Abstract: When an image is recorded using an ink of a basic color and an ink of a specific color, if an amount of ink applied to a recording medium exceeds an amount receivable by the recording medium, the ink overflows and image quality deteriorates. At this time, ink overflowing can be prevented by reducing an application amount of ink, but color balance may vary. By preferentially reducing an application amount of the ink of the specific color among inks of a plurality of colors that are to be applied to a recording medium, a change in the color balance is suppressed and the ink overflowing is prevented.

Abstract: When an image is recorded using an ink of a basic color and an ink of a specific color, if an amount of ink applied to a recording medium exceeds an amount receivable by the recording medium, the ink overflows and image quality deteriorates. At this time, ink overflowing can be prevented by reducing an application amount of ink, but color balance may vary. By preferentially reducing an application amount of the ink of the specific color among inks of a plurality of colors that are to be applied to a recording medium, a change in the color balance is suppressed and the ink overflowing is prevented.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus acquires monochrome image data and, for a pattern of each parameter, converts the acquired monochrome image data into intermediate image data. The intermediate image data is expressed in a set of signal values of a plurality of color elements.

Abstract: An apparatus sets a chromaticity point serving as a gray reference in a color gamut of a color space that an output device is able to output, specifies, in the color gamut of the color space that the output device is able to output, a first minimum lightness point on a lightness axis of the set chromaticity point and a second minimum lightness point that is achromatic, and generates a gray line that passes through a black point that is a minimum lightness point on a line connecting the first minimum lightness point and the second minimum lightness point, the first minimum lightness point, and the set chromaticity point and reaches a white point in the color gamut of the color space that the output device is able to output.

Abstract: The present invention has an objective of providing an image formation apparatus that can output binary image data on a printing medium with a favorable quality. According to the present invention, a plurality of different pieces of mask data stored in a storage unit is used to generate a plurality of different pieces of divided data. Then, the frequency characteristic information of the respective plurality of generated thinned images is calculated. Thereafter, the pieces of frequency characteristic information of the respective plurality of generated thinned images are compared to select, from among the plurality of pieces of mask data stored in the storage unit, a divided mask pattern to be used for the input image data. Then, the selected divided mask pattern is used to form the image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus acquires monochrome image data and, for a pattern of each parameter, converts the acquired monochrome image data into intermediate image data. The intermediate image data is expressed in a set of signal values of a plurality of color elements.

Abstract: An apparatus sets a chromaticity point serving as a gray reference in a color gamut of a color space that an output device is able to output, specifies, in the color gamut of the color space that the output device is able to output, a first minimum lightness point on a lightness axis of the set chromaticity point and a second minimum lightness point that is achromatic, and generates a gray line that passes through a black point that is a minimum lightness point on a line connecting the first minimum lightness point and the second minimum lightness point, the first minimum lightness point, and the set chromaticity point and reaches a white point in the color gamut of the color space that the output device is able to output.

Abstract: The present invention has an objective of providing an image formation apparatus that can output binary image data on a printing medium with a favorable quality. According to the present invention, a plurality of different pieces of mask data stored in a storage unit is used to generate a plurality of different pieces of divided data. Then, the frequency characteristic information of the respective plurality of generated thinned images is calculated. Thereafter, the pieces of frequency characteristic information of the respective plurality of generated thinned images are compared to select, from among the plurality of pieces of mask data stored in the storage unit, a divided mask pattern to be used for the input image data. Then, the selected divided mask pattern is used to form the image.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide an image reading apparatus which can reselect a film type after prescanning, and after confirming the result on the monitor, perform actual scanning. To achieve this object, a film scanner selects from a color table storage a color table corresponding to the type of film, sets the color table in an image data converter, and performs prescanning. If the user reselects a film type after prescanning, the color table set before prescanning and a color table selected after prescanning are transferred to a confirmation image changing unit where the difference between the two tables is calculated. Pres-canned image data is transferred from a memory to the confirmation image changing unit, added to the difference, and returned to the memory. The color table selected after prescanning is set in the image data converter, and scanning for obtaining a high-resolution image is executed.

Abstract: When an output image is observed, an image processing apparatus by which image observation can be performed always in a satisfactory state irrespective of its observation environment and a change of a human's visual characteristic is provided. In this image processing apparatus, a first output unit outputs the target image in a first gradation reproduction range, and a second output unit outputs the target image output by the first output unit in a second gradation reproduction range. At this time, a correction unit performs a correction process, i.e., gradation conversion process, to the target image output by the second output unit, on the basis of information concerning the environment for observing the output result of the target image by the second output unit.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a color difference judgment apparatus for judging a color difference between a first color and a second color in RGB color space. The method is comprising: distance calculating means for calculating distance between the first and second colors in RGB color space; threshold-value candidate storage means for storing a plurality of threshold-value candidates; threshold-value selecting means for selecting a threshold value from among the plurality of threshold-value candidates that have been stored in the threshold-value candidate storage means; and comparing decision means for comparing the distance calculated by the distance calculating means and the threshold value selected by the threshold-value selecting means and deciding that the color difference between the first and second colors lies within an allowable range if the distance is less than the threshold value.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide an image reading apparatus which can reselect a film type after prescanning, and after confirming the result on the monitor, perform actual scanning. To achieve this object, a film scanner selects from a color table storage a color table corresponding to the type of film, sets the color table in an image data converter, and performs prescanning. If the user reselects a film type after prescanning, the color table set before prescanning and a color table selected after prescanning are transferred to a confirmation image changing unit where the difference between the two tables is calculated. Prescanned image data is transferred from a memory to the confirmation image changing unit, added to the difference, and returned to the memory. The color table selected after prescanning is set in the image data converter, and scanning for obtaining a high-resolution image is executed.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide an image reading apparatus which can reselect a film type after prescanning, and after confirming the result on the monitor, perform actual scanning. To achieve this object, a film scanner selects from a color table storage a color table corresponding to the type of film, sets the color table in an image data converter, and performs prescanning. If the user reselects a film type after prescanning, the color table set before prescanning and a color table selected after prescanning are transferred to a confirmation image changing unit where the difference between the two tables is calculated. Prescanned image data is transferred from a memory to the confirmation image changing unit, added to the difference, and returned to the memory. The color table selected after prescanning is set in the image data converter, and scanning for obtaining a high-resolution image is executed.

Abstract: This invention allows both a plateless textile printer that makes process color expression, and a plate textile printer to achieve equivalent color expressions. For this purpose, image data that uses an RGB pallet is converted into YMCK image data using a correction table. An ink-jet textile printer (14) prints on textile on the basis of the converted image data. On the other hand, the image data that uses the RGB pallet is sent to a plate separation data generation unit (15), and is separated into binary plate data, the number of which is the same as the number of ink colors of the ink-jet textile printer, using an RGB/ink color tone correction table to realize the same color expression as that of screen textile printing.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a color difference judgment apparatus for judging a color difference between a first color and a second color in RGB color space. The method is comprising: distance calculating means for calculating distance between the first and second colors in RGB color space; threshold-value candidate storage means for storing a plurality of threshold-value candidates; threshold-value selecting means for selecting a threshold value from among the plurality of threshold-value candidates that have been stored in the threshold-value candidate storage means; and comparing decision means for comparing the distance calculated by the distance calculating means and the threshold value selected by the threshold-value selecting means and deciding that the color difference between the first and second colors lies within an allowable range if the distance is less than the threshold value.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide an image reading apparatus which can reselect a film type after prescanning, and after confirming the result on the monitor, perform actual scanning. To achieve this object, a film scanner selects from a color table storage a color table corresponding to the type of film, sets the color table in an image data converter, and performs prescanning. If the user reselects a film type after prescanning, the color table set before prescanning and a color table selected after prescanning are transferred to a confirmation image changing unit where the difference between the two tables is calculated. Prescanned image data is transferred from a memory to the confirmation image changing unit, added to the difference, and returned to the memory. The color table selected after prescanning is set in the image data converter, and scanning for obtaining a high-resolution image is executed.

Abstract: When an output image is observed, an image processing apparatus by which image observation can be performed always in a satisfactory state irrespective of its observation environment and a change of a human's visual characteristic is provided. In this image processing apparatus, a first output unit outputs the target image in a first gradation reproduction range, and a second output unit outputs the target image output by the first output unit in a second gradation reproduction range. At this time, a correction unit performs a correction process, i.e., gradation conversion process, to the target image output by the second output unit, on the basis of information concerning the environment for observing the output result of the target image by the second output unit.