PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide improved a half-tone rendering system and a half-tone rendering method.

SOLUTION: Electronic document data, comprising image data, are segmented into regions comprises a highlight region, a half-tone region and a shadow region. Respectively selected dither scheme is applied to the data of these regions. The dither pattern, selected from among dispersed dither patterns, is applied to the highlight region and the shadow region. The half-tone region is further divided into a first quartertone region, a second quartertone region and a central intermediate tone region, while a dither pattern, selected from elliptical dither patterns, is applied to respective divided region.

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