Patent ID: 7454441

Claim:
An image-forming apparatus for copying an original source, comprising: an image reading unit operable to read image data from the original source; an image-data storing unit operable to store the read image data in a predetermined file format wherein the image-data storage unit uses only one type of file format as the predetermined filed format, and the predetermined file format is a compression format for compressing the read image data; an image forming unit operable to form an image on a recording medium by reading out the stored image data; an output-instruction receiving unit operable to receive an output instruction including specification information for specifying a file format that is to be used for outputting the stored image data; a converting unit operable to convert the stored image data into the file format specified by the specification information; and an output unit operable to output the converted image data to a destination; an image compressing unit operable to compress the read image data in the compression format, and send the compressed image data to the image-data storing unit; and an image expanding unit operable to expand the compressed image data using an expansion format corresponding to the compression format, and send the expanded image data to the image forming unit and the converting unit.