Image processing device, image processing method, and image processing program product

Abstract

The invention provides an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and an image processing program product. Wherein: image data including first image data in which a first image is represented by a plurality of colors including colors other than a special color, and second image data in which a second image is represented by the special color are acquired; a representative color material amount indicating the amount of a plurality of color materials used to print a representative color included in a special color by a printing device is acquired. Converting the first image data into first color material amount data representing a color of the first image in an amount of a plurality of color materials used in the printing apparatus based on the color conversion profile, and converting the second image data into second color material amount data representing the color of the second image in the amount of the plurality of color materials used in the printing apparatus based on the representative color material amount, and synthesizing the first and second color material amount data to generate third color material amount data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an image processing device. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technique for printing an image including a plurality of plates. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which image data is divided into color plates including cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, a white plate, and a varnish plate, and a preview image is generated based on the amount of ink used in printing each plate, thereby implementing a preview.

[0003] When an image including colors other than the special color and an image represented by the special color are described in different formats, it is impossible to perform printing based on the respective images by using a common image processing. Therefore, it is desired to develop a technology that can perform image processing corresponding to each of the images including colors other than the special color and the images represented by the special color for printing.

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-32012 Summary of the invention

[0005] An image processing device for achieving the above-mentioned purpose comprises: an image data acquisition unit that acquires image data including first image data and second image data, wherein the first image data is data for expressing a first image by a plurality of colors including a color other than a special color, and the second image data is data for expressing a second image by the special color; a representative color material amount acquisition unit that acquires a representative color material amount, wherein the representative color material amount indicates the amount of a plurality of color materials used to print a representative color included in the special color by a printing device; a conversion unit that converts the first image data into first color material amount data for expressing the color of the first image by the amount of a plurality of color materials used in the printing device based on a color conversion profile, and converts the second image data into second color material amount data for expressing the color of the second image by the amount of a plurality of color materials used in the printing device based on the representative color material amount; a synthesis unit that synthesizes the first color material amount data and the second color material amount data to generate third color material amount data; and a sending unit that sends print data based on the third color material amount data to the printing device.

[0006] In an image processing method for achieving the above-mentioned purpose, image data including first image data and second image data are obtained, wherein the first image data is data for expressing a first image by a plurality of colors including a color other than a special color, and the second image data is data for expressing a second image by the special color, a representative color material amount is obtained, the representative color material amount indicating the amount of a plurality of color materials used to print the representative color included in the special color by a printing device, the first image data is converted into first color material amount data for expressing the color of the first image by the amount of the plurality of color materials used in the printing device based on a color conversion profile, and the second image data is converted into second color material amount data for expressing the color of the second image by the amount of the plurality of color materials used in the printing device based on the representative color material amount, the first color material amount data and the second color material amount data are synthesized to generate third color material amount data, and printing data based on the third color material amount data is sent to the printing device.

[0007] The image processing program product for achieving the above-mentioned object causes a computer to function as the following components, namely: an image data acquisition unit that acquires image data including first image data and second image data, wherein the first image data is data for expressing a first image by a plurality of colors including a color other than a special color, and the second image data is data for expressing a second image by the special color; a representative color material amount acquisition unit that acquires a representative color material amount, wherein the representative color material amount indicates the amount of a plurality of color materials used to print a representative color included in the special color by a printing device; a conversion unit that converts the first image data into first color material amount data for expressing the color of the first image by the amount of a plurality of color materials used in the printing device based on a color conversion profile, and converts the second image data into second color material amount data for expressing the color of the second image by the amount of a plurality of color materials used in the printing device based on the representative color material amount; a synthesis unit that synthesizes the first color material amount data and the second color material amount data to generate third color material amount data; and a sending unit that sends print data based on the third color material amount data to the printing device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of an image processing device.

[0009] Figure 2 A diagram showing the flow of image processing based on image data.

[0010] Figure 3 A flowchart showing image processing.

[0011] Figure 4 A flowchart showing image processing.

[0012] Figure 5 A diagram showing an example of a user interface.

[0013] Figure 6 A diagram showing an example of a user interface.

[0014] Figure 7 A flowchart of the printing process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Here, embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order.

[0016] (1) Structure of image processing device:

[0017] (1-1) Structure of image processing device:

[0018] (1-2) Structure of printing device:

[0019] (2) Image processing:

[0020] (3) Printing process:

[0021] (4) Other implementation methods:

[0022] (1) Structure of image processing device:

[0023] Figure 1 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of an image processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image processing device 100 is a device that cooperates with the printing device 200. The image processing device 100 can communicate with the printing device 200. The image processing device 100 performs image processing based on image data to generate printing data, and sends the generated printing data to the printing device 200. The printing device 200 performs printing based on the received printing data.

[0024] In the printing device 200, an image is printed on a printing medium using a color material. The color material is not limited, but the printing device 200 involved in this embodiment is an inkjet printer using ink as the color material. The color of the color material is not limited, but in this embodiment, the printing device 200 can print using each color of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), black (K), green (G), gray (Gy), red (R), and orange (Or).

[0025] The image data representing the image to be printed represents the image by a plurality of channels (color components). In addition, the image data may include a plurality of images having different numbers of channels. Specifically, the image data may include first image data in which the color of each pixel is specified by the grayscale value of three channels of RGB (red, green, and blue), and second image data in which the color of each pixel is specified by the grayscale value of one channel.

[0026] In the first image data, the color of each pixel is expressed by a combination of grayscale values ​​of three channels, so that any color within the color gamut can be specified. The second image data is data representing an image expressed by a special color. That is, in the second image data, a grayscale value of one channel is associated with each pixel, and the grayscale value is a value corresponding to the relative concentration difference between the grayscale value of the representative color. The representative color is a color representing the special color, and is expressed by the grayscale values ​​of three channels (RGB).

[0027] Special colors are used when outputting an image in a predetermined specific color. In the present embodiment, the special colors include a plurality of colors of different concentrations, and the representative color is one of them. The grayscale value of a channel included in the second image data represents the relative concentration with the representative color as a reference. For example, if the grayscale value of a channel is represented by 0 to 255, and the grayscale value of a certain pixel is X, the amount of the color material of any pixel is specified by multiplying the amount of the color material representing the representative color by X / 128. In addition, the representative color is also referred to as Sp hereinafter. In addition, since the first image substantially includes any color within the color gamut, and the special color is also a color within the color gamut, the first image can include special colors and colors other than special colors.

[0028] As described above, the image represented by the image data may include a first image represented by the first image data and a second image represented by the second image data. That is, the image data may include a plurality of images having different numbers of channels for representing the colors of the images. In this specification, as described above, each image having different numbers of channels for representing the colors of the images is also referred to as a plate. In addition, since the first image is substantially represented in any color using each channel of RGB, the first image is referred to as a color plate. Furthermore, since the second image is composed of a specific representative color Sp and a color having a different concentration from the representative color Sp, and is represented in a special color as a color with a limited number, the second image is referred to as a special color plate. Here, the first image data is one of the layers included in the image data, and is also referred to as a first image layer. In addition, the second image data is one of the layers included in the image data, and is also referred to as a second image layer. That is, the image data is data that represents an image by overlapping the first image layer and the second image layer.

[0029] (1-1) Structure of image processing device:

[0030] The image processing device 100 includes a processor 120, a nonvolatile memory 130, a UI unit 140, and a communication unit 150. The processor 120 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc. (not shown), and can execute various programs recorded in the nonvolatile memory 130 and control various units of the image processing device 100. In addition, the processor 120 may be composed of a single chip or a plurality of chips. In addition, for example, an ASIC may be used instead of a CPU, or a structure in which the CPU and the ASIC work in cooperation may be used.

[0031] The UI unit 140 includes a display (display device) for displaying any image. In addition, the UI unit 140 includes input units such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a touchpad. The processor 120 can obtain input content corresponding to the operation of the input unit of the UI unit 140. The communication unit 150 includes a communication interface for communicating with external devices according to various wired or wireless communication protocols. The image processing device 100 can communicate with the printing device 200 via the communication unit 150. In addition, a keyboard, a mouse, a display, etc. can also be connected via the communication unit 150, and the processor 120 implements various information input and output via these devices.

[0032] In the present embodiment, the user of the image processing apparatus 100 specifies the image data of the printing object by operating the UI unit 140. In addition, in the present embodiment, the user can adjust the color of the printing by operating the UI unit 140. In order to realize this function, the processor 120 can execute the image processing program (not shown) recorded in the non-volatile memory 130. When executing the image processing program, the processor 120 functions as an image data acquisition unit 120a, a display control unit 120b, a representative color material amount acquisition unit 120c, a conversion unit 120d, a synthesis unit 120e, and a transmission unit 120f.

[0033] The image data acquisition unit 120a is a part of the processor 120 that has the function of acquiring image data. The user operates the UI unit 140 and specifies the image data to be printed by specifying a file stored in the nonvolatile memory 130 or the like. In this embodiment, the image data includes at least one of the first image data and the second image data. Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the flow of image processing for image data according to the present embodiment. Figure 2 In the image data, the first image data in which the color is expressed by the three channels of RGB and the second image data in which the color is expressed by one channel corresponding to the special color are included. Figure 2 Let's explain image processing.

[0034] The display control unit 120b is a part of the processor 120 that has a function of controlling the UI unit 140 to implement various displays. In this embodiment, the display includes a color setting unit for implementing settings related to the color of image data. The color setting unit is a setting that can affect the color of the image printed by the printing device 200, but in this embodiment, the content of the user interface displayed on the color setting unit changes according to the image data and the user's selection.

[0035] That is, when the image data includes the first image data but does not include the second image data, it is not necessary to set the color related to the special color. Therefore, in this case, the color conversion profile designation section (described in detail later) as a user interface for implementing the color setting in the first image is displayed. On the other hand, the color material amount designation section (described in detail later) as a user interface for implementing the color setting in the second image is not displayed.

[0036] When the image data includes the second image data but does not include the first image data, the color setting related to the special color can be implemented. Therefore, in this case, the color material amount designation unit is displayed as a user interface for implementing the color setting in the second image. The color conversion profile designation unit may be displayed, for example, for setting the color conversion of the representative color Sp, or may not be displayed.

[0037] In the image Figure 2 As shown in the figure, when the image data includes the first image data and the second image data, both the setting related to the arbitrary color and the setting related to the special color can be implemented. Therefore, in this case, the color conversion profile specifying unit and the color material amount specifying unit are displayed. However, in this embodiment, the display control unit 120b causes the UI unit 140 to display the color conversion profile specifying unit when the user selects the first image data (color version), and causes the UI unit 140 to display the color material amount specifying unit when the user selects the second image data (special color version).

[0038] Through the above user interface, the processor 120 receives color-related settings set by the user through the UI unit 140 , and performs image processing related to the color of the image data based on the settings (details will be described later).

[0039] The representative color material amount acquisition unit 120c is a part of the processor 120 that has the function of acquiring the amount of the representative color material, wherein the representative color material amount indicates the amount of a plurality of color materials used to print the representative color Sp included in the special color by the printing device 200. In the present embodiment, the grayscale value indicating the representative color Sp, that is, the representative grayscale value is included in the header of the image data, etc. For example, when the representative grayscale value of the representative color Sp indicating the special color is (R, G, B) = (16, 33, 139), the representative grayscale value is included in the header of the image data, etc.

[0040] The representative grayscale value indicating the representative color Sp is a value that expresses a special color through the RGB color space that is the color space of the first image data. Therefore, in order to print the representative color Sp using the printing device 200, it is necessary to specify the amount of color material. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the representative color material amount acquisition unit 120c acquires the grayscale value after the representative grayscale value is converted by the conversion unit 120d described later based on the color conversion profile as the representative color material amount. Since the printing device 200 uses the color materials of each color of CMYKGGyROr as described above, in the present embodiment, the amount of the representative color material after the color conversion is specified by the grayscale value related to each color of CMYKGGyROr. Figure 2 In FIG. 1 , the specification of the amount of the representative color material by the color conversion as described above is shown by the dotted arrow mark.

[0041] In addition, in the present embodiment, the user can also directly designate the amount of the representative color material without using the color conversion profile. That is, the representative color material amount acquisition unit 120c can, for example, specify the amount of the representative color material directly. Figure 6 The grayscale value of each color input by visually checking the color material amount designation unit included in the color setting unit 13 and operating the UI unit 140 is acquired as the representative color material amount. Figure 2 In FIG. 1 , the specification of the above representative color material amount is shown by the dot-dash arrow mark.

[0042] The conversion unit 120d is a part of the processor 120 that has the function of converting image data into color material quantity data. Here, the color material quantity data is a grayscale value indicating the quantity of color materials of each color used by the printing device 200. In this embodiment, the image data is expressed by three channels of RGB or one channel of a special color, and the color material quantity data is expressed by eight channels of CMYKGGyROr. Therefore, the conversion unit 120d performs conversion using different conversion methods depending on the type of image data.

[0043] The first image data represented by the three channels of RGB is converted based on the color conversion profile. That is, the conversion unit 120d is as follows Figure 2As shown, the first image data is converted into the first color material quantity data based on the color conversion profile stored in the non-volatile memory 130. The color conversion profile can be generated by various well-known technologies. In this embodiment, the data of the three channels of RGB are converted into the data of the four channels of CMYK by a predetermined function. And, in this embodiment, the data of the four channels of CMYK are converted into the first color material quantity data of the eight channels of CMYKGGyROr by LUT (Look Up Table).

[0044] On the other hand, the second image data represented by one channel of the special color is converted into second color material amount data representing the color of the second image by the amount of a plurality of color materials used in the printing device, based on the representative color material amount. Although the special color includes the representative color Sp and colors other than the representative color Sp, as described above, the amount of color material when printing the representative color Sp is obtained as the representative color material amount. On the other hand, the grayscale value of one channel represented by the second image data represents the relative concentration with the representative color as a reference. Therefore, if the grayscale value of the representative color material amount is multiplied by (grayscale value of each pixel / central value of the grayscale value), it can be converted into the amount of color material of each pixel. For example, in the case where the grayscale value of one channel is represented by 0 to 255 and the grayscale value of a certain pixel is X, if the representative color material amount is (C 1 , M 1 , Y 1 , K 1 , G 1 , Gy 1 , R 1 ,Or 1 ), the amount of color material used to print the color of the pixel is calculated by (C 1 , M 1 , Y 1 , K 1 , G 1 , Gy 1 , R 1 ,Or 1 ) are respectively multiplied by X / 128. As described above, the conversion unit 120d obtains the second color material amount data expressing the color of the second image by multiplying the representative color material amount by a relative value specified based on the grayscale value of one channel. That is, in this embodiment, in a state where the representative color material amount is obtained, the second image data is converted into the second color material amount data without being based on the color conversion profile.

[0045] The synthesis unit 120e is a part of the processor 120 that has the function of synthesizing the first color material amount data and the second color material amount data to generate the third color material amount data. The image data is data for printing an image formed by overlapping the first image and the second image. Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , by synthesizing the first color material amount data and the second color material amount data, third color material amount data representing the amount of color material used to print an image formed by overlapping the first image and the second image using the printing device 200 is generated. In addition, although in the present embodiment, the synthesis is a process of obtaining the sum of the grayscale value represented by the first color material amount data and the grayscale value represented by the second color material amount data for each pixel and each color, the synthesis can be implemented using various techniques. For example, it can also be a process of multiplying at least one of the grayscale value represented by the first color material amount data or the grayscale value represented by the second color material amount data by a weighting coefficient and obtaining the sum of the two.

[0046] In addition, when the image data only includes one of the first image data and the second image data, it is not necessary to perform synthesis. Therefore, for example, when the image data includes the first image data but does not include the second image data, the first color material amount data and the third color material amount data generated from the first image data are the same data. When the image data includes the second image data but does not include the first image data, the second color material amount data and the third color material amount data generated from the second image data are the same data.

[0047] The sending unit 120f is a part of the processor 120 that has a function of sending printing data based on the third color material amount data to the printing device. The printing data is data of a method in which printing can be performed in the printing device 200. In the present embodiment, printing is performed based on halftone data that shows whether the color material is recorded or not recorded for each pixel, and when recording, the size of the color material (the size of the ink droplet) is represented in any one of three levels. Therefore, the sending unit 120f performs a halftone processing that converts the third color material amount data into halftone data, and sends the obtained halftone data to the printing device 200. In addition, the halftone processing can be implemented using a well-known method. When the printing data including the halftone data is sent to the printing device 200, the printing device 200 prints the image represented by the halftone data. In addition, the processor 120 may also have a halftone processing unit that converts the third color material amount data into halftone data, separate from the sending unit 120f.

[0048] According to the above structure, color conversion can be performed in a manner corresponding to the expression method of each color in the first image data and the second image data, and the color material amount data can be specified. Therefore, it is possible to perform image processing corresponding to an image containing colors other than the special color and an image expressed by the special color, respectively, and print.

[0049] (1-2) Structure of printing device:

[0050] The printing device 200 includes a processor 220, a nonvolatile memory 230, a UI unit 240, a communication unit 250, and a printing unit 260. The processor 220 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc. (not shown), and can execute various programs recorded in the nonvolatile memory 230 to control the various units of the printing device 200. The processor 220 may be composed of a single chip or a plurality of chips. In addition, for example, an ASIC may be used instead of a CPU, or a structure in which the CPU and the ASIC work in cooperation may be used.

[0051] The communication unit 250 includes a communication interface for communicating with external devices according to various wired or wireless communication protocols. In addition, the communication unit 250 includes an interface for communicating with various removable memories installed in the printing device 200. The printing device 200 can communicate with the image processing device 100 via the communication unit 250.

[0052] In the present embodiment, the printing unit 260 can perform printing on various printing media in an inkjet manner according to the instructions of the processor 220. The printing unit 260 includes a conveying mechanism for conveying the printing medium and a printing head for ejecting ink droplets onto the printing medium. The printing head of the present embodiment can eject color materials of eight colors of C, M, Y, K, G, Gy, R, and Or as described above. In addition, in the present embodiment, ink droplets of three sizes of large, medium, and small can be ejected from the nozzles of the printing head.

[0053] The UI unit 240 includes a touch panel display, various buttons, switches, etc. The touch panel display includes a display panel that displays various information based on the control of the processor 220, and a touch detection panel superimposed on the display panel, and detects touch operations performed by human fingers, etc. The processor 220 can obtain the user's operation content through the UI unit 240. In addition, the processor 220 can display various information on the display of the UI unit 240 to notify the user.

[0054] The processor 220 can execute a print program (not shown) recorded in the nonvolatile memory 230. The print program enables the processor 220 to implement a function for printing print data. When executing the preview image display program, the processor 220 functions as a receiving unit 220a and a processing unit 220b.

[0055] The receiving unit 220a is a part of the processor 220 that has a function of receiving print data sent from the image processing device 100. The receiving unit 220a obtains the print data from the image processing device 100 via the communication unit 250, and records the print data in the nonvolatile memory 230. The processing unit 220b is a part of the processor 220 that has a function of controlling the printing unit 260 to cause the printing unit 260 to perform printing. That is, the processing unit 220b drives the printing unit 260 based on the print data obtained from the image processing device 100 to perform printing.

[0056] (2) Image processing:

[0057] Figure 3 , Figure 4 1 is a flowchart showing image processing executed by processor 120. Image processing is started in response to a trigger such as a user inputting a start instruction by operating UI unit 140. When image processing starts, processor 120 displays a user interface through the function of display control unit 120b (step S100).

[0058] Figure 5 1 is a diagram showing an example of the user interface 10. The user interface 10 according to the present embodiment includes an image indicating unit 11, a preview image display unit 12, and a color setting unit 13. Figure 5 For the purpose of explanation, the image indicating unit 11, the preview image display unit 12, and the color setting unit 13 are shown with thick frames, but in fact, these frames are not thick lines, but can be the same thickness as other lines. A print instruction button 14 is provided above the image indicating unit 11.

[0059] The image indicating unit 11 is a user interface for displaying the image data selected as the printing object and designating any of the plates (either the first image data or the second image data) included in the selected image data as the processing object. The preview image display unit 12 is a user interface for displaying a preview image of the image to be printed. The color setting unit 13 is a user interface for implementing settings related to the color of the image data. In addition, Figure 5The example of the user interface 10 shown is not the initial screen of the user interface 10. In the initial screen, the image data is not displayed in the print job list of the image indication unit 11, and the plate is not displayed in the plate list. In addition, in the initial screen, the preview image is not displayed in the preview image display unit 12. In the initial screen, the default information may be displayed or not displayed in the color setting unit 13.

[0060] like Figure 3 As shown, in the state where the initial screen is displayed in step S100, the display control unit 120b accepts the designation of image data (step S105). That is, the user operates the UI unit 140 and designates the image data to be printed from the image data stored in the non-volatile memory 130, etc. The display control unit 120b accepts the designation and displays the file name of the designated image data at the top of the image indicator unit 11. Figure 5 , an example in which image data with a file name of Data A is specified is shown.

[0061] Furthermore, the display control unit 120b displays the version list (step S110). Specifically, when the designated image data includes the first image data, the display control unit 120b displays the string "color version" in the version list, and clearly shows the user that the first image data is included. When the image data includes the second image data, the display control unit 120b displays the string "special color version" in the version list, and clearly shows the user that the second image data is included. In addition, the string displayed in the version list only needs to be a string that allows the user to identify the version, and can be set arbitrarily in the image data.

[0062] Next, the processor 120 sets the type of image data included in the image data, that is, the number of plates, to the value of the constant max, and initializes the variable i to 1 (step S115). Here, the variable i is the number representing the plate included in the image data. For example, when the image data includes a first image data and a second image data, the first plate is the first image data, and the second plate is the second image data. However, when two or more special color plates are included, the third plate or above can become the second image data.

[0063] The processor 120 determines the type of the i-th plate (step S120). When it is determined that the type of the i-th plate is a color plate, the conversion unit 120d converts the color of each pixel based on the color conversion profile and obtains the color material amount (step S125). Specifically, the conversion unit 120d refers to the non-volatile memory 130 to obtain the color conversion profile used in the conversion. Then, the RGB grayscale value of each pixel of the first image data contained in the image data is converted into a CMYKGGyROr grayscale value. That is, the conversion unit 120d obtains the first color material amount data. The obtained first color material amount data is stored in the non-volatile memory 130, etc. In addition, when step S125 is initially executed, the conversion unit 120d uses the default color conversion profile to perform the conversion, but after the user specifies the color conversion profile through the color conversion profile specifying unit described later, the specified color conversion profile will be used.

[0064] On the other hand, when it is determined in step S120 that the type of the i-th plate is a special color plate, the processor 120 determines whether the amount of representative color material has been specified (step S130). That is, the processor 120 determines whether the user has specified the amount of representative color material through the processing described later. When it is not determined that the amount of representative color material has been specified, the conversion unit 120d converts the representative color based on the color conversion configuration file, and the representative color material amount acquisition unit 120c acquires the converted value as the representative color material amount (step S135). That is, the conversion unit 120d refers to the non-volatile memory 130 to acquire the color conversion configuration file, and converts the RGB grayscale value of the representative color contained in the header of the image data, that is, the representative grayscale value, into a CMYKGGyROr grayscale value. The converted grayscale value is acquired by the representative color material amount acquisition unit 120c as the representative color material amount. The acquired representative color material amount is stored in the non-volatile memory 130, etc. If the color conversion profile is specified by the user through the process described below, the conversion unit 120d performs color conversion by referring to the specified color conversion profile. However, if the color conversion profile is not specified by the user, the conversion unit 120d performs color conversion by referring to a default color conversion profile.

[0065] If it is determined in step S130 that the representative color material amount has been specified, step S135 is skipped. If step S135 is executed or it is determined in step S130 that the representative color material amount has been specified, the conversion unit 120d converts the colors other than the representative color based on the representative color material amount and obtains the color material amount (step S140). That is, the conversion unit 120d obtains the color material amount of the color other than the representative color by multiplying the representative color material amount of each color by the grayscale value / 128 of each pixel. In addition, the representative color material amount in the case where step S135 is skipped is a value directly specified by the user through the processing described later. The conversion unit 120d regards the data expressing the color with the obtained color material amount as the second color material amount data, and causes the non-volatile memory 130, etc. to store the data.

[0066] When step S125 or step S140 is executed, the processor 120 determines whether the variable i is consistent with max (step S145). If it is not determined that the variable i is consistent with max in step S145, the processor 120 increments the variable i and repeats the processing after step S120.

[0067] When it is determined in step S145 that the variable i is consistent with max, the synthesis unit 120e synthesizes the first color material amount data and the second color material amount data (step S150) to obtain the third color material amount data. In addition, the synthesis is achieved by the sum of the grayscale values ​​representing the amount of the color material, but in this embodiment, the synthesis is performed in a manner to avoid the amount of the color material exceeding the upper limit of the color material amount. Specifically, the synthesis unit 120e obtains the sum of the grayscale value represented by the first color material amount data and the grayscale value represented by the second color material amount data for each pixel and each color. As a result, the grayscale value representing the amount of the color material used to print the image data can be obtained for each color of the color material.

[0068] In the amount of color material that can be printed on the printing medium, an upper limit color material amount is set for each color, and an upper limit color material amount for all colors is set. Such an upper limit color material amount is set for the purpose of suppressing the situation that there is an upper limit to the amount of ink droplets ejected by the print head, or when there is too much color material, ink bleeding occurs on the printing medium. Therefore, the synthesis unit 120e performs a process of comparing the sum of the grayscale values ​​of each color with the upper limit color material amount of each color for all pixels. The result of the comparison is that for the pixels whose grayscale values ​​of each color exceed the upper limit color material amount of each color, the color material amount is converted to less than the upper limit color material amount. This conversion can be implemented by various techniques, and it can also be changed to the upper limit color material amount only for the color that exceeds the upper limit color material amount, and the color that exceeds the upper limit color material amount can also be changed to the upper limit color material amount while maintaining the ratio of each color.

[0069] After the above processing is performed for each color, the conversion unit 120d further totals the grayscale values ​​of all colors for each pixel. Moreover, the conversion unit 120d performs a process of comparing the grayscale values ​​obtained by totaling with the upper limit color material amount under the total of all colors for all pixels. The result of the comparison is that for pixels whose grayscale values ​​obtained by totaling exceed the upper limit color material amount, the color material amount is converted to less than the upper limit color material amount. This conversion can also be implemented by various techniques. For example, while maintaining the ratio of each color, the color material amount can be changed in a way that makes the grayscale value obtained by totaling become the upper limit color material amount. As described above, in the present embodiment, the conversion is implemented in a way that avoids exceeding the upper limit color material amount, thereby generating third color material amount data.

[0070] When the third color material amount data is generated, the display control unit 120b causes the display device of the UI unit 140 to display the preview image (step S155). Specifically, the display control unit 120b generates a third preview image for causing the display device to display the image represented by the third color material amount data based on the third color material amount data generated in step S150. The third preview image is defined by data for displaying the image represented by the third color material amount data on the display device.

[0071] Various methods can be used to generate the third preview image. For example, an example of pre-generating a LUT that converts the grayscale values ​​of each color of CMYKGGyROr constituting the third color material quantity data into RGB grayscale values ​​can be cited. In this case, the processor 120 can adopt a structure such as obtaining RGB grayscale values ​​from the grayscale values ​​of each color of CMYKGGyROr based on the LUT, and adding the obtained RGB grayscale values, or multiplying them by weighting coefficients and adding them. By performing the above processing on each pixel, the third preview image is obtained.

[0072] When the third preview image is obtained, the display control unit 120b controls the display device of the UI unit 140 to display the third preview image as a preview image. Figure 5 , Figure 6 In the example shown, the preview image is displayed within the frame of the preview image display unit 12. Of course, the display control unit 120b may reduce or enlarge the third preview image in order to display the preview image within the frame of the preview image display unit 12.

[0073] According to the above configuration, the user can recognize the color of the image data printed by the printing device 200 with the current color setting. Therefore, before printing, it is possible to confirm whether the image data is printed in the color desired by the user.

[0074] Next, if Figure 4 As shown, the display control unit 120b determines whether there are multiple versions included in the image data (step S200). That is, the display control unit 120b refers to the header of the image data specified in step S105, and specifies the type of data included in the image data from the first image data and the second image data. In the case where the type of data included in the image data is both the first image data and the second image data, the display control unit 120b determines that the number of versions is multiple. In the case where the type of data included in the image data is either the first image data or the second image data, the display control unit 120b determines that the number of versions is single.

[0075] When it is determined in step S200 that the image data includes multiple versions, the display control unit 120b accepts the specification of the version (step S205). The character string displayed in the version list in step S110 becomes an option selected by the user. That is, the character string displayed in the version list functions as a selection unit for selecting either the first image data or the second image data. The user operates the UI unit 140 to select either of the character strings displayed in the version list. When the selection is made, the display control unit 120b accepts the specification of the version. Figure 5 In the example shown, the selected version is represented by black characters, and the unselected version is represented by grayed-out characters. Figure 5 The color version is shown in the selected state. Figure 6 Shown in Figure 5 Similarly, the special color version is selected in the user interface. Of course, only the version whose data type included in the image data is either the first image data or the second image data is displayed in the version list.

[0076] In the case where it is determined in step S200 that the plate included in the image data is a single plate, or in the case where step S205 is executed, the display control unit 120b determines the type of the designated plate (step S210). Specifically, in the case where the image data includes a single plate, the display control unit 120b determines whether the type of the plate is a color plate or a special color plate. In the case where the image data includes multiple plates, the display control unit 120b determines whether the type of the plate designated in step S205 is a color plate or a special color plate.

[0077] When it is determined in step S210 that the type of plate is a color plate, the display control unit 120b causes the color setting unit 13 to display a user interface including a color conversion profile specifying unit (step S215). That is, when the color plate is selected by the user and the image data is composed of only the color plate (first image data), the user interface including the color conversion profile specifying unit is displayed in the color setting unit 13. In addition, the state in which the color plate is selected is equivalent to the state in which the first image data is selected in the selection unit.

[0078] The color conversion profile designation unit is a user interface for implementing the setting of the color in the first image, and in this embodiment, includes a button B1 for instructing the start of designation of the color conversion profile. In addition to the button B1 as the color conversion profile designation unit, the color setting unit 13 is provided with various buttons, and the user selects each button by operating the UI unit 140, so that the color setting unit 13 can display the user interface assigned to each button.

[0079] When step S215 is executed and button B1 is selected, the display control unit 120b controls the UI unit 140 so that the color setting unit 13 displays a screen on which a color conversion profile can be specified. Figure 5 In the color setting unit 13 shown in the figure, the button B1 is selected, and a screen for specifying a color conversion profile is displayed. Specifically, the character strings of the input profile and the output profile are displayed in the color setting unit 13, and the respective profiles can be specified through a pull-down menu. When the user operates the UI unit 140 to display and specify the pull-down menu, the display control unit 120b displays the color conversion profile stored in the non-volatile memory 130 and the like in a selectable manner. The user can specify the color conversion profile by operating the UI unit 140.

[0080] When the user specifies the color conversion profile, the display control unit 120b accepts the specified color conversion profile as a target for use (step S220). The target color conversion profile is stored in the nonvolatile memory 130 or the like, and is referred to when performing color conversion. Furthermore, when steps S125 and S135 are executed again, conversion is performed based on the specified color conversion profile.

[0081] On the other hand, when it is determined in step S210 that the type of plate is a special color plate, the display control unit 120b causes the color setting unit 13 to display a user interface including a color material amount specifying unit (step S225). That is, when the special color plate is selected by the user and the image data is composed of only the special color plate (second image data), the user interface including the color material amount specifying unit is displayed in the color setting unit 13. In addition, the state in which the special color plate is selected is equivalent to the state in which the second image data is selected in the selection unit.

[0082] The color material amount designation unit is a user interface for implementing the setting of the color in the second image, and in this embodiment includes a user interface for designating the amount of a plurality of color materials used in the printing device 200 when printing a special color. Figure 6 In the example, the user interface displayed in the color setting unit 13 is the color material amount designation unit. In this example, since there is only one button displayed on the right side of the color setting unit 13, the user interface displayed in the color setting unit 13 when the special color plate is selected is Figure 6 One variety of user interface is shown.

[0083] Figure 6 The color material quantity designation unit shown includes an input unit for inputting a value corresponding to the color material quantity of each of the plurality of color materials when printing the representative color. Specifically, in the color material quantity designation unit, character strings representing each color of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), black (K), green (G), gray (Gy), red (R), and orange (Or) are displayed. In addition, a corresponding relationship is established between the box for inputting a numerical value and the character string of each color, and the user can operate the UI unit 140 to modify the numerical value in the box. In addition, in this example, the numerical value is a value representing the percentage of the amount of the color material, 100% is the upper limit of the amount of the color material that can be recorded on the printing medium, and 0% means that the color material is not recorded on the printing medium. Here, since the number and type of color materials used vary depending on the model and specifications of the printing device, the character string representing each color displayed in the color material quantity designation unit in the color setting unit 13 is different according to the printing device that performs the printing task.

[0084] When the user inputs a numerical value, the representative color material amount acquisition unit 120c acquires the representative color material amount (step S230). That is, the representative color material amount acquisition unit 120c converts the numerical value of the percentage input in step S225 into the representative color material amount representing the amount of the color material of each color using a LUT (not shown) stored in the non-volatile memory 130 or the like.

[0085] When step S220 or step S230 is executed, processor 120 repeats the process after step S115. If the user does not make a correction in step S220 or step S230, processor 120 may return to step S115 without accepting the correction.

[0086] When the user performs the correction in step S220 or step S230, the first color material amount data and the second color material amount data are generated based on the corrected color conversion profile and the representative color material amount in the processing after step S115. Therefore, when step S155 is executed again, a preview image reflecting the correction result performed by the user is displayed on the display device of the UI unit 140.

[0087] According to the above processing, the representative color material amount acquisition unit 120c can accept the correction of the representative color material amount performed by the user. That is, when the color of the preview image displayed on the preview image display unit 12 is different from the user's intention, the user can correct the amount of the color material by specifying the color conversion profile in step S215 or the color material amount in step S225. Therefore, the user can adjust the amount of the color material to output the desired color.

[0088] Furthermore, in the above processing, when the image data is composed of the first image data and does not include the second image data, the color conversion profile can be specified by the color conversion profile specifying unit. Therefore, by specifying the color conversion profile, the amount of color material when printing the first image represented by the first image data can be adjusted. Therefore, the color of the first image that generally includes a plurality of colors can be easily adjusted.

[0089] On the other hand, when the image data is composed of the first image data and the second image data, the color conversion profile designation unit and the color material amount designation unit can be used. More specifically, when the first image data is selected, the color conversion profile can be designated by the color conversion profile designation unit. On the other hand, when the second image data is selected, the amount of the color material can be designated by the color material amount designation unit.

[0090] Therefore, by specifying the color conversion profile, it is possible to adjust the amount of color material when printing the first image represented by the first image data. Therefore, it is possible to easily adjust the color of the first image that generally contains multiple colors. In addition, by using the color material amount specifying unit to specify the amount of color material when printing a special color, it is possible to adjust the amount of color material when printing the second image represented by the special color represented by the second image data. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the amount of color material used for printing the special color by specifying the amount of color material of only one color. Through the above structure, in an image in which images containing colors other than the special color and images represented by the special color can be mixed, the amount of color material used in printing can be adjusted in a manner corresponding to the type of each image. As a result, the color of each image can be effectively adjusted.

[0091] (3) Printing process:

[0092] In execution Figure 3 , Figure 4 In the state of image processing shown in FIG. 1 , the processor 120 can accept various interrupts. In this embodiment, one of the interrupts includes printing processing. That is, when the user operates the UI unit 140 to implement an instruction based on the print instruction button 14, it is determined that the print instruction has been implemented, and the printing process is started. Figure 7 Printing process shown.

[0093] When the printing process starts, the sending unit 120f generates printing data based on the third color material amount data obtained in step S150 (step S300). That is, the sending unit 120f performs halftone processing based on a well-known method, and converts the third color material amount data into halftone data to generate printing data. When the printing data is generated, the sending unit 120f sends the printing data to the printing device 200 (step S305). According to the above structure, the printing device 200 can print the image represented by the image data.

[0094] (4) Other implementation methods:

[0095] The above embodiment is an example for implementing the present invention, and various other embodiments can be adopted. For example, the image processing device can be a printing device or a multifunction machine with a printing function. In addition, the image processing device can also be a personal computer, a tablet terminal, a smart phone, etc. that functions as an image processing device for generating a printing task. In addition, alternative means can also be adopted in the various image processing described above. For example, in the above embodiment, the preview image is generated based on the color material amount data, but the preview image can also be generated based on the halftone data.

[0096] Furthermore, the method for obtaining the representative color material amount is not limited to the method of converting the representative grayscale value using the color conversion profile as in the above-mentioned embodiment, or the method of having the user specify the amount of the color material for each color. For example, the representative color material amount may be specified based on the color bar. This method can be realized by, for example, having a storage unit such as the nonvolatile memory 130 store in advance the amount of the color material used for each of a plurality of color bars having different amounts of the color material.

[0097] In this configuration, the representative color material amount acquisition unit 120c accepts the identification number of the color patch input by the user through the UI unit 140 to the identification number input unit. Furthermore, the representative color material amount acquisition unit 120c acquires the amount of the color material used to print the color patch of the accepted identification number as the representative color material amount based on the information stored in the storage unit. According to this configuration, the user can confirm the actual printing color through the color patch and specify the representative color material amount.

[0098] In addition, the storage unit only needs to be able to store the amount of color material used for each of the multiple color scales with different amounts of color material. That is, it only needs to be configured to specify the amount of color material used in the color scale when the information stored in the storage unit is referenced based on the selected color scale. The color scale can be a color sample prepared in advance or can be printed by a printing device. In the latter, it is preferred to print a color scale containing multiple special colors. According to this structure, the user can set the desired special color as the representative color from the multiple color scales.

[0099] Furthermore, the preview image displayed in step S155 is not limited to the third preview image. For example, the processor 120 may be configured to generate a second preview image for causing the display device to display the second image represented by the second color material quantity data, and to cause the display device to display the image. In this case, the second preview image can be displayed within the frame of the preview image display unit 12. The second preview image can be generated from the second color material quantity data by the same processing as that when the third preview image is generated from the third color material quantity data. According to this configuration, for special colors for which the accuracy of the color to be printed is more likely than that of general colors, the user can adjust the color based on the preview image.

[0100] Of course, it is possible to preview the first preview image used to cause the display device to display the first image represented by the first color material amount data, or to preview the desired image from the first preview image, the second preview image, and the third preview image, or to preview multiple images simultaneously.

[0101] Furthermore, the situation that the amount of color material exceeds the upper limit of the amount of color material can also be communicated to the user. This structure can be realized by the following structure, that is, the processor 120 compares the amount of color material represented by the third color material amount data with the upper limit of the amount of color material, and when the amount of color material represented by the third color material amount data exceeds the upper limit of the amount of color material, the display device displays a warning. The warning can be in various ways, either by explicitly indicating the pixels whose amount of color material exceeds the upper limit of the amount of color material, or by implementing the warning without explicitly indicating the pixels. Of course, the warning can also be implemented together with the display of the preview image. According to the above structure, the user can easily recognize whether printing can be performed according to the current color setting.

[0102] The image data acquisition unit only needs to be able to acquire image data including first image data that expresses a first image by a plurality of colors including colors other than the special color, and second image data that expresses a second image by the special color. That is, the image data acquisition unit only needs to be able to acquire image data representing a first image expressed by an arbitrary color within the color gamut, and a second image expressed by a special color that is a specific color. The image data only needs to be data that can include these images, and the format of the image data is not limited. Therefore, it is not limited to a structure in which the first image and the second image are distinguished as different versions of images. For example, data described under the condition that a total of four channels of data including three channels of first image data constituting the first image and one channel of second image data constituting the second image are not distinguished can also be made into image data.

[0103] A special color is a color that is pre-specified from the colors that can be expressed by a printing device, and the special color can be either one color or multiple colors. In the case where the special color is multiple colors, a representative color and its similar colors, such as a color with the same grayscale value and ratio of the representative color but different concentration and brightness, are included in the special color. In addition, there can be multiple types of representative colors so that there are multiple colors of special colors. For example, when two types of specific colors of corporate color are used when printing, it can be said that there are multiple types of representative colors. In this case, multiple colors with different concentrations and brightness for each representative color can be included in the special color. In addition, in this case, there can also be multiple plates corresponding to the multiple representative colors. In addition, the format of the second image data is not limited to the structure of the above-mentioned embodiment, and the special color can also be described using image formats such as RGB, CMYK, etc.

[0104] On the other hand, colors other than special colors are any colors that exist in the color gamut and are different from the special colors. Therefore, the first image can be represented using any color in the color gamut. In addition, the color gamut can be the color gamut of any device such as a display device or a printing device, but no matter which method is used, all colors that can be represented in a specific image format such as RGB or CMYK can be used in the first image. Special colors are only part of the colors included in the color gamut.

[0105] The representative color material amount acquisition unit only needs to be able to acquire the representative color material amount that represents the amount of multiple color materials used to print the representative color included in the special color using the printing device. That is, the representative color material amount acquisition unit only needs to be able to acquire the representative color material amount that is an indicator of the amount of color material that should be used to print the special color. The representative color is one of the special colors, and the representative color only needs to be predetermined. For example, a color among the corporate standard color and the color sample can be made the representative color of the special color. The representative color material amount is the amount of color material that should be used to print the representative color, but because the color development in the printing device may be different for each individual, it is not necessarily possible to always accurately print the representative color by using a certain value of the representative color material amount. In this sense, the representative color material amount can be said to be the amount of color material used to print the representative color or a color similar to the representative color. In addition, the representative color material amount can be corrected.

[0106] The color material only needs to be a material for expressing color, and various color materials can be used. For example, when the printing device is an inkjet printer, the color material is ink. When the printing device is an electrophotographic printer, the color material is toner. The amount of color material can be specified in various ways. For example, the amount of color material can be specified by a grayscale value that is a value within a predetermined value range as in the above-mentioned embodiment, or the amount of color material can be specified by a concentration of 0% when the color material is not used and 100% when the color material is used to the maximum extent.

[0107] The conversion unit only needs to be able to convert the first image data into first color material quantity data expressing the color of the first image by the quantity of a plurality of color materials used in the printing device based on the color conversion profile, and convert the second image data into second color material quantity data expressing the color of the second image by the quantity of a plurality of color materials used in the printing device based on the representative color material quantity. In other words, the conversion unit only needs to be able to perform color conversion for obtaining the quantity of color materials based on information corresponding to the first image data and the second image data, respectively.

[0108] The color conversion profile may be known information used in color conversion, and may use either a LUT or a function. In addition, color conversion only needs to be able to convert the first image data into first color material quantity data. If the format of the first image data is different, the color conversion method may also be different. For example, the color conversion profile referenced in color conversion may be different for the case where the first image data is represented by RGB and the case where it is represented by CMYK. Of course, the color conversion profile may be different depending on the printing conditions of the input device, the printing device, the printing medium, etc.

[0109] The synthesis unit only needs to be able to synthesize the first color material quantity data and the second color material quantity data to generate the third color material quantity data. That is, the image data is data representing an image synthesized by synthesizing the first image and the second image, and the printing object when printing based on the image data is implemented is the synthesized image. Therefore, the synthesis unit only needs to be able to synthesize the first color material quantity data and the second color material quantity data, and generate the third color material quantity data for printing the synthesized result of the first image and the second image. Synthesis can be implemented using various techniques, either simply adding the first color material quantity data and the second color material quantity data, or multiplying by a weighting coefficient and performing addition calculation. In addition, various corrections can also be implemented, such as corrections that do not exceed the upper limit of the color material.

[0110] The sending unit only needs to be able to send the printing data based on the third color material quantity data to the printing device. That is, the sending unit only needs to enable the printing device to print the image represented by the third color material quantity data. In addition, if further processing is required for printing, the sending unit may also perform further processing on the third color material quantity data. For example, in the case of printing by performing halftone processing on the third color material quantity data, the sending unit may also perform halftone processing. On the other hand, if halftone processing can be performed in the printing device, the sending unit only needs to send the third color material quantity data to the printing device.

[0111] Moreover, as in the present invention, it can also be applied as a program or method executed by a computer. In addition, the above-mentioned systems, programs, and methods exist in the case of being implemented as a separate device, and also exist in the case of being implemented as components possessed by multiple devices, which include various methods. In addition, it can be appropriately changed in the form of a part being software and a part being hardware. Moreover, the recording medium of the program that controls the system can also make the invention valid. Of course, the recording medium of the program can be either a magnetic recording medium or a semiconductor memory, and can be considered in exactly the same way in any recording medium developed in the future.

[0112] Explanation of symbols

[0113] 10…user interface; 11…image indication unit; 12…preview image display unit; 13…color setting unit; 14…print indication button; 100…image processing device; 120…processor; 120a…image data acquisition unit; 120b…display control unit; 120c…representative color material amount acquisition unit; 120d…conversion unit; 120e…synthesis unit; 120f…transmission unit; 130…non-volatile memory; 140…UI unit; 150…communication unit; 200…printing device; 220…processor; 220a…receiving unit; 220b…processing unit; 230…non-volatile memory; 240…UI unit; 250…communication unit; 260…printing unit.

Claims

1. An image processing device comprising: An image data acquisition unit acquires image data including first image data and second image data, wherein: The first image data is data expressing a first image by a plurality of colors including a color other than a special color, and the second image data is data expressing a second image by the special color; a representative color material amount acquisition unit that acquires representative color material amounts indicating amounts of a plurality of color materials used to print representative colors included in the special color using a printing device; a conversion section that converts the first image data into first color material amount data expressing the color of the first image in amounts of a plurality of color materials used in the printing device based on the color conversion profile, and converts the second image data into second color material amount data expressing the color of the second image in amounts of a plurality of color materials used in the printing device based on the representative color material amount; a synthesis unit that synthesizes the first color material amount data and the second color material amount data to generate third color material amount data; A transmitting unit transmits printing data based on the third color material amount data to the printing device.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The image data includes a representative grayscale value corresponding to the representative color. The conversion unit converts the representative grayscale value into the amount of a plurality of color materials used in the printing device based on the color conversion profile. The representative color material amount acquisition unit acquires the amount of the color material obtained by conversion as the representative color material amount.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The representative color material amount acquisition unit can receive a correction of the representative color material amount by a user. The conversion section converts the second image data into the second color material amount data based on the corrected representative color material amount.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The apparatus further includes a storage unit that stores the amount of color material used for each of a plurality of color patches having different amounts of color material. The representative color material amount acquisition unit acquires, as the representative color material amount, the amount of the color material used in the color patch selected from the plurality of color patches.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The first image data is data that expresses the multiple colors through grayscale values ​​of multiple channels. The second image data is data that expresses the special color through the grayscale value of one channel.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The device further includes a display control unit configured to generate a second preview image for causing a display device to display the second image indicated by the second color material amount data, and to cause the display device to display the second preview image.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: comparing the color material amount indicated by the third color material amount data with an upper limit color material amount, When the color material amount indicated by the third color material amount data exceeds the upper limit color material amount, generating the third color material amount data for converting the color material amount to below the upper limit color material amount, The image processing device further includes a display control unit that generates a third preview image for causing a display device to display an image represented by the converted third color material amount data, and causes the display device to display the third preview image.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: comparing the color material amount indicated by the third color material amount data with an upper limit color material amount, The image processing device further includes a display control unit configured to cause a display device to display a warning when the color material amount indicated by the third color material amount data exceeds the upper limit color material amount.

9. An image processing method, wherein: acquiring image data including first image data and second image data, wherein the first image data is data representing a first image using a plurality of colors including a color other than a special color, and the second image data is data representing a second image using the special color, acquiring a representative color material amount, the representative color material amount indicating an amount of a plurality of color materials used to print a representative color included in the special color using a printing device, converting the first image data into first color material amount data expressing the color of the first image in amounts of a plurality of color materials used in the printing device based on the color conversion profile, and converting the second image data into second color material amount data expressing the color of the second image in amounts of a plurality of color materials used in the printing device based on the representative color material amounts, synthesizing the first color material amount data and the second color material amount data to generate third color material amount data, and Printing data based on the third color material amount data is sent to the printing device.

10. An image processing program product that causes a computer to function as the following means, namely: An image data acquisition unit acquires image data including first image data and second image data, wherein: The first image data is data expressing a first image by a plurality of colors including a color other than a special color, and the second image data is data expressing a second image by the special color; a representative color material amount acquisition unit that acquires representative color material amounts indicating amounts of a plurality of color materials used to print representative colors included in the special color using a printing device; a conversion section that converts the first image data into first color material amount data expressing the color of the first image in amounts of a plurality of color materials used in the printing device based on the color conversion profile, and converts the second image data into second color material amount data expressing the color of the second image in amounts of a plurality of color materials used in the printing device based on the representative color material amount; a synthesis unit that synthesizes the first color material amount data and the second color material amount data to generate third color material amount data; A transmitting unit transmits printing data based on the third color material amount data to the printing device.

Images