Patent ID: 7936481
Filing Date: 2011-05-03
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image processing method, comprising steps of: specifying a monochrome mode capable of using achromatic ink and chromatic ink to form a monochrome image; and converting a multilevel luminance signal corresponding to the monochrome image to be formed by the monochrome mode specified in the specifying step to multilevel density signals respectively corresponding to the achromatic ink and the chromatic ink, wherein the number of the chromatic inks that can be used in the monochrome mode is one or two, and wherein in the converting step, the multilevel luminance signal is converted to the multilevel density signals corresponding to the achromatic ink and the chromatic ink such that both the achromatic and the chromatic ink are used in the monochrome mode specified in the specifying step for forming the monochrome image, such that a value of the multilevel density signal corresponding to the achromatic ink is greater than a value of multilevel density signal corresponding to the chromatic ink over the entire range of the multilevel luminance signal, and such that a magnitude relationship of the multilevel density signal corresponding to the chromatic ink does not change.