# US 8,770,871 B2 · Image processing device, printing device, and medium having recorded image processing program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,770,871 B2 - Document ID: US8770871B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/449,558 - Filed: 2012-04-18 - Published: 2012-10-18 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2011-04-18 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Hirofumi Sakai; Mitsuhiro Yamashita - Inventors: Hirofumi Sakai; Mitsuhiro Yamashita - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770871B2 ## CPC - H04N 1/54: Conversion of colour picture signals to a plurality of signals some of which represent particular mixed colours, e.g. for textile printing - B41J 2/2114: {Ejecting specialized liquids, e.g. transparent or processing liquids (B41J2/211 takes precedence)} - B41J 2/2117: {Ejecting white liquids} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract To provide a technique for outputting printing image data to a printing device using a colored ink, and a special glossy ink having special gloss, including a field discrimination part for discriminating whether there is an adjacent field, in which a special glossy field that is expressed using the special glossy ink and a color production field that is expressed using the colored ink are adjacent in the direction of the image plane; a special gloss boundary processor for adjusting the image data so that the ink volume of the special glossy ink affixed to the special glossy field is gradually reduced from the special glossy field towards the color production field in a case where an adjacent field is present; and an output part for outputting the printing image data based on the adjusted image data the printing device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image processing device for outputting printing image data for printing to a printing device for carrying out printing using a colored ink, and a special glossy ink having special gloss, the image processing device comprising: an input part configured to input image data of an image to be printed; a field discrimination part configured to discriminate, based on the image data, whether there is an adjacent field, in which a special glossy field that is expressed in the image data using the special glossy ink and a color production field that is expressed in the image data using only the colored ink are adjacent with respect to each other in a first direction of an image plane; a special gloss boundary processor configured to adjust the image data of the adjacent field so that an ink volume of the special glossy ink affixed to the special glossy field is gradually reduced as the special glossy field approaches the color production field in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, in a case where the adjacent field is present; and an output part configured to output the printing image data based on the adjusted image data to the printing device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the special gloss boundary processor, by adjusting the input image data, does not change the ink volume of the colored ink that is affixed by the printing device based on the printing image data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the special gloss boundary processor sets, within a predetermined range, the rate of decrease in the gradually decreasing special glossy ink. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The image processing device according to claim 3, further comprising a color patch output part causing the printing device to print a color patch that associates, for predetermined image data having the adjacent field, a plurality of the rates of decrease with images of individual adjacent fields based on the adjusted respective image data sets at each of the rates of decrease. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The printing processing device according to claim 1, wherein the special glossy ink is a metallic ink having metallic gloss. ### Claim 6 A printing device whereby printing is carried out using a colored ink and a special glossy ink having special gloss, the printing device further comprising: an input part configured to input image data representing an image to be printed; a field discrimination part configured to discriminate, based on the image data, whether there is an adjacent field, in which a special glossy field that is expressed in the image data using the special glossy ink and a color production field that is expressed in the image data using only the colored ink are adjacent with respect to each other in a first direction of an image plane; a special gloss boundary processor configured to adjust the image data of the adjacent field so that an ink volume of the special glossy ink affixed to the special glossy field is gradually reduced as the special glossy field approaches the color production field in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, in a case where the adjacent field is present; and a printing part configured to execute printing based on the adjusted image data. ### Claim 7 A medium having recorded thereon an image processing program for outputting printing image data for printing to a printing device for carrying out printing using a colored ink and a special glossy ink having special gloss, the medium being a computer-readable medium having recorded thereon an image processing program that causes the computer to execute: a function configured to input image data representing an image to be printed; a function configured to discriminate, based on the image data, whether there is an adjacent field, in which a special glossy field that is expressed in the image data using the special glossy ink and a color production field that is expressed in the image data using only the colored ink are adjacent with respect to each other in a first direction of an image plane; a function configured to adjust the image data of the adjacent field so that an ink volume of the special glossy ink affixed to the special glossy field is gradually reduced as the special glossy field approaches the color production field in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, in a case where the adjacent field is present; and a function configured to output the printing image data based on the adjusted image data to the printing device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the adjacent field is a field that is located at a side of the special glossy field relative to a boundary between the special glossy field and the color production field in the second direction, and extends a predetermined width from the boundary in the second direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The image processing device according to claim 2, wherein the special gloss boundary processor does not change the ink volume of the colored ink in the adjacent field while the ink volume of the special glossy ink affixed to the special glossy field is gradually reduced in the second direction.