Patent ID: 8736903

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: a setting unit that sets a gloss level of each of a plurality of areas into which an image to be formed is divided, the image to be formed being formed by forming a plurality of toner images having different colors using a plurality of first toners and a second toner and by fixing the plurality of toner images onto a recording medium so as to be superimposed on one another, the plurality of first toners having different colors and giving a first gloss level after a fixing operation that fixes the plurality of toner images onto the recording medium, the second toner having one color that is the same as one of the colors of the first toners and giving a second gloss level different from the first gloss level after the fixing operation, the first gloss level being a low gloss level and the second gloss level being a high gloss level; a generating unit that generates multi-level image data for each of the first toners and the second toner, in accordance with the gloss level of each of a plurality of areas set by the setting unit so that the first gloss level and the second gloss level obtained after the fixing operation are different from each other and so that toners having the same color are not used in the same area; and a converting unit that converts pieces of multi-level image data of toners having the same color among the first toners and the second toner into binary image data using threshold patterns having the same screen angle or screen angles whose difference is less than a predetermined first angle and having the same screen ruling or screen rulings whose difference is less than a predetermined value, and that converts pieces of multi-level image data of toners having different colors among the first toners and the second toner into binary image data using threshold patterns having screen angles whose difference is greater than or equal to a second angle greater than the first angle and having the same screen ruling or screen rulings whose difference is less than the predetermined value.