Patent ID: 8620172

Claim:
An image forming apparatus for receiving print data from an information processing apparatus and outputting the print data as a printed product on a recording medium, the image forming apparatus comprising: a fusing unit; an image forming control unit to receive the print data and corresponding print attribution information to prepare page data for printing the printed product, with the image forming apparatus shifted from an energy saving mode to a print mode; and a print engine that includes a fusing controller having a fusing temperature setting unit to control a fusing temperature of the fusing unit, the print engine obtaining the page data and the corresponding print attribution information from the image forming control unit, the print engine outputting the printed product using a fusing temperature designated by the print attribution information, wherein, when the image forming apparatus returns from the energy saving mode to the print mode, the fusing controller determines a target fusing temperature for the fusing unit by comparing a first fusing temperature and a second fusing temperature, the first fusing temperature being used for a most recent fusing process conducted before the image forming apparatus last shifted to the energy saving mode, the second fusing temperature being designated by the print attribution information, the fusing controller determines the target fusing temperature using the first fusing temperature or the second fusing temperature depending on the number of colors required for printing the printed product.