The invention provides a color processing method that is capable of improving
the color reproduction accuracy by calculating an adequate amount of black component
(referred to as K) with consideration of the coverage restriction when a four-color
signal including the black component is generated from a color signal of a input
color space. By a YMCK modeling unit, adjustment K calculation unit, restriction
K calculation unit and optimal K modeling unit, modeling is performed between the
representative color signal and the corresponding optimal K by use of plural color
signals that belong to the partial color space, namely the color gamut that is
reproducible with three colors and by use of plural color signals that belong to
the area on the curved plane that is reproducible with four colors including the
black component as the representative color signal. An optimal K determining unit
predicts an optimal K corresponding to the input color signal in the input color
space based on the model. Furthermore, a YMCK color signal calculation unit predicts
three colors except the black component from the input color signal and the predicted
optimal K. As described hereinabove, a four-color signal including K is generated.