Image processing apparatus, printing apparatus and image processing method

Claim 2

1 . A printing apparatus performing printing on a print medium by using respective basic color recording materials corresponding to three primary colors and a particular color recording material that expresses a color having a hue different from respective colors each having hue expressed with the basic color recording materials, wherein a color to be expressed with a maximum applying amount of one basic color recording material, among the basic color recording materials corresponding to three primary colors, to a unit area of the print medium is reproduced by using the one basic color recording material and a particular color recording material that expresses a color having a hue between respective hues of the one basic color recording material and one other basic color recording material.

Claim 3

2 . A printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the basic color recording materials corresponding to three primary colors are recording materials of cyan, magenta and yellow respectively, the one basic color recording material is a recording material of cyan, the one other basic color recording material is a recording material of yellow, and the particular color recording material is a recording material of green.

Claim 4

3 . An image processing apparatus executing color separation processing for determining amounts of recording materials to reproduce colors expressed by using respective basic color recording materials corresponding to three primary colors and a particular color recording material that expresses a color having a hue different from respective colors each having hue expressed with the basic color recording materials, said apparatus comprising: color separation means for determining the respective amounts of the basic color recording material and the particular color recording material, so that a color to be expressed with a maximum applying amount of one basic color recording material, among the basic color recording materials corresponding to three primary colors, to a unit area of the print medium is reproduced by using the one basic color recording material and the particular color recording material that expresses a color having a hue between respective hues of the one basic color recording material and one other basic color recording material.

Claim 5

3 . An image processing apparatus executing color separation processing for determining amounts of recording materials to reproduce colors expressed by using respective basic color recording materials corresponding to three primary colors and a particular color recording material that expresses a color having a hue different from respective colors each having hue expressed with the basic color recording materials, said apparatus comprising: color separation means for determining the respective amounts of the basic color recording material and the particular color recording material, so that a color to be expressed with a maximum applying amount of one basic color recording material, among the basic color recording materials corresponding to three primary colors, to a unit area of the print medium is reproduced by using the one basic color recording material and the particular color recording material that expresses a color having a hue between respective hues of the one basic color recording material and one other basic color recording material.

Claim 6

4 . An image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the basic color recording materials corresponding to three primary colors are recording materials of cyan, magenta and yellow respectively, the one basic color recording material is a recording material of cyan, the one other basic color recording material is a recording material of yellow, and the particular color recording material is a recording material of green.

Claim 7

5 . An image processing apparatus executing color separation processing for determining amounts of recording materials to reproduce a color specified by color signals, said apparatus comprising: color separation means for determining the respective amounts of a basic color recording material and a particular color recording material, so that a predetermined primary color specified by the color signals is reproduced by using the basic color recording material corresponding to one of three primary colors and the particular color recording material that expresses a color having a hue between colors having respective hues of the one basic color recording material corresponding to the one primary color and one other basic color recording material.

Claim 8

5 . An image processing apparatus executing color separation processing for determining amounts of recording materials to reproduce a color specified by color signals, said apparatus comprising: color separation means for determining the respective amounts of a basic color recording material and a particular color recording material, so that a predetermined primary color specified by the color signals is reproduced by using the basic color recording material corresponding to one of three primary colors and the particular color recording material that expresses a color having a hue between colors having respective hues of the one basic color recording material corresponding to the one primary color and one other basic color recording material.

Claim 9

6 . An image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said color separation means executes the color separation processing by using a table, and the table stores the amounts of the basic color recording material and the particular color recording material, which reproduce the predetermined primary color, as lattice point data, correspondingly to lattice points that are defined by the color signals specifying the predetermined primary color.

Claim 10

7 . An image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the predetermined primary color is each of colors on a portion on a line that is formed by joining plural colors specified by the color signals.

Claim 11

8 . An image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the predetermined primary color is each of colors on a portion on a line that is formed by joining plural colors specified by the color signals, said color separation means further determines an amount of light color recording material that has lower concentration than the basic color recording material so that plural colors of the line are reproduced by using the light color material.

Claim 12

9 . An image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the predetermined primary color is each of plural colors on a line that is formed by joining the plural colors specified by the color signals.

Claim 13

10 . An image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the predetermined primary color is each of colors on a portion on a line that is formed by joining plural colors specified by the color signals, said color separation means further determines an amount of one other basic color recording material so that plural colors of the line are reproduced by using the one other basic color recording material.

Claim 14

11 . An image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the predetermined primary color is each of colors on a portion on a line that is formed by joining plural colors specified by the color signals, said color separation means further determines an amount of other particular color recording material so that plural colors of the line are reproduced by using the other particular color recording material.

Claim 15

12 . An image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the one basic color recording material is a recording material of cyan, the one other basic color recording material is a recording material of yellow, and the particular color recording material is a recording material of green.

Claim 16

13 . An image processing method of executing color separation processing for determining amounts of recording materials to reproduce colors expressed by using respective basic color recording materials corresponding to three primary colors and a particular color recording material that expresses a color having a hue different from respective colors each having hue expressed with the basic color recording materials, said method comprising: a color separation step of determining the respective amounts of the basic color recording material and the particular color recording material, so that a color to be expressed with a maximum applying amount of one basic color recording material, among the basic color recording materials corresponding to three primary colors, to a unit area of the print medium is reproduced by using the one basic color recording material and the particular color recording material that expresses a color having a hue between respective hues of the one basic color recording material and one other basic color recording material.

Claim 17

13 . An image processing method of executing color separation processing for determining amounts of recording materials to reproduce colors expressed by using respective basic color recording materials corresponding to three primary colors and a particular color recording material that expresses a color having a hue different from respective colors each having hue expressed with the basic color recording materials, said method comprising: a color separation step of determining the respective amounts of the basic color recording material and the particular color recording material, so that a color to be expressed with a maximum applying amount of one basic color recording material, among the basic color recording materials corresponding to three primary colors, to a unit area of the print medium is reproduced by using the one basic color recording material and the particular color recording material that expresses a color having a hue between respective hues of the one basic color recording material and one other basic color recording material.

Claim 18

14 . A computer program comprising program code means for performing the method of claim 13 when said program is run on a computer.