Patent ID: 7110147

Claim:
An image processing method for creating a decorated character image formed by arranging at least one decorated character formed by providing a desired character decoration on at least one arbitrary character, on an arbitrary background, with a character color being set to a character portion corresponding to said at least one arbitrary character, and a decorative color being set to a decorative portion corresponding to a portion formed by said desired character decoration, said decorated character image including said character portion, said decorative portion, and a background portion formed by removing said character portion and said decorative portion from said background, the image processing method comprising the steps of: setting at least one predetermined first default color each to a corresponding one of at least one of said character color and said decorative color, when arbitrary setting of said at least one of said character color and said decorative character is omitted; setting, when a combination of said character color and said decorative color makes said character portion and said decorative portion difficult to discriminate from each other, a predetermined second default color to one of said character color and said decorative color; and forming said decorated character image by coloring said character portion and said decorative portion with said character color and said decorative color, respectively; wherein said predetermined second default color used when an image of said background is a plain image which is achromatic or unicolored, or a background pattern image with a predetermined background pattern of a predetermined color provided on said plain image, is a transparent color which is assimilated with said background, and set to said character color.