Image forming apparatus for forming image to exclude extra-original area

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• means for radiating light to a target area including an original image area, scanning the target area in a predetermined direction, and converting an optical image obtained by scanning to an electrical signal;
• means for changing the electrical signal obtained by said scanning means to a digital signal;
• means for abstracting an area in the target area surrounded by a low-density portion based on the digital signal;
• means for determining the area of the original image area when the area is larger than a predetermined range, and for determining the area of an extra-original area when the area is less than the predetermined range;
• and
• means for forming an image of the original image area without the extra-original area.

An image forming apparatus;

• for forming an image corresponding to an original, the original including a background portion and a plurality of image portions located to be separated from each other within the background portion, the image forming apparatus comprising:
• means for scanning the original to generate electrical signals;
• means for abstracting, as individual image areas, an area including the plurality of image portions surrounded by the background portion on the basis of the electrical signals and wherein the abstracting means includes means for extracting a given area as an image area when the given area surrounded by the background portion is larger than a predetermined range;
• and
• means for forming an image based on the image portion in accordance with the electrical signal, which electrical signal corresponds to the image portions included in the image area abstracted by the abstracting means.