Digital photo processing apparatus and printing data recording method

1. A digital photo processing apparatus comprising:

an input device for receiving digitized image data;

an image processor for processing said image data to generate printing data;

a digital printer for making photo prints from said printing data; and

a data recorder for recording said recording reprinting data for reprinting said photo prints used by said digital printer on a removable recording medium to be distributed to a customer, said data recorder comprising:

a drive for said removable recording medium;

a capacity checker for detecting an available capacity of said removable recording medium set to said drive; and

a resolution converter operable to lower a resolution of the reprinting data to a proper resolution where image quality of reprints is not lowered in relationship to a resolution of said digital printer when said reprinting data has a volume exceeding said available capacity detected by said capacity checker.

2. A digital photo processing apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein said data recorder includes a data compressor for compressing said reprinting data having the resolution lowered.

3. A digital photoprocessing apparatus as defined in claim 2 , wherein said data compressor is operable with a compression ratio automatically set from a relationship between a volume of said reprinting data to be compressed and the available capacity of said removable recording medium.

4. A digital photo processing apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further comprising an attribute data processor for generating order attribute data such as a customer name and a customer address to be recorded along with said reprinting data on said removable recording medium.

5. In a digital photo processing apparatus having an input device for receiving digitized image data, an image processor for processing said image data to generate printing data, and a digital printer for making photo prints from said printing data, and a drive for recording reprinting data for reprinting said photo prints used by said digital printer on removable recording medium, a method of recording said reprinting data used by said digital printer on the removable recording medium, comprising the steps of:

checking an available writing capacity of said recording medium set to said input device;

comparing said available writing capacity detected and a volume of said reprinting data to be recorded;

converting a resolution of said reprinting data without substantially lowering image quality when said reprinting data is not recordable on said recording medium;

checking whether the resolution of the reprinting data may be converted to a proper resolution where image quality of reprints is not lowered in relationship to a resolution of said digital printer when said reprinting data has a volume exceeding said available writing capacity detected by said capacity checker; and

lowering the resolution of the reprinting data to the proper resolution when the resolution conversion to the proper resolution is possible.

6. A method as defined in claim 5 , further comprising a step of compressing said reprinting data with a compression ratio for enabling recording of said reprinting data on said recording medium, when said reprinting data remains not recordable-on said recording medium after the resolution is lowered.

7. A method as defined in claim 5 , further comprising a step of recording order attribute data such as a customer name and a customer address on said removable recording medium.