COLOR IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE

A color image processing device including PA0 a reader for reading an original image for each area containing a predetermined number of pixels of the original image and color-separating the read area into red, green and blue components, PA0 a character area detector for detecting whether or not the area read by the reader is a character area constituting a part of a character in the original image for each of the red, green and blue components, and PA0 a black character area determinator adapted to determine the area read by the reader to be a black character area constituting a part of a black character in the original image if said area is detected to be the character area for all of the red, green and blue components by the character area detector.