A multifunctional peripheral (1) includes a communication part (22), a storage part (21), a free space determination part (25), a confidential document determination part (26), and a storage processing part (27). The free space determination part (25) determines that the storage part (21) contains a free space for storing print data, as a first storage condition. The confidential document determination part (26) determines that the print data is not a confidential document, as a second storage condition. The storage processing part (27) stores the print data in the storage part (21) in association with user information of a user terminal (23) when the first storage condition and the second storage condition are satisfied, and communicates with the user terminal (23) and stores the print data in the user terminal (23) when the first storage condition is not satisfied or when the second storage condition is not satisfied.

A multifunctional peripheral (1) includes a communication part (22), a storage part (21), a free space determination part (25), a confidential document determination part (26), and a storage processing part (27). The free space determination part (25) determines that the storage part (21) contains a free space for storing print data, as a first storage condition. The confidential document determination part (26) determines that the print data is not a confidential document, as a second storage condition. The storage processing part (27) stores the print data in the storage part (21) in association with user information of a user terminal (23) when the first storage condition and the second storage condition are satisfied, and communicates with the user terminal (23) and stores the print data in the user terminal (23) when the first storage condition is not satisfied or when the second storage condition is not satisfied.

An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit, a fixing device, and circuitry is provided. The image forming unit is configured to perform a special image forming operation that forms a color toner image and a special toner image with a color toner and a special toner, respectively, on a recording medium and a normal image forming operation that forms the color toner image without forming the special toner image on the recording medium. The fixing device is configured to fix the color toner image and the special toner image on the recording medium. The circuitry is configured to perform, in the special image forming operation, a toner amount suppression control that makes an amount of the color toner on the recording medium per unit area smaller than that in the normal image forming operation.

An image processing apparatus includes an image reading unit that reads an image of an original document, an image processing unit that processes image data of the image read by the image reading unit, and a suspension unit that suspends, if a predetermined pattern has been detected from the image read by the image reading unit, the image processing unit in an operation of processing the image data until the original document is removed from the image reading unit.

An image reading device includes a marking part that applies a predetermined mark to a margin of a rear end of a document having passed through an image reading position, a mark erasing part that erases the predetermined mark when the document is discharged from a sheet discharge port, and an image data processing unit that determines whether the predetermined mark exists in image data of a document image read by an image reading unit and erases the image data of the document image when it is determined that the predetermined mark exists.

An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit, a fixing device, and circuitry is provided. The image forming unit is configured to perform a special image forming operation that forms a color toner image and a special toner image with a color toner and a special toner, respectively, on a recording medium and a normal image forming operation that forms the color toner image without forming the special toner image on the recording medium. The fixing device is configured to fix the color toner image and the special toner image on the recording medium. The circuitry is configured to perform, in the special image forming operation, a toner amount suppression control that makes an amount of the color toner on the recording medium per unit area smaller than that in the normal image forming operation.

An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit, a unit holder, and circuitry is provided. The image forming unit includes a color toner unit, a replaceable black toner unit, and a replaceable special toner unit that form a color toner image, a black toner image, and a special toner image, respectively. The unit holder selectively and detachably holds the replaceable black toner unit or the replaceable special toner unit. The circuitry controls the image forming unit to perform: a normal operation, when the unit holder holds the replaceable black toner unit, that forms a color-black image; a special operation, when the unit holder holds the replaceable special toner unit, that forms a color-special image; and a toner amount increase control that increases an amount of the color toner per unit area in the color toner image in the special operation than that in the normal operation.

An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit, a fixing device, and circuitry is provided. The image forming unit is configured to perform a special image forming operation that forms a color toner image and a special toner image with a color toner and a special toner, respectively, on a recording medium and a normal image forming operation that forms the color toner image without forming the special toner image on the recording medium. The fixing device is configured to fix the color toner image and the special toner image on the recording medium. The circuitry is configured to perform, in the special image forming operation, a toner amount suppression control that makes an amount of the color toner on the recording medium per unit area smaller than that in the normal image forming operation.

An image processing apparatus includes an image reading unit that reads an image of an original document, an image processing unit that processes image data of the image read by the image reading unit, and a suspension unit that suspends, if a predetermined pattern has been detected from the image read by the image reading unit, the image processing unit in an operation of processing the image data until the original document is removed from the image reading unit.

An original document is formed using a first print medium by printing a first and second monochrome patterns with a single colorant to form printed first and second regions including first and second shapes, respectively, which are devoid of the colorant. The second shapes have a smaller size and a higher frequency than the first shapes. The first and/or second regions encode information. The first and second patterns and a fluorescence of the first print medium are selected such that the first and second regions of the original document are indistinguishable to the naked eye, under both normal and ultraviolet illumination but are distinguishable, only under the ultraviolet illumination, in a copy formed by scanning the original document and printing the scanned document on a second print medium with a plurality of colorants, to reveal the encoded information.