Patent ID: 8330970

Claim:
An image processing device having a normal output mode for output at a normal image density and a color material save mode for reducing color material consumption, the image processing device comprising: at least one of a plurality of image processing units configured to perform color space conversion processing, black processing, γ conversion processing, or halftone processing; wherein said at least one of the plurality of image processing units configured to perform color space conversion processing, black processing, γ conversion processing, or halftone processing includes a plurality of processing units including a processing unit of low processing speed for relatively high image quality and a processing unit of high processing speed for relatively low image quality; wherein, in the color material save mode, one or more of said at least one of the plurality of image processing units configured to perform color space conversion processing, black processing, γ conversion processing, or halftone processing execute the processing unit of high processing speed, and wherein one or more of said at least one of the plurality of image processing units configured to perform color space conversion processing, black processing, γ conversion processing, or halftone processing, that are selected in the color material save mode perform image processing with priority placed on readability of characters.