Patent ID: 8230494

Claim:
An image processing apparatus, comprises: a document reader that reads a document in which a plurality of images are printed in a plurality of areas; a printer that prints, on a sheet, images read out from the document by said document reader; a security code detector that, for each of the plurality of areas in said document, detects a security code, printed in each respective area of the plurality of areas in said document, which indicates permission or indicates a limitation of printing of images within each respective area of the plurality of areas; a password detector that detects a password, printed in at least one area of the plurality of areas in said document, to cancel said limitation given by said security code to the corresponding area; an entry requestor that requests a password to be entered; a password judgment part that judges whether or not said entered password is an appropriate one that corresponds to the password detected by the password detector; and a controller that decides an operation performed by said printer, to print images of the areas having the given password, depending on the judgment result drew by said password judgment part.