Min-ki Cho

Perceptual gamut mapping on the basis of image quality and preference factors

This study has three primary aims circumventing current limitations of color reproduction technologies: firstly, to derive base-line image quality factors from both color printer experts and academic research works. Individual factors were verified by systematic experiments, secondly, to develop a perceptual gamut mapping algorithm covering the image quality and preference factors derived, thirdly, to apply the algorithm to printer driver as acting for a vendor specific perceptual intent. Algorithm of this study tried to optimization between control parameters of gamut mapping and color shifting factors of preference, e.g. skin, sky and green grass. Profile builder using this algorithm outperforms, in industrial and academic aspects, existing commercial tool and CIE recommended algorithms.

Black extraction method using gamut boundary descriptors

Color data conversion between CMYK and CIEL*a*b* color space is not directly corresponded, that is many CMYK combinations could reproduce the same CIEL*a*b* value. When building a LUT converting from CIEL*a*b* to CMYK for a CMYK color printer, one to one correspondence between CMYK and CIEL*a*b* must be aimed. The proposed method in this paper follows steps: (1) print and measure CIEL*a*b* values of CMYK reference chart, (2) set-up parameters to assign the amount of black extraction, (3) generate gamut boundary descriptors for gamut mapping and for black extraction using CMYK-CIEL*a*b* data under predetermined black extraction parameters, (4) perform gamut mapping for given CIEL*a*b* using the gamut boundary descriptor for gamut mapping, (5) determine K value of the gamut-mapped CIEL*a*b* using the gamut boundary descriptors for black extraction. The suggested method determines K value for given CIEL*a*b* using gamut boundary descriptors in CIEL*a*b color space. As a result, a color printer using this method can make out accurate black amount and reproduces more consistent CMYK images under different black extraction options.