Image forming apparatus and method using divided image areas of an original

An image forming apparatus which reads an image on an original document, with the image divided into plural areas, forms a copy image obtained by synthesizing images of the divided areas, and prints the copy image on a surface of a target image forming medium, comprising:

• an operation panel which displays plural icons concerning predetermined modes, to allow an icon concerning a desired mode to be selected;
• a scanner section which reads images of the divided areas of the original document;
• a hard disk which stores image data read by the scanner section;
• an image processing section which reads plural image data pieces from the hard disk and performs minification processing and synthesis processing thereon, to obtain one copy image;
• a printer section which prints the one copy image on a surface of the target image forming medium;
• and
• each of the icons indicates an order in which an operator should set the divided plural areas of the original document on an original document mount table.

An image forming method in which an image on an original document is read with the image divided into plural areas, a copy image is formed by synthesizing images of the divided areas, and the copy image is printed on a surface of a target image forming medium, comprising:

• a step of setting a predetermined mode;
• a step of reading the images of the divided areas of the original document;
• a step of storing image data obtained by the reading means;
• and
• a step of reading image data from a storage means, performing predetermined image processing thereon, and thereafter forming a copy image on the one surface of the target image forming medium.

An image forming method in which an image of an original document is read with the image divided into plural areas, a copy image is formed by synthesizing images of the divided areas, and the copy image is printed on a surface of a target image forming medium, comprising:

• a step of displaying plural icons concerning predetermined modes, to allow an icon concerning a desired mode to be selected;
• a step of reading images of the divided areas of the original document;
• a step of storing image data read by the scanner section;
• a step of reading plural stored image data pieces, and of performing minification processing and synthesis processing thereon, to obtain one copy image;
• and
• a step of printing the one copy image on a surface of the target image forming medium,
• wherein each of the icons indicates an order in which an operator should set the divided plural areas of the original document on an original document mount table.