Abstract: A multicolor printing process which uses original first and second print patterns for carrying out a print pattern modification process carries out a reduction process by which an overlapping portion of the patterns are reduced to obtain a reduced overlapping portion. A linkage portion is formed between the reduced overlapping portion and a residual portion of the first print pattern. A modified first print pattern is then formed which consists of the residual, linkage, and overlapping portions. The shapes of the original and the generated patterns are expressed by binary data for each pixel of the original print. The shape modification process for obtaining the modified first print pattern is performed through logical processing.

Abstract: An original image including a line area and image areas separated from each other across the line area is subjected to a thinning process, whereby an iamge (10a) including a thinned line area (1a) and enlarged image areas (2a, 3a, 4a) is obtained. The enlarged image areas are sequentially expanded by a width of the thinned line area to form respective tint areas, and tint pattern data expressing respective shapes of the tint areas with prescribed colors are obtained.