Image Forming with Save Mode for Reducing Color Material Cost

摘要

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a save mode setting unit, a reference cost obtaining unit, a minimum monetary-sum extraction unit, and a usage volume setting unit. The minimum monetary-sum extraction unit is configured to extract a minimum monetary sum for each tone from reference costs for a plurality of image forming modes. The usage volume setting unit is configured to: obtain a post-reduction cost where a reduced monetary sum by the save mode is subtracted from the minimum monetary sum; and set reference usage volume as usage volumes for the dark color material and the light color material in the save mode, the reference usage volume being obtained based on the reference costs for the image forming modes corresponding to the post-reduction cost.

主权项

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image forming unit configured to reproduce tone with a dark color material and a light color material with different density, the image forming unit having a plurality of image forming modes where usage volumes of the dark color material and the light color material are different at identical tone among the plurality of image forming modes; a save mode setting unit configured to establish a save mode where the usage volumes of the dark color material and the light color material for any of the plurality of image forming modes are changed so as to reduce total color material cost; a reference cost obtaining unit configured to obtain a reference cost from unit prices of the dark color material and light color material with respect to reference usage volumes for the dark color material and the light color material set per tone in the plurality of image forming modes; a minimum monetary-sum extraction unit configured to extract a minimum monetary sum for each tone from the reference costs for the plurality of image forming modes; and a usage volume setting unit configured to:
obtain a post-reduction cost where a reduced monetary sum by the save mode is subtracted from the minimum monetary sum; andset reference usage volume as usage volumes for the dark color material and the light color material in the save mode, the reference usage volume being obtained based on the reference costs for the image forming modes corresponding to the post-reduction cost.