Patent ID: 7057756
Filing Date: 2006-06-06
Classification: B41J,H04N

Abstract:
1. An image processor comprising: generating means for generating data relating to respective applying amounts of low-concentration ink and high-concentration ink, which has a same type color as the low-concentration ink and has a higher concentration than that of the low-concentration ink, based on input image data for printing an image on a printing medium, the low-concentration and high-concentration inks being used for forming low-density dots and high-density dots on a unit area of the printing medium, wherein said generating means generates the data relating to the respective applying amounts of the low-concentration and the high-concentration inks based on the input image data so that, within a range from a low gradation level to a high gradation level of colors expressed by the input image data, as the gradation level rises, the applying amount of the low-concentration ink is gradually increased up to a first peak amount and after reaching the first peak amount, gradually decreased, and as the gradation level rises from a gradation level corresponding to the first peak amount or from a predetermined gradation level lower than the gradation level corresponding to the first peak amount, the applying amount of the high-concentration ink is gradually increased up to a second peak amount lower than the first peak amount, and wherein the number of levels of gradation representable by the dots formed on the unit area based on the data relating to the applying amount of the low-concentration ink is greater than the number of levels of gradation representable by the dots formed on the unit area based on the data relating to the applying amount of the high-concentration ink.