Patent ID: 8913258

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: an obtaining unit that obtains, from attribute information, data format information indicating data formats of first image data representing a first image and second image data representing a second image, the attribute information being included in each of the first image data and the second image data, the first image being printed at predetermined positions in all units of printing, the second image being changed in accordance with the individual units of printing and being printed at predetermined positions in the individual units of printing; and a combining unit that determines a number of pixels of bitmap data in the first image data and the second image data using in the data format information, and that in response to a determination that a ratio of the number of pixels of bitmap data to a total number of pixels in the first image data and the second image data is smaller than a predetermined value, combines compressed data generated by compressing raster data representing the first image data with compressed data generated by compressing raster data representing the second image data, wherein in response to a determination that the ratio of the number of pixels of bitmap data to the total number of pixels of mages in the first image data and the second image data is not smaller than the predetermined value, the combining unit combines the first image data with the second image data by directly utilizing raster data representing the first image data and raster data representing the second image data.