IMAGE MATCHING WITH EQUIVALENT SHARPNESS ENHANCEMENT

Original image data are converted to device-independent image data expressed in a device-independent color space. The device-independent image data are re-converted to device-dependent image data expressed in a device-dependent color space used in an output device. Then, a specific sharpness enhancing process is carried out for the device-dependent image data, so as to generate output image data while the specific sharpness enhancing process is made equivalent to another sharpness enhancing process executed when a target output image is generated. This sharpness of the output image with a predetermined output device substantially agrees with that of the target output image. The method significantly improves the degree of matching in image reproduction between two different output images.