Patent ID: 7301654

Claim:
An image data outputting apparatus for outputting copy forgery preventing image data for preventing copy-based forgery, comprising: storing means for storing a plurality of pieces of copy forgery preventing image data corresponding to image forming characteristics of a plurality of image forming apparatuses, wherein an image forming characteristic of an image forming apparatus corresponds to a resolution of the image forming apparatus; selecting means for selecting a piece of copy forgery preventing image data based on an image forming apparatus that is specified for forming the image from among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, the copy forgery preventing image data corresponding to the image forming characteristic of the image forming apparatus specified for forming an image stored in the storing means; and outputting means for outputting the piece of copy forgery preventing image data selected by the selecting means to the image forming apparatus specified for forming an image by printing, wherein: the piece of copy forgery preventing image data includes at least a background portion constituted by a first pattern and a latent image portion constituted by a second pattern; and the selecting means selects the piece of copy forgery preventing image data so that, when an image is formed by the specified image forming apparatus, the background portion and the latent image portion are almost equal in density.