Spectral characteristic calculating device and method

A spectral characteristic calculation device that calculates spectral characteristic values, comprising:

• a first storage that stores brightness value information for each of a plurality of sample groups, each of the plurality of sample groups containing sample color image information;
• a second storage that stores a plurality of conversion matrices, each of the plurality of conversion matrices being generated based on the sample color image information contained in one of the plurality of sample groups;
• an image receiver that receives digital color image data as target data;
• and
• a controller that receives the target data received by the image receiver, accesses the brightness value information for each of the plurality of sample groups stored in the first storage, accesses the plurality of conversion matrices stored in the second storage, and further:
• evaluates a similarity of brightness value information of the target data with respect to the brightness value information of each of the plurality of sample groups;
• selects a conversion matrix of the plurality of conversion matrices that corresponds to one of the plurality of sample groups that is evaluated to have a highest similarity;
• and
• calculates the spectral characteristic values of the target data based on the conversion matrix selected by the selector.