Patent ID: 8024655

Claim:
A method of generating a compressed page description from a list of items to be rendered to a page, at least one of said items belonging to a class of key items, comprising the steps of: classifying one or more non-key items which would overlie at least one key item when rendered to said page by: estimating an increase in size of the compressed page description comprising the one or more non-key items if said one or more non-key items are described in compressed page description using page description commands; classifying said one or more non-key items described using said page description commands if said increase is less than a threshold; declassifying a previously classified non-key item if said increase is greater than said threshold, wherein said previously classified non-key item is either: (i) underlying the classified non-key item; or (ii) underlying a previously declassified non-key item; rendering to image data at least one other non-key item; and generating said compressed page description, comprising: page description commands describing said at least one key item; page description commands describing said at least one classified non-key item; and said rendered image data of said at least one other non-key item.