Patent ID: 8179566

Claim:
A method for classifying a color printer gamut into a plurality of gamut classes with improved spot color accuracy, including: in a color printer having an automated spot color editor comprising an algorithm module; classifying the color printer gamut by representing the color printer gamut as a composite of gamut classes and a neutral zone, wherein said neutral zone is an area of overlap between the gamut classes and each gamut class is comprised of a subset of printer color separations; implementing said algorithm module for estimating CMYK values for each spot color target and determining if the selected spot color target is located inside, or on-boundary or outside of the gamut classes by computing the difference between the estimated CMYK values and target values and comparing the result to a threshold, wherein values greater than the threshold are located outside the gamut classes, and values less than said threshold are located either inside or on-boundary; and assigning selected spot color targets to selected gamut classes with the spot color editor, wherein the assigning includes identifying an overlap of the gamut classes for a selected one spot color target and using an assigned gamut class with black separation color when the selected one is inside the neutral zone.