Detection and rendering of text in tinted areas

An apparatus for digitally reproducing a compound document image comprising:

• a device for distinguishing half-tone tint regions having embedded text and/or line graphics from half-tone tint regions not having embedded text and/or line gragphics;
• an input device configured to provide a digital image of said document, said digital image comprising a multiplicity of pixels, each of which has a value to represent the tonal state of said pixel;
• an averaging device which determines an average image of said document by calculating, for each said pixel, an average of the values of the pixels within an averaging window encompassing said pixel;
• a text detector which determines a discrimination value for each said pixel indicating whether said pixel is a half-tone tint pixel or a text/graphics pixel;
• and
• video processor which controls a print device in accordance with said discrimination values to output a reproduction of at least a portion of said document image.