Image processing system and image processing apparatus

An image processing apparatus, comprising:

• a color image input unit configured to input color image data;
• an identification information generating unit configured to generate color image data identification information identifying the color image data input by the color image input unit;
• an image data storing unit configured to store the color image data identification information in association with the color image data;
• a monochrome image generating unit configured to generate monochrome image data based on the color image data;
• a monochrome image output unit configured to combine the color image data identification information with the monochrome image data according to a predetermined format and print the combined monochrome image data on a first recording medium;
• an image reading unit configured to read the combined monochrome image data from the first recording medium, and input the combined monochrome image data;
• an identification information extracting unit configured to extract the color image data identification information from the combined monochrome image data;
• and
• a color image output unit configured to read from the image data storing unit the color image data associated with the color image data identification information extracted by the identification information extracting unit and output the color image data in a predetermined visible format.

An image processing apparatus, comprising:

• a color image input unit configured to input color image data;
• a monochrome image generating unit configured to generate monochrome image data based on the color image data;
• an identification information generating unit configured to generate at least one of the monochrome image data and characteristic information extracted from the monochrome image data as color image data identification information;
• an image data storing unit configured to store the color image data identification information in association with the color image data;
• an image reading unit configured to read the monochrome image data from a first recording medium and input the monochrome image data;
• an identification information extracting unit configured to extract the color document image data identification information corresponding to at least one of the monochrome image data and the characteristic information extracted from the monochrome image data;
• and
• a color image output unit configured to compare and match the color image data identification information extracted by the identification information extracting unit with the color image data identification information stored in the image data storing unit, identify the color image data associated with the matched color image data identification information, read from the image data storing unit the identified color image data, and output the read color image data in a predetermined visible format.