Print data flattening processing of spot color components with any hidden spot color portion removed

A print data processing apparatus comprising:

• at least one memory that:
• stores therein a spot color element, which is an image element that has a spot color component and does not have any basic color component and is comprised in intermediate data, and
• stores therein a basic color element, which is an image element that has a basic color component and does not have any spot color component;
• and
• at least one hardware processor in communication with the at least one memory and that:
• performs, when a new image element is input in accordance with a rendering order, flattening processing for separating the new image element into a basic color element that has a basic color component and does not have any spot color component and a spot color element that has a spot color component and does not have any basic color component, for updating a configuration of each spot color element stored in the at least one memory to a configuration from which a portion of the spot color element hidden by a configuration of a new spot color element separated from the new image element is removed, for updating a configuration of each basic color element stored in the at least one memory to a configuration from which a portion of the basic color element hidden by a configuration of a new basic color element separated from the new image element is removed, for storing the new spot color element in the at least one memory, and for storing the new basic color element in the at least one memory,
• converts, after spot color elements and basic color elements obtained by separating all image elements included in each unit of output are stored in the at least one memory, the spot color elements stored in the at least one memory into corresponding basic color components, and
• outputs the converted basic color components, converted from the sport color elements stored in the at least one memory, and the basic color elements stored in the at least one memory in accordance with a superposing order of the spot color component and the basic color component used in printing,
• wherein the at least one hardware processor further implements:
• a logical page interpreter to interpret data concerning a logical page and outputs an interpreting result;
• and
• a cache interpreter to interpret a cache element included in the logical page and stores an interpreting result in a cache,
• wherein if the cache element included in the logical page does not include any spot color, the cache interpreter performs cache processing for interpreting the cache element and for storing an image element obtained as a result of interpreting the cache element in the cache by associating the image element with cache identification information which is generated from the cache element according to a predetermined generation rule, and if the cache element included in the logical page includes a spot color, the cache interpreter does not perform the cache processing for the cache element,
• wherein if the cache element included in the logical page does not include any spot color, the logical page interpreter performs cache handling processing for generating, instead of interpreting the cache element, a cache reference command including cache identification information generated from the cache element according to the predetermined generation rule and for integrating the generated cache reference command as an interpreting result of the cache element into an interpreting result of the logical page, and if the cache element included in the logical page includes a spot color, instead of performing the cache handing processing, the logical page interpreter interprets the cache element and integrates an image element obtained as a result of interpreting the cache element into an integrating result of the logical page, and
• wherein the flattening processing further receives and processes image elements which are output from the logical page interpreter as an interpreting result in accordance with the rendering order.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process, the process comprising:

• performing, when a new image element is input in accordance with a rendering order, flattening processing for separating the new image element into a basic color element that has a basic color component and does not have any spot color component and a spot color element that has a spot color component and does not have any basic color component and is comprised in intermediate data, for updating a configuration of each spot color element stored in at least one memory to a configuration from which a portion of the spot color element hidden by a configuration of a new spot color element separated from the new image element is removed, and for storing the new spot color element in the at least one memory;
• and
• converting, after spot color elements obtained by separating all image elements included in each unit of output are processed by the flattening processing, the spot color elements stored in the at least one memory into corresponding basic color components, and outputting the converted basic color components, converted from the spot color elements stored in the at least one memory,
• wherein the process further comprises:
• interpreting data concerning a logical page and outputting an interpreting result;
• and
• interpreting a cache element included in the logical page and storing an interpreting result in a cache,
• wherein if the cache element included in the logical page does not include any spot color, the interpreting the cache element comprises performing cache processing for interpreting the cache element and for storing an image element obtained as a result of interpreting the cache element in the cache by associating the image element with cache identification information which is generated from the cache element according to a predetermined generation rule, and if the cache element included in the logical page includes a spot color, the interpreting the cache element comprises not performing the cache processing for the cache element,
• wherein if the cache element included in the logical page does not include any spot color, the interpreting the data concerning the logical page comprises performing cache handling processing for generating, instead of interpreting the cache element, a cache reference command including cache identification information generated from the cache element according to the predetermined generation rule and for integrating the generated cache reference command as an interpreting result of the cache element into an interpreting result of the logical page, and if the cache element included in the logical page includes a spot color, instead of performing the cache handing processing, the interpreting the data concerning the logical page comprises interpreting the cache element and integrates an image element obtained as a result of interpreting the cache element into an integrating result of the logical page, and
• wherein the flattening processing further receives and processes image elements which are output from the logical page interpreter as an interpreting result in accordance with the rendering order.