Patent ID: 8269795

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a reduction ratio determination unit that determines a reduction ratio in each of a plurality of image data based on a character size included in each of the plurality of image data; a reduction unit that reduces each of the plurality of image data according to the respective reduction ratio; a layout trial unit that arranges the plurality of reduced image data in a predetermined area according to a first layout method and arranges the plurality of reduced image data in the predetermined area according to a second layout method different from the first layout method; a comparing unit that compares a number of image data that is arranged in the predetermined area according to the first layout method with a number of image data that is arranged in the predetermined area according to the second layout method; and a layout determination unit that determines the first layout method in a case where the number of image data that is arranged in the predetermined area according to the first layout method is greater than the number of image data that is arranged in the predetermined area according to the second layout method, and determines the second layout method in a case where the number of image data that is arranged in the predetermined area according to the second layout method is greater than the number of image data that is arranged in the predetermined area according to the first layout method.