Color image processing apparatus, image processing apparatus, color image processing method, image processing method, and a computer-readable recording medium for making a computer execute the methods

An image processing method comprising:

• a plane signal conversion step at which an image signal expressed on a color space is converted to an image signal on a plane;
• a chroma identification step at which a chroma of the image signal is identified based on the image signal converted at the plane signal conversion step;
• a hue area identification step at which a hue of the image signal is identified based on the image signal converted at the plane signal conversion step;
• a masking coefficient selection step at which a masking coefficient optimal to an image based on the signal identified at the chroma identification step and a signal identified at the hue area identification step;
• and
• a color conversion step at which color conversion of the image signal expressed on the color space is executed based on the result of selection at the masking coefficient selection step;
• wherein a masking coefficient is selected excluding a hue area from the image signal expressed on the color space at the masking coefficient selection step.