Patent ID: 7365890

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: a former, arranged to form a color patch corresponding to a signal value of a secondary or higher-level color to be calibrated, by a printer; a proofer, arranged to correct the signal value when a difference between a measured color value of the formed color patch and a target value corresponding to the signal value of the secondary or higher-level color to be corrected is outside a permissible range; a generator, arranged to generate a multidimensional table for calibration based on the measured color value of the formed color patch when the difference is within the permissible range; a calibrator, arranged to perform the calibration of image data using the multidimensional table, wherein the image data can represent primary colors, each of which is reproduced by one color material, and secondary and higher-level colors, each of which is reproduced by a plurality of color materials; and a color separator, arranged to perform color separation processing on the calibrated image data using a color separation table to generate image data representing the amount of the color materials of the printer, wherein the color separation table has been generated in consideration of a limitation on the total amount of the color materials when the printer prints the secondary or higher-level color, and the multidimensional table can be generated without consideration of that limitation.