Image forming apparatus and image information saving method

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image reading unit that reads an image from a document to generate base image data which matches predetermined default reading conditions;

a reading condition identifying unit that identifies reading condition settings specified by a user in response to when the image is read;

an information saving unit that saves the base image data and the reading condition settings identified by the reading condition identifying unit in association with each other as saved-image information;

an output condition identifying unit, after a preview image is displayed, that identifies output condition settings based upon image outputting specified by the user when the base image data saved in the information saving unit is outputted;

an edit content determining unit that determines an edit content of the base image data from the reading condition settings associated with the base image data and the output condition settings identified by the output condition identifying unit;

an image editing unit that generates preview image data by applying the reading condition settings associated with the base image data to the base image data saved in the information saving unit and edits the base image data based on the edit content determined by the edit content determining unit to generate output image data;

a controlling unit that causes a predetermined display device to display the preview image based on the preview image data generated by the image editing unit; and

an outputting unit that outputs the output image data.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a controlling unit that causes a predetermined display device to display, as a list of one or a plurality of pieces of saved-image information saved in the information saving unit, for each piece of saved-image information, a thumbnail image generated by applying the reading condition settings to base image data of the saved-image information.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the reading condition settings include at least one of a color setting, a resolution setting, and an image quality setting.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the image reading unit generates the base image data with color being specified for the color setting in the default reading conditions.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the image reading unit generates the base image data with a fixed standard resolution being specified for the resolution setting in the default reading conditions, regardless of a document size.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the edit content determining unit, for a condition item whose absolute value is to be specified, identifies a difference in value between the default reading conditions and the output condition settings as the amount of change.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the edit content determining unit, for a condition item whose relative value is to be specified, identifies the amount of change by combining a value in the reading condition settings and a value in the output condition settings.

8. An image information saving method comprising the steps of:

at an image forming apparatus:

generating base image data which matches predetermined default reading conditions, by reading an image from a document;

identifying reading condition settings specified by a user in response to when the image is read;

saving the base image data and the reading condition settings identified by the reading condition settings identifying step in association with each other as saved-image information, in a predetermined recording medium;

generating preview image data by applying the reading condition settings associated with the base image data to the base image data saved in the predetermined recording medium;

causing a predetermined display device to display a preview image based on the generated preview image data;

after the preview image is displayed, identifying output condition settings based upon image outputting specified by the user when the base image data saved in the predetermined recording medium is outputted;

determining an edit content of the base image data from the reading condition settings associated with the base image data and the output condition settings identified by the output condition identifying unit;

editing the base image data based on the edit content determined by the edit content determining unit to generate output image data; and

an outputting unit that outputs the output image data.