Image processing apparatus and image processing method to control the gloss of an image to be printed

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• an input unit configured to receive color image data and gloss image data of an image to be printed;
• a first color separation unit configured to convert the color image data into a first print material amount signal representing a use amount of a basic-color print material and a use amount of a spot-color print material which reproduces a color different from the basic-color print material;
• a second color separation unit configured to generate a second print material amount signal representing a use amount corresponding to a plurality of basic-color print materials corresponding to the spot-color print material, by performing a use amount replacement which replaces a use amount corresponding to the gloss image data, of the basic-color print material use amount and the spot-color print material use amount indicated by the first print material amount signal, with use amounts corresponding to the plurality of basic-color print materials;
• a path separation unit configured to convert the second print material amount signal into path separation data corresponding to each printing scan of an image generating apparatus;
• and
• a halftone processing unit configured to perform halftone processing on the path separation data to generate a print signal indicating a print position of an on-dot, for each of the basic-color print material and the spot-color print material, thereby generating the print signal which causes superposition of on-dots of the plurality of basic-color print materials corresponding to the spot-color print material in printing scan of the image generating apparatus.

An image processing method comprising:

• receiving color image data and gloss image data of an image to be printed;
• converting the color image data into a first print material amount signal representing a use amount of a dark print material having a relatively high density;
• generating a second print material amount signal representing a use amount corresponding to a light print material having a relatively low density, by performing a use amount replacement which replaces a use amount corresponding to the gloss image data, of the basic color print material use amount indicated by the first print material amount signal, with the use amount corresponding to the light print material;
• converting the second print material amount signal into path separation data corresponding to each printing scan of an image generating apparatus;
• and
• performing halftone processing on the path separation data to generate a print signal indicating a print position of an on-dot, for each of the dark print material and the light print material, thereby generating the print signal which causes superposition of on-dots of the light print material in printing scan of the image generating apparatus.

An image processing method comprising:

• receiving color image data and gloss image data of an image to be printed;
• converting the color image data into a first print material amount signal representing a use amount of a basic-color print material and a use amount of a spot-color print material which reproduces a color different from the basic-color print material;
• generating a second print material amount signal representing a use amount corresponding to a plurality of basic-color print materials corresponding to the spot-color print material, by performing a use amount replacement which replaces a use amount corresponding to the gloss image data, of the basic-color print material use amount and the spot-color print material use amount indicated by the first print material amount signal, with use amounts corresponding to a plurality of basic-color print materials;
• converting the second print material amount signal into path separation data corresponding to each printing scan of an image generating apparatus;
• and
• performing halftone processing on the path separation data to generate a print signal indicating a print position of an on-dot, for each of the basic-color print material and the spot-color print material, thereby generating the print signal which causes superposition of on-dots of the plurality of basic-color print materials corresponding to the spot-color print material in printing scan of the image generating apparatus.