Image processing apparatus, method, and storage medium for performing soft proof processing

An image processing apparatus which generates a proofed image used to reproduce, on a monitor, a print product under observation illumination, comprising:

• a characteristics holding unit configured to hold specular reflection of the observation illumination at a sample print product having a plurality of colors printed thereon as color-specific glossy components, diffuse reflection of the observation illumination at the sample print product as color-specific diffuse components, and color-specific gonio-spectral reflection characteristics at the sample print product;
• an evaluation value holding unit configured to hold an evaluation value for each of the held color-specific gonio-spectral reflection characteristics;
• an intensity distribution holding unit configured to hold an intensity distribution of the observation illumination;
• a characteristics calculation unit configured to obtain the gonio-spectral reflection characteristics for each of a plurality of representative colors from said gloss characteristics holding unit, and to calculate gonio-spectral reflection characteristics for a color of each pixel in the proofing-target image by means of obtaining the evaluation value corresponding to the color of the pixel from said evaluation value holding unit, and interpolating the gonio-spectral reflection characteristics for each of the representative colors, based on the evaluation value, the representative colors corresponding to the evaluation values held in said evaluation value holding unit
• a lowpass filter generation unit configured to generate a lowpass filter corresponding to the gonio-spectral reflection characteristics for a color of each pixel in the proofing-target image;
• an intensity calculation unit configured to perform filter processing on the intensity distribution of the observation illumination held in said illumination intensity distribution holding unit, by means of the lowpass filter corresponding to a color of a pixel in the proofing-target image, in order to calculate a capture intensity distribution of the observation illumination for the pixel, for each pixel in the proofing-target image;
• a proofing color calculation unit configured to obtain the glossy component and the diffuse component corresponding to a color of a pixel in the proofing-target image from said characteristics holding unit, to multiply the difference between the glossy component and the diffuse component by the capture intensity to calculate a proofing glossy component, and to add the diffuse component to the proofing glossy component in order to calculate a proofing color of the pixel, for each pixel in the proofing-target image;
• and
• a display image generation unit configured to convert the proofing color into a signal value for the monitor to generate a display image, for each pixel in the proofing-target image.

An image processing apparatus which generates a proofed image used to reproduce, on a monitor, a print product under observation illumination, comprising:

• a characteristics holding unit configured to hold specular reflection of the observation illumination at a sample print product having a plurality of colors printed thereon as color-specific glossy components, diffuse reflection of the observation illumination at the sample print product as color-specific diffuse components, and color-specific gonio-spectral reflection characteristics at the sample print product;
• an intensity distribution holding unit configured to hold an intensity distribution of the observation illumination;
• a lowpass filter generation unit configured to obtain the gonio-spectral reflection characteristics for each of a plurality of representative colors from said gloss characteristics holding unit, and to generate a lowpass filter corresponding to the gonio-spectral reflection characteristics, where the representative colors include a plurality of colors in a color region of a proofing-target image;
• a map generation unit configured to perform filter processing on the intensity distribution of the observation illumination held in said intensity distribution holding unit by means of the lowpass filter, in order to generate a map indicating a capture intensity distribution of observation illumination for the representative color, and to generate a table indicating a relationship between the representative color and the map, for each of the representative colors;
• an intensity calculation unit configured to calculate a capture intensity of the observation illumination corresponding to a position and a color of a pixel in the proofing-target image by accessing up the table, for each pixel in the proofing-target image;
• a proofing color calculation unit configured to obtain the glossy component and the diffuse component corresponding to a color of a pixel in the proofing-target image from said characteristics holding unit, to multiply the difference between the glossy component and the diffuse component by the capture intensity to calculate a proofing glossy component, and to add the diffuse component to the proofing glossy component in order to calculate a proofing color of the pixel, for each pixel in the proofing-target image;
• and
• a display image generation unit configured to convert the proofing color into a signal value for the monitor to generate a display image, for each pixel in the proofing-target image.

An image processing method for an image processing apparatus comprising a characteristics holding unit, an evaluation value holding unit, a lowpass filter generation unit, a map generation unit, an intensity calculation unit, a proofing color calculation unit, and a display image generation unit, wherein the image processing apparatus performs soft proof processing of reproducing, on a monitor, a print product under observation illumination, wherein:

• said characteristics holding unit is configured to hold specular reflection of the observation illumination as color-specific glossy components, diffuse reflection of the observation illumination as color-specific diffuse components, and color-specific gonio-spectral reflection characteristics;
• said evaluation value holding unit is configured to hold an evaluation value for each of the held color-specific gonio-spectral reflection characteristics;
• and
• said intensity distribution holding unit is configured to hold an intensity distribution of the observation illumination;
• said method comprising:
• a lowpass filter generation step of obtaining the gonio-spectral reflection characteristics for each of a plurality of representative colors from said characteristics holding unit, and generating a lowpass filter corresponding to the gonio-spectral reflection characteristics for each of the representative colors, the representative colors corresponding to the evaluation values held in said evaluation value holding unit;
• a map generation step of performing filter processing on the intensity distribution of the observation illumination held in said intensity distribution holding unit, for each of the representative colors, by means of the lowpass filter corresponding to the representative color, in order to generate a map indicating a capture intensity distribution of observation illumination for the representative color;
• an intensity calculation step of obtaining an evaluation value corresponding to a color of a pixel in a proofing-target image from said evaluation value holding unit, and interpolating a capture intensity at a position corresponding to the pixel in the map for each of the representative colors, based on the evaluation value, in order to calculate a capture intensity of the observation illumination for the pixel, for each pixel in the proofing-target image;
• a proofing color calculation step of obtaining the glossy component and the diffuse component corresponding to a color of a pixel in the proofing-target image from said characteristics holding unit, multiplying the difference between the glossy component and the diffuse component by the capture intensity to calculate a proofing glossy component, and adding the diffuse component to the proofing glossy component in order to calculate a proofing color of the pixel, for each pixel in the proofing-target image;
• and
• a display image generation step of converting the proofing color into a signal value for the monitor to generate a display image, for each pixel in the proofing-target image.