Patent ID: 7408675
Filing Date: 2008-08-05
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A print control method in which image data wherein colors at the pixels constituting an image are rendered by color component values in a first color space is acquired and transformed into image data wherein colors at the pixels are rendered by the color component values of inks in various colors used in a printing device and the printing device is controlled when print operation is performed, the method comprising: a step for storing beforehand on a predetermined storage medium a first profile wherein the combinations of color component values in the first color space are in correspondence with the combinations of color component values in a second color space composed of non-equipment-dependent color components and a second profile wherein the combinations of color component values in a third color space composed of the ink color components of said printing device are in correspondence with the combinations of color component values in said second color space; a step for bringing a color rendered only by a specific color component value in said first color space and a color rendered only by a specific color component value in said third color space into correspondence with each other in the second color space, referring to said first profile and second profile, and generating a color conversion table which defines the correspondence between the color component values in the first color space which render the color and the color component values in the third color space which render the color; a step for converting colors rendered only by the specific color component value in said acquired image data into colors rendered only by the specific color component value in the third color space, referring to the color conversion table; a step for performing print operation based on the image data which underwent the color conversion; and a step for extracting a plurality of colors rendered only by a specific color component value from both said first profile and second profile; a step for carrying out interpolation, referring to colors calculated from either profile, to increase the number of colors rendered only by the specific color component value; a step for, if the colors increased in number and a plurality of said colors calculated from the other profile are within a predetermined color difference in the second color space, taking them as the same color and combining them to thereby establish the correspondence in said second color space; and a step for defining the correspondence between color component values in the first color space and color component values in the third color space over the whole range of value of the specific color component by interpolation referring to the sets brought into correspondence.