Cis exposed. That is, the triangular portion is expressed by the paper sheet P3. In the round portion pointed at by an arrow Q3inFIG. 9AtoFIG. 9C, the ground color of the paper sheet P4inFIG. 9Dis exposed. That is, the round portion is expressed by the paper sheet P4.

As described above, the user can easily create a desired material M1by use of the image processing apparatus1. Accordingly, the present disclosure can contribute to making the art of producing a three-dimensional colorful piece of work by partially cutting out each paper sheet of a material made by a plurality of kinds of paper sheets having different colors and/or densities being piled, easily enjoyable for the user.

A preferred embodiment of the present disclosure has been described. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the contents described above, and various types of modifications can be made.

In the above embodiment, the correspondence setting portion92associates the color of a section image region with a color that is the same as or most similar to the color of that section image region from among the determined colors of paper sheets. However, the rule of associating the color of a section image region with the color of a paper sheet is not limited thereto. That is, it is not necessarily required that the color of a paper sheet to be associated with the color of a section image region is a color that is the same or most similar to the color of that section image region. For example, when the color of a section image region is red, the color of a paper sheet may be set to blue, and when the color of a section image region is yellow, the color of a paper sheet may be set to red. In this case, the correspondence setting portion92stores in advance preset correspondence between the colors of section image regions and the colors of paper sheets, and when the color of a section image region is detected, the correspondence setting portion92associates a paper sheet having a color corresponding to that color with that section image region.

The determination condition (the condition defined in advance) to be used when the piling order determining portion93determines a piling order of paper sheets having colors that have been determined by the correspondence setting portion92, is not limited to the order of magnitude of distances between the center S of the read image G1and the centers of gravity of the respective section image regions. For example, the condition defined in advance may be the order of magnitude of the areas of the respective section image regions, or may include both of the order of magnitude of the areas of the respective section image regions and the distances between the center S of the read image G1and the centers of gravity of the respective section image regions. Alternatively, the piling order may be defined in advance for each color.

In a case where a post-processing device which staples printed paper sheets is provided in the image processing apparatus1, the post-processing device may staple the piled paper sheets. This eliminates scatter of piled paper sheets in the cutting out operation, or missing of any paper sheet in the cutting out operation, and thus, can improve the operability.

In the above embodiment, based on image data of an image read by the image reading portion2, the detecting portion91detects color information from the image data. However, in a case where the image processing apparatus1is provided with paper sheets of the same color having different densities, and there are a plurality of section image regions of the same color having different densities, the detecting portion91may detect density information instead of the color information. That is, based on image data of an image read by the image reading portion2, the detecting portion91may detect density information from the image data. In this case, the correspondence setting portion92sets correspondence between each of the plurality of section image regions R1to R4which are made by the read image G1, indicated by the image data read by the image reading portion2, being sectioned based on the color information detected by the detecting portion91, and the density of each of the plurality of paper sheets to be used in creation of the material M1. Here, the correspondence setting portion92determines the respective densities of the plurality of paper sheets to be used in creation of the material M1, based on the density information detected by the detecting portion91. Further, the storage portion40may have paper sheet information stored therein in advance, the paper sheet information being of a plurality of kinds of paper sheets having different densities provided in the image processing apparatus1. The correspondence setting portion92may determine the respective densities of the plurality of paper sheets to be used in creation of the material, from among the densities of the paper sheets indicated by the paper sheet information stored in advance in the storage portion40. Then, based on a condition defined in advance, the piling order determining portion93determines a piling order for the case where paper sheets having the densities whose correspondence with the respective section image regions R1to R4has been set by the correspondence setting portion92are to be used in the material. Using the border lines of the respective section image regions associated with the densities of respective paper sheets having lower positions in the piling order in the material M1to be created, than the position in the piling order of a target paper sheet whose print data is to be generated, as the cutting lines for the target paper sheet, the print data generating portion94generates print data that includes line images indicating those cutting lines.

Based on image data of the image read by the image reading portion2, the detecting portion91may detect color information and density information from the image data. In this case, the correspondence setting portion92sets correspondence between each of the plurality of section image regions R1to R4which are made by the read image G1, indicated by the image data read by the image reading portion2, being sectioned based on the color information and the density information detected by the detecting portion91, and the color and the density of each of a plurality of paper sheets to be used in creation of the material M1. Here, the correspondence setting portion92determines the respective colors and densities of a plurality of paper sheets to be used in creation of the material M1, based on the color information and the density information detected by the detecting portion91. Further, the storage portion40may have paper sheet information stored therein in advance, the paper sheet information being of a plurality of kinds of paper sheets having different colors and densities provided in the image processing apparatus1. Then, the correspondence setting portion92may determine the respective colors and densities of the plurality of paper sheets to be used in creation of the material, from among the colors and densities of the paper sheets indicated by the paper sheet information stored in advance in the storage portion40. Then, based on a condition defined in advance, the piling order determining portion93determines a piling order for the case where paper sheets having the colors and densities whose correspondence with the respective section image regions R1to R4has been set by the correspondence setting portion92are to be used in the material. Using the border lines of the respective section image regions associated with the colors and densities of respective paper sheets having lower positions in the piling order in the material M1to be created, than the position in the piling order of a target paper sheet whose print data is to be generated, as the cutting lines for the target paper sheet, the print data generating portion94generates print data that includes line images indicating those cutting lines.

In a case where the color of a section image region is a color of a paper sheet that is not set in the image processing apparatus1, a solid image of the color of that section image region may be printed with toner, in the region other than the cutting lines of any one of the paper sheets prepared in advance in the image processing apparatus1. In this case, as the print data for that paper sheet, the print data generating portion94generates data that includes line image data of the cutting lines and solid image data for painting solid the regions other than the regions of the cutting lines with the color determined by the correspondence setting portion92for that paper sheet. In a case where the density of a section image region is the density of a paper sheet that is not set in the image processing apparatus1, a solid image having the density of that section image region may be printed with toner, in the region other than the cutting lines of any one of the paper sheets prepared in advance in the image processing apparatus1. In this case, as the print data for that paper sheet, the print data generating portion94generates data that includes line image data of the cutting lines and solid image data for painting solid the region other than the regions of the cutting lines at the density determined by the correspondence setting portion92for that paper sheet. In other words, in a case where paper sheet information of a paper sheet having either one or both of a color and a density set by the correspondence setting portion92does not exist in the storage portion40, the print data generating portion94may generate print data that includes the line images and a solid image indicated by either one or both of the color and the density set by the correspondence setting portion92for the entirety of that paper sheet. In this case, the most preferable color of the paper sheet is white.

In the above embodiment, paper sheets having been subjected to printing are each discharged onto the discharge tray45with their printed surfaces facing upward, to be piled in order from the bottom on the discharge tray45. Therefore, during creation of the material M1, the paper sheets are conveyed in order, starting with the paper sheet to be positioned at the lowest layer of the material M1, and then they are subjected to printing, to be discharged. However, in a case of an image processing apparatus configured such that paper sheets having been subjected to printing are each discharged onto the discharge tray45with their printed surfaces facing downward, to be piled in order from the bottom on the discharge tray45, the paper sheets are conveyed in order, starting with the paper sheet to be positioned at the uppermost layer of the material M1, and then they are subjected to printing, to be discharged, during creation of the material M1.