Ink jet image producing device and process for its operation

Ink jet image producing device for the reproduction of digital image data of photographic images, comprising:

• at least one printing head with more than three colors selected from the group of base colors and ink jet colors which stretch a color space;
• a computing device for calculating at least one of the location and color coordinates of color values of image data in the color space;
• an image data analysis device for determining whether the image data include a memory color;
• a memory color assignment device for assigning the color image data which were determined by the image data analysis device and which fit memory colors, to a color set or an ink of the device which comes closest to the memory color;
• and
• a printing head control device for controlling the at least one printing head during the printing of the image data, using the assignment result of the memory color assignment device.

Process for the control of an ink jet image producing device for the printing of image data of a photographic image with a print head for more than three colors selected from the group of base colors and ink jet printing colors, comprising the steps of:

• calculating a color space on the basis of the colors of the at least one print head and calculating the location or color coordinates of color values of the image data;
• determining a color set including the colors or mixtures and densities thereof, with which color set the image data can be reproduced;
• loading a threshold for a degree of coverage of at least one print medium into a threshold device;
• determining if a determined color set requires a large or small amount of ink for the printing of a color to be reproduced;
• selecting a color set depending on the threshold for the printing medium;
• and
• extracting from the image data, depending on the color set determined, information for the printing for printing the image data with the most fitting appearance.

Process for the control of an ink jet image producing device for the printing of image data of photographic images, with a printing head for more than three basic colors or ink jet colors, comprising the steps of:

• producing a color space on the basis of the base or ink jet printing colors available to the printing head, whereby a location or color coordinates of color values of image data in the color space are calculated;
• analyzing the image data for determining whether the image data include memory colors;
• assigning a color set or an ink of a color set to the color image data determined by the image data analysis device which image data fit to memory colors, which color set or ink comes closest to or corresponds with the memory color;
• and
• modifying the image data using the assignment result and printing the modified image data with a printing head.