Patent ID: 7990589

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: an input section, arranged to input an image signal representing a combination of colors including base colors and a spot color; a comparator, arranged to calculate a sum of signal values of colors in each pixel of the image signal, and to compare the sum of the signal values with a limit value; a replacement section, arranged to, in a case where the sum exceeds the limit value, replace signal values of the base colors with a signal value of the spot color based on a replacement table for replacing the signal values of the base colors with the signal value of the spot color, and an output section, arranged to output the image signal to form an image by a printer; wherein, in a case where a plurality of spot colors are prepared, the replacement section determines a replacement order of the spot colors on the basis of replacement amounts to the spot colors, and wherein the output section outputs the image signal processed by the replacement section in the case where the sum exceeds the limit value, and outputs the image signal inputted by the input section in a case where the sum does not exceed the limit value.