Patent ID: 8625166

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: a print unit configured to execute a halftone process on a test image for tone correction and print the processed test image; a forming unit configured to form a tone correction table in accordance with read values from the printed test image; a calculating unit configured to obtain graininess from a read value of a low density portion of a tone correction patch of the test image for the tone correction; a discriminating unit configured to discriminate whether the obtained graininess exceeds a predetermined reference level; a setting change unit configured to change a setting of the halftone process so as to reduce the graininess when said discriminating unit discriminates that the obtained graininess exceeds the predetermined reference level; and an instruction unit configured to provide an instruction for immediately making effective the setting of the halftone process changed by said setting change unit, wherein, when said instruction unit does not provide the instruction, said forming unit uses the test image on which the halftone process is executed with the setting changed by said setting change unit, upon next forming the tone correction table.