Patent ID: 8264735

Claim:
An image processing apparatus, comprising: an extraction section that extracts a drawing element to be printed in a black color; a contour portion determination section that determines a contour portion of the drawing element extracted by the extraction section; and a controller that controls a printing unit such that, for a portion determined as the contour portion by the contour portion determination section, the portion is overprinted on a printed background image, and for a portion not determined as the contour portion by the contour portion determination section, the portion is printed without printing the background image, wherein the contour portion determination section divides the drawing element along a prescribed direction as element portions, and determines that, among the divided element portions, an element portion corresponding to an end portion of the drawing element in the prescribed direction forms the contour portion, wherein the contour portion determination section determines that, among the element portions, an element portion that does not correspond to the end portion of the drawing element and whose length in a direction perpendicular to the prescribed direction is shorter than a prescribed length forms the contour portion.