Print control apparatus, method, program, and recording medium

A print control method for generating print data to be supplied to a print section in order to print with said print section that uses a plurality of types of ink to selectively discharge N (N is an integer number being greater than one) types of ink drops different in the quantity of the ink upon a print medium thereby forming the N types of dots different in the size within an area corresponding to one pixel, comprising:

• a color converting step of generating color-converted image data represented by a plurality of color components available for said print section by converting a color system of a given original image data by means of a color conversion table;
• a halftone processing step of determining whether the N types of dots are generated for respective pixels based upon a first correspondence between a tone value of the color-converted image data as an input, and a combination of respective recording ratios of the N types of dots as an output;
• a correspondence determining step of, based upon error information representing an error of a color value of an output due to an error in an ink weight of respective dots of at least one of specific types of the N types of dots for the respective colors of the plurality of types, determining a second correspondence between the tone value of the color-converted image data and a combination of respective recording ratios of the N types of dots such that the error is almost zero;
• a tone value combination determining step of determining a combination of a first tone value and a second tone value such that a total ink discharge quantity according to the first correspondence upon a color-converted image data being considered as the first tone value, and a total ink discharge quantity according to the second correspondence upon the color-converted image data being considered as the second tone value are approximately equal;
• and
• a color correction of outputting a first tone value if color-converted image data is considered as a second tone value, and supplies the first tone value as a tone value of the color-converted image data of said halftone processing section.

A program of instructions for execution by the computer to perform a print control process for generating print data to be supplied to a print section in order to print with said print section that uses a plurality of types of ink to selectively discharge N (N is an integer number being greater than one) types of ink drops different in the quantity of the ink upon a print medium thereby forming the N types of dots different in the size within an area corresponding to one pixel, said print control process comprising:

• a color converting step of generating color-converted image data represented by a plurality of color components available for said print section by converting a color system of a given original image data by means of a color conversion table;
• a halftone processing step of determining whether the N types of dots are generated for respective pixels based upon a first correspondence between a tone value of the color-converted image data as an input, and a combination of respective recording ratios of the N types of dots as an output;
• a correspondence determining step of, based upon error information representing an error of a color value of an output due to an error in an ink weight of respective dots of at least one of specific types of the N types of dots for the respective colors of the plurality of types, determining a second correspondence between the tone value of the color-converted image data and a combination of respective recording ratios of the N types of dots such that the error is almost zero;
• a tone value combination determining step of determining a combination of a first tone value and a second tone value such that a total ink discharge quantity according to the first correspondence upon a color-converted image data being considered as the first tone value, and a total ink discharge quantity according to the second correspondence upon the color-converted image data being considered as the second tone value are approximately equal;
• and
• a color correction of outputting a first tone value if color-converted image data is considered as a second tone value, and supplies the first tone value as a tone value of the color-converted image data of said halftone processing section.

A computer-readable medium having a program of instructions for execution by the computer to perform a print control process for generating print data to be supplied to a print section in order to print with said print section that uses a plurality of types of ink to selectively discharge N (N is an integer number being greater than one) types of ink drops different in the quantity of the ink upon a print medium thereby forming the N types of dots different in the size within an area corresponding to one pixel, said print control process comprising:

• a color converting step of generating color-converted image data represented by a plurality of color components available for said print section by converting a color system of a given original image data by means of a color conversion table;
• a halftone processing step of determining whether the N types of dots are generated for respective pixels based upon a first correspondence between a tone value of the color-converted image data as an input, and a combination of respective recording ratios of the N types of dots as an output;
• a correspondence determining step of, based upon error information representing an error of a color value of an output due to an error in an ink weight of respective dots of at least one of specific types of the N types of dots for the respective colors of the plurality of types, determining a second correspondence between the tone value of the color-converted image data and a combination of respective recording ratios of the N types of dots such that the error is almost zero;
• a tone value combination determining step of determining a combination of a first tone value and a second tone value such that a total ink discharge quantity according to the first correspondence upon a color-converted image data being considered as the first tone value, and a total ink discharge quantity according to the second correspondence upon the color-converted image data being considered as the second tone value are approximately equal;
• and
• a color correction of outputting a first tone value if color-converted image data is considered as a second tone value, and supplies the first tone value as a tone value of the color-converted image data of said halftone processing section.