IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD

An apparatus for performing image processing on image data including a memory color includes: a characteristic value calculation part calculating a characteristic value from the image data; an area extraction part extracting a specific color area and its background area from the image data, using the characteristic value and the color information of the memory color stored in a storage part; a target value calculation part calculating a target value for correcting the preferable color of the specific color from the characteristic value, the extracted specific color and background areas, and the color information of the preferable color; and an image data correction part calculating a correction for correcting the preferable color based on the calculated target value and the characteristic value, and correcting a color of the specific color area based on the calculated correction and the characteristic value.