Image processing apparatus, data processing method, and printing system

A data processing method in an image processing apparatus, comprising the steps of:

• generating, from print data, image data of character or line drawing of gradation value n1 and image data of a photographic image of gradation value n2 (n2>n1);
• encoding the image data of the character or the line drawing of the gradation value n1, and generating the encoded image data of the character or the line drawing of the gradation value n2;
• generating attribute data indicating an attribute of each of images with respect to the encoded image data of the character or the line drawing of the gradation value n2 and the generated image data of the photographic image of the gradation value n2, and adding the attribute data to each of the encoded image data of the character or the line drawing and the generated image data of the photographic image;
• and
• synthesizing the encoded image data of the character or the line drawing to which the attribute data is added and the generated image data of the photographic image to which the attribute data is added, and outputs the synthesized data.

A printing system comprising:

• a print control apparatus for processing received print data;
• and
• an image forming apparatus for printing and outputting an image based on image data, wherein the print control apparatus comprises:
• an image transformation section which generates, from print data, image data of character or line drawing of gradation value n1 and image data of a photographic image of gradation value n2 (n2>n1);
• an encoding section which encodes the image data of the character or the line drawing of the gradation value n1, and generates the encoded image data of the character or the line drawing of the gradation value n2;
• an attribute adding section which generates attribute data indicating an attribute of each of images with respect to the encoded image data of the character or the line drawing of the gradation value n2 and the generated image data of the photographic image of the gradation value n2, and adds the attribute data to each of the encoded image data of the character or the line drawing and the generated image data of the photographic image;
• and
• a synthesizing section which synthesizes the encoded image data of the character or the line drawing to which the attribute data is added and the generated image data of the photographic image to which the attribute data is added, and outputs the synthesized data.