Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and non-transitory computer readable recording medium

An image forming method for an image forming apparatus including

• a memory configured to store
• character code tables, each of the character code tables storing multiple character codes supported by each of multiple fonts, and
• a font attribute table, the font attribute table storing a character attribute of each of the multiple fonts, a rendering attribute of each of the multiple alternative fonts, and a priority of each of the multiple fonts, the priority being an order of a frequency of use of each of the multiple alternative fonts, and
• a communication interface configured to receive printable data from a host device, the printable data including font specifying information, a character code, and a specified rendering attribute, the specified rendering attribute being the rendering attribute in the printable data, and
• a controller circuit configured to execute an information processing program to operate as a rendering module,
• the image forming method comprising:
• by the rendering module of the image forming apparatus,
• determining, with reference to the character code table, whether or not a specified character code is supported by a specified font, the specified character code being the character code in the printable data, the specified font being a font specified by the font specifying information;
• if determining that the specified character code is an unsupported character code, the unsupported character code being a character code unsupported by the specified font,
• determining with reference to the character code table, whether or not there is an alternative font, the alternative font being a font that supports the unsupported character code;
• and
• if determining that there is the alternative font, rendering a character specified by the unsupported character code by using the alternative font, wherein
• the image forming method further comprises:
• by the rendering module of the image forming apparatus,
• (i) if determining that there are multiple alternative fonts,
• determining an alternative font out of the multiple alternative fonts, with reference to the character attribute and the rendering attribute of each of the multiple alternative fonts stored in the font attribute table, a character attribute of the alternative font being at least partially same as a character attribute of the specified font, a rendering attribute of the alternative font being at least partially same as the specified rendering attribute, and
• rendering the character specified by the unsupported character code by using the determined alternative font;
• and
• (ii) if still multiple alternative fonts are determined,
• determining an alternative font having a highest priority out of the multiple alternative fonts, with reference to the priority of each of the multiple fonts stored in the font attribute table, the alternative font having the highest priority being an alternative font of a highest frequency of use, and
• rendering the character specified by the unsupported character code by using the determined alternative font.

A non-transitory computer readable recording medium that records an information processing program executable by an image forming apparatus including

• a memory configured to store
• character code tables, each of the character code tables storing multiple character codes supported by each of multiple fonts, and
• a font attribute table, the font attribute table storing a character attribute of each of the multiple fonts, a rendering attribute of each of the multiple alternative fonts, and a priority of each of the multiple fonts, the priority being an order of a frequency of use of each of the multiple alternative fonts, and
• a communication interface configured to receive printable data from a host device, the printable data including font specifying information, a character code, and a specified rendering attribute, the specified rendering attribute being the rendering attribute in the printable data, and
• a controller circuit configured to execute an information processing program to operate as a rendering module,
• the information processing program causing the controller circuit of the image forming apparatus to operate as a rendering module,
• the rendering module being configured to
• determine, with reference to the character code table, whether or not a specified character code is supported by a specified font, the specified character code being the character code in the printable data, the specified font being a font specified by the font specifying information,
• if determining that the specified character code is an unsupported character code, the unsupported character code being a character code unsupported by the specified font,
• determine, with reference to the character code table, whether or not there is an alternative font, the alternative font being a font that supports the unsupported character code, and
• if determining that there is the alternative font, render a character specified by the unsupported character code by using the alternative font, wherein
• the rendering module is further configured to
• (i) if determining that there are multiple alternative fonts,
• determine an alternative font out of the multiple alternative fonts, with reference to the character attribute and the rendering attribute of each of the multiple alternative fonts stored in the font attribute table, a character attribute of the alternative font being at least partially same as a character attribute of the specified font, a rendering attribute of the alternative font being at least partially same as the specified rendering attribute, and
• render the character specified by the unsupported character code by using the determined alternative font, and
• (ii) if still multiple alternative fonts are determined,
• determine an alternative font having a highest priority out of the multiple alternative fonts, with reference to the priority of each of the multiple fonts stored in the font attribute table, the alternative font having the highest priority being an alternative font of a highest frequency of use, and
• render the character specified by the unsupported character code by using the determined alternative font.