Patent ID: 7922288

Claim:
A printing system comprising: a source of print media; a first image applying component configured for only applying cyan, magenta and yellow colorants and not black colorant to the print media for rendering an image, each of the colorants comprising a respective toner, each toner comprising toner particles, the first image applying component comprising at least one photoreceptor on which the toner particles of the cyan, magenta and yellow colorants form a toner image which is transferred to the print media; a second, monochrome image applying component configured for only applying black colorant and not cyan, magenta, and yellow colorants to the print media for rendering an image, the second image applying component comprising a photoreceptor on which the toner particles of the black colorant form a toner image which is transferred to the print media; a first pathway which conveys print media from the source to the first image applying component and from the first image applying component to the second image applying component, whereby in a first mode of printing of the printing system, an image rendered on the print media includes the cyan, magenta, yellow and black colorants and, and wherein in the first mode, the first pathway conveys print media with unfused cyan, magenta and yellow colorants between the first image applying component and the second image applying component; and a second pathway from the source of print media which bypasses the first image applying component and merges with the first pathway, for conveying print media on which the second image applying component applies the black colorant, whereby in a second mode of printing of the printing system, an image rendered on the print media includes the black colorant and not the cyan, magenta, and yellow colorants.