A color prediction method comprising: a coloring material use limit setting step of setting a provisional use limit value for coloring material in a multi-dimensional color space corresponding to a plurality of colors; a patch group creating step (S12, S30-S38) of creating a group of patches including a plurality of patches based on a previously determined combination of coloring material use values, in respect of a region of the multi-dimensional color space where a sum total of coloring material use values for a previously determined combination of coloring materials is not more than the set use limit value; a patch group outputting step of outputting the created group of patches to a medium; a color measurement step of performing color measurement of the group of patches; a color value inferring step (S18, S80-S92) of inferring a color value for a virtual patch in a region of the multi-dimensional color space exceeding the coloring material use limit, by extrapolation on the basis of the color measurement values of patches on which color measurement has been performed; and a color predicting step (S18, S100-S108) of predicting a color corresponding to a combination of coloring material use values in the color space, by interpolation on the basis of color measurement values obtained in the color measurement step and the color value inferring step; wherein the patch group creating step includes an extrapolation calculation patch group creating step of creating a group of patches for extrapolation calculation of mixed colors, which has color measurement values at the coloring material use limit or in the vicinity of the coloring material use limit, and whose coordinates in the multi-dimensional color space are used as calculation data in an extrapolation calculation in the color value inferring step, and wherein the color value inferring step (S18, S80-S92) includes a region expanding step of expanding a region of a grid obtained by regularly sub-dividing the multi-dimensional color space where calculation data corresponding to the group of patches for extrapolation calculation is not present, so as to include another region (18-5, 18-7, 18-8) of the grid where the calculation data is present, when carrying out an extrapolation calculation in the region where the calculation data is not present. a coloring material use limit setting step of setting a provisional use limit value for coloring material in a multi-dimensional color space corresponding to a plurality of colors; a patch group creating step (S12, S30-S38) of creating a group of patches including a plurality of patches based on a previously determined combination of coloring material use values, in respect of a region of the multi-dimensional color space where a sum total of coloring material use values for a previously determined combination of coloring materials is not more than the set use limit value; a patch group outputting step of outputting the created group of patches to a medium; a color measurement step of performing color measurement of the group of patches; a color value inferring step (S18, S80-S92) of inferring a color value for a virtual patch in a region of the multi-dimensional color space exceeding the coloring material use limit, by extrapolation on the basis of the color measurement values of patches on which color measurement has been performed; and a color predicting step (S18, S100-S108) of predicting a color corresponding to a combination of coloring material use values in the color space, by interpolation on the basis of color measurement values obtained in the color measurement step and the color value inferring step; wherein the patch group creating step includes an extrapolation calculation patch group creating step of creating a group of patches for extrapolation calculation of mixed colors, which has color measurement values at the coloring material use limit or in the vicinity of the coloring material use limit, and whose coordinates in the multi-dimensional color space are used as calculation data in an extrapolation calculation in the color value inferring step, and wherein the color value inferring step (S18, S80-S92) includes a region expanding step of expanding a region of a grid obtained by regularly sub-dividing the multi-dimensional color space where calculation data corresponding to the group of patches for extrapolation calculation is not present, so as to include another region (18-5, 18-7, 18-8) of the grid where the calculation data is present, when carrying out an extrapolation calculation in the region where the calculation data is not present.