Patent ID: 7502149

Claim:
A method of printing a pixel with a printing apparatus including a processor, wherein the pixel is defined by C, M, Y color values having a sum that is not less than a predetermined maximum VMAX which is greater than 0, comprising: assigning a maximum of the C, M, Y values to max_color; assigning a middle of the C, M, Y values to mid_color; assigning a minimum of the C, M, Y values to min_color; selecting a black color value K that is not greater than a minimum of min_color and (C+M+Y−VMAX)/2; obtaining a max_color_out value by calculating (T-mid_color), wherein T=VMAX−min_color+K; obtaining a mid_color_out value by calculating (T-max_color); obtaining a min_color_out value by calculating (min_color−K); obtaining a secondary color value S_color by calculating (max_color+mid_color−K−T); assigning each of max_color_out, mid_color_out and min_color_out to one of Cout, Mout or Yout depending on the relative magnitudes of the C, M, Y color values; and half-toning K, Cout, Mout, Yout, and S_color; and printing the pixel on a medium by a print engine.