Patent ID: 7355750

Claim:
An image processing apparatus for color-separating a color image signal into a plurality of color-material colors, comprising: a plurality of color separation tables set to have different total amounts of the plurality of color-material colors in a stepwise manner, each of the total amounts being related to an allowable use amount of the color-material colors for an image formation medium as a subject of image formation; a Î³-correction table used when correcting Î³ characteristics of the plurality of color-material colors with respect to the image formation medium; calculating means for calculating a total use amount of the plurality of color-material colors for each of the color separation tables based on the Î³-correction table; determining means for determining a total use amount approximate to a designated total amount from the plurality of calculated total use amounts; and color-separation processing means for performing color separation processing based on one of the color separation tables that corresponds to the determined total use amount.