Color selecting method, image processing method, image processing apparatus, and computer-readable recording medium storing program

A color selecting method of printing a color chart having a plurality of color patches of a reference color and colors close to the reference color, with a printing machine and selecting one of the color patches whose color is closest to a designated color from the color chart, comprising:

• an entering step of entering color values of the designated color;
• a determining step of determining whether the designated color whose color values are entered is a color within a gamut of the printing machine or not;
• a selecting step of selecting one of a plurality of gamut mapping processes if the designated color is judged as being not a color within the gamut;
• a mapping step of mapping the designated color to a converted color within the gamut according to the selected one of the gamut mapping processes;
• a displaying step of displaying the converted colors as a plurality of candidate colors;
• a display candidate selecting step of selecting one of the displayed candidate colors, depending on a predetermined selection operation and
• a setting step of setting the candidate color as the reference color;
• wherein the gamut mapping processes include a process for employing a different gamut mapping process depending on a color range of the designated color;
• wherein the plurality of gamut mapping processes is selected from the group consisting of impression matching, lightness matching, saturation matching, and minimum distance.

An image processing method comprising:

• an entering step of entering color values of a designated color to be reproduced by a printing machine;
• a determining step of determining whether the designated color whose color values are entered is a color within a gamut of the printing machine or not;
• a mapping step of mapping the designated color to converted colors within the gamut according to a plurality of gamut mapping processes, if the designated color is judged as being not a color within the gamut;
• a displaying step of displaying the converted colors as a plurality of candidate colors;
• a selecting step of selecting one of the displayed candidate colors, depending on a predetermined selection operation;
• a setting step of setting the designated color as a reference color if the designated color is judged as being a color within the gamut, and setting the selected one of the candidate colors as the reference color if the designated color is judged as being not a color within the gamut;
• a printing step of printing a color chart having a plurality of color patches of the set reference color and colors close to the set reference color with the printing machine;
• a first acquiring step of acquiring color values depending on one of the color patches which is selected from the printed color chart as representing a color that is closest to the designated color, as first color values;
• a second acquiring step of acquiring color values of the designated color as second color values;
• and
• a correcting step of correcting a profile of the printing machine based on the acquired first color values and second color values;
• wherein the gamut mapping processes include a process for employing a different gamut mapping process depending on a color range of the designated color;
• wherein the plurality of gamut mapping processes is selected from the group consisting of impression matching, lightness matching, saturation matching, and minimum distance.

An image processing method comprising:

• an entering step of entering color values of a designated color to be reproduced by a printing machine;
• a determining step of determining whether the designated color whose color values are entered is a color within a gamut of the printing machine or not;
• a mapping step of mapping the designated color to converted colors within the gamut according to a plurality of gamut mapping processes, if the designated color is judged as being not a color within the gamut;
• a displaying step of displaying the converted colors as a plurality of candidate colors;
• a selecting step of selecting one of the displayed candidate colors, depending on a predetermined selection operation;
• a setting step of setting the designated color as a reference color if the designated color is judged as being a color within the gamut, and setting the selected one of the candidate colors as the reference color if the designated color is judged as being not a color within the gamut;
• a printing step of printing a color chart having a plurality of color patches of the set reference color and colors close to the set reference color with the printing machine;
• an acquiring step of acquiring color values depending on one of the color patches which is selected from the printed color chart as representing a color that is closest to the designated color, as selected color values;
• a converting step of converting the acquired selected color values into device-depending data according to a target profile;
• and
• a displaying step of displaying at least one of the device-depending data and the acquired selected color values;
• wherein the gamut mapping processes include a process for employing a different gamut mapping process depending on a color range of the designated color;
• wherein the plurality of gamut mapping processes is selected from the group consisting of impression matching, lightness matching, saturation matching, and minimum distance.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• an input device for entering color values of a designated color to be reproduced by a printing machine;
• a determining section for determining whether the designated color whose color values are entered by the input device is a color within a gamut of the printing machine or not;
• a mapping section for mapping the designated color to converted colors within the gamut according to a plurality of gamut mapping processes, if the designated color is judged as being not a color within the gamut by the determining section;
• a displaying section for displaying the converted colors as a plurality of candidate colors;
• a selector for selecting one of the displayed candidate colors, depending on a predetermined selection operation obtained by mapping with the mapping section;
• a setter for setting the designated color as a reference color if the designated color is judged as being a color within the gamut, and setting the one of the candidate colors selected by the selector, as the reference color if the designated color is judged as being not a color within the gamut;
• a print controller for controlling a printing machine to print a color chart having a plurality of color patches of the reference color set by the setter and colors close to the set reference color;
• a first acquisition section for acquiring color values depending on one of the color patches which is selected from the printed color chart as representing a color that is closest to the designated color, as first color values;
• a second acquisition section for acquiring color values of the designated color as second color values;
• and
• a corrector for correcting a profile of the printing machine based on the acquired first color values and second color values;
• wherein the gamut mapping processes include a process for employing a different gamut mapping process depending on a color range of the designated color;
• wherein the plurality of gamut mapping processes is selected from the group consisting of impression matching, lightness matching, saturation matching, and minimum distance.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• an input device for entering color values of a designated color to be reproduced by a printing machine;
• a gamut inside/outside determining section for determining whether the designated color whose color values are entered by the input device is a color within a gamut of the printing machine or not;
• a mapping section for mapping the designated color to converted colors within the gamut according to a plurality of gamut mapping processes, if the designated color is judged as being not a color within the gamut by the gamut inside/outside determining section;
• a displaying section for displaying the converted colors as a plurality of candidate colors;
• a selector for selecting one of the displayed candidate colors, depending on a predetermined selection operation obtained by mapping with the mapping section;
• a setter for setting the designated color as a reference color if the designated color is judged as being a color within the gamut, and setting the one of the candidate colors selected by the selector as the reference color if the designated color is judged as being not a color within the gamut;
• a print controller for controlling the printing machine to print a color chart having a plurality of color patches of the reference color and colors close to the reference color;
• an acquisition section for acquiring color values depending on one of the color patches which is selected from the printed color chart as representing a color that is closest to the designated color, as selected color values;
• a data converter for converting the selected color values acquired by the acquisition section into device-depending data according to a target profile;
• and
• a display device for displaying at least one of the device-depending data obtained by conversion by the data converter and the acquired selected color values;
• wherein the gamut mapping processes include a process for employing a different gamut mapping process depending on a color range of the designated color;
• wherein the plurality of gamut mapping processes is selected from the group consisting of impression matching, lightness matching, saturation matching, and minimum distance.

A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for enabling a computer to perform the functions of:

• entering color values of a designated color to be reproduced by a printing machine;
• determining whether the designated color whose color values are entered is a color within a gamut of the printing machine or not;
• mapping the designated color to converted colors within the gamut according to a plurality of gamut mapping processes, if the designated color is judged as being not a color within the gamut;
• displaying the converted colors as a plurality of candidate colors;
• selecting one of the displayed candidate colors, depending on a predetermined selection operation;
• setting the designated color as a reference color if the designated color is judged as being a color within the gamut, and setting the selected one of the candidate colors as the reference color if the designated color is judged as being not a color within the gamut;
• generating image data of a color chart having a plurality of color patches of the set reference color and colors close to the set reference color;
• and
• controlling the printing machine to print the color chart based on the generated image data;
• wherein the gamut mapping processes include a process for employing a different gamut mapping process depending on a color range of the designated color;
• wherein the plurality of gamut mapping processes is selected from the group consisting of impression matching, lightness matching, saturation matching, and minimum distance.