In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises a peripheral image acquisition section, a face detection section, a face recognition section and a printing control section. The peripheral image acquisition section acquires an image of the periphery of the image forming apparatus. The face detection section detects a face of person from the image acquired by the peripheral image acquisition section. The face recognition section calculates a matching rate indicating a matching degree of the face of person detected by the face detection section with a face of a user registered in advance. The printing control section executes a processing relating to printing of the image forming apparatus in a plurality of stages corresponding to the matching rates according to the matching rate calculated by the face recognition section and a threshold value of the matching rate.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device which forms an image on a recording medium and an image scanning device which transmits scanned image data to the image forming device. The image forming device includes a receiver, a first image forming unit, a second image forming unit, and a controller. The receiver receives at least one of external image data transmitted from an external device and the scanned image data as input image data. The first image forming unit forms a developer image based on the input image data on the recording medium. The second image forming unit forms a mark image on the recording medium. The controller determines whether to make the second image forming unit form the mark image or not depending on a type of a transmission source of the input image data.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device which forms an image on a recording medium and an image scanning device which transmits scanned image data to the image forming device. The image forming device includes a receiver, a first image forming unit, a second image forming unit, and a controller. The receiver receives at least one of external image data transmitted from an external device and the scanned image data as input image data. The first image forming unit forms a developer image based on the input image data on the recording medium. The second image forming unit forms a mark image on the recording medium. The controller determines whether to make the second image forming unit form the mark image or not depending on a type of a transmission source of the input image data.

In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises a peripheral image acquisition section, a face detection section, a face recognition section and a printing control section. The peripheral image acquisition section acquires an image of the periphery of the image forming apparatus. The face detection section detects a face of person from the image acquired by the peripheral image acquisition section. The face recognition section calculates a matching rate indicating a matching degree of the face of person detected by the face detection section with a face of a user registered in advance. The printing control section executes a processing relating to printing of the image forming apparatus in a plurality of stages corresponding to the matching rates according to the matching rate calculated by the face recognition section and a threshold value of the matching rate.

In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises a peripheral image acquisition section, a face detection section, a face recognition section and a printing control section. The peripheral image acquisition section acquires an image of the periphery of the image forming apparatus. The face detection section detects a face of person from the image acquired by the peripheral image acquisition section. The face recognition section calculates a matching rate indicating a matching degree of the face of person detected by the face detection section with a face of a user registered in advance. The printing control section executes a processing relating to printing of the image forming apparatus in a plurality of stages corresponding to the matching rates according to the matching rate calculated by the face recognition section and a threshold value of the matching rate.

An image forming apparatus includes a printer section and a controller. The printer section forms an image using a decolorable recording agent. The controller controls the printer section to form a concealing code image for concealing a secret code image indicating secret information which corresponds to a concealed object in an area at least a part of the secret code image with the decolorable recording agent in such a manner that the secret code image formed on the sheet cannot be decoded.

An optical article printed on a substrate may include an organic binder; and a plurality of reflective magnetic platelets provided in the organic binder, wherein the plurality of reflective magnetic platelets are substantially aligned in accordance with at least part of a surface of revolution, and wherein the plurality of reflective magnetic platelets are aligned to cause a first reflective effect of the optical article when the substrate is rotated around a first axis and to cause a second reflective effect of the optical article when the substrate is rotated around a second axis, wherein the first reflective effect is different from the second reflective effect.

An image formation system includes: an encoded image generation device including a first processor that generates print data from manuscript data, sets security information for controlling a print mode of the print data, and generates an encoded image from the print data and the security information; and an image formation device including a second processor that inputs the encoded image, decodes the print data and the security data from the input encoded image, determines whether an output of the decoded print data is available in accordance with the decoded security information, and outputs the decoded print data when it is determined that the output of the print data is available.

An image formation system includes: an encoded image generation device including a first processor that generates print data from manuscript data, sets security information for controlling a print mode of the print data, and generates an encoded image from the print data and the security information; and an image formation device including a second processor that inputs the encoded image, decodes the print data and the security data from the input encoded image, determines whether an output of the decoded print data is available in accordance with the decoded security information, and outputs the decoded print data when it is determined that the output of the print data is available.

An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment includes a decolorable image forming unit that forms a decolorable image with a decolorable material. A mask control unit controls the decolorable image forming unit to form, with the decolorable material on a sheet, a mask that hides at least one portion of an image formed on the sheet with non-decolorable material.