Image processing apparatus, image processing method and image processing program

1. A printer, comprising:

an input unit that inputs RAW data;

a correct unit that analyzes attribute information of the RAW data to specify development control information including pre-gain information and optical black information, executes a pre-gain processing and an optical black compensation processing on the RAW data based on the pre-gain information and the optical black information, setting a color balance operation value based on the RAW data, and enforcing a white balance correction corresponding to the color balance operation value on the RAW data;

an image data generating unit that carries out a demosaicking processing and a tone reproduction processing on the RAW data after the white balance correction is enforced on the RAW data to obtain intermediate image data, carries out a subtractive color processing on the intermediate image data, and carries out a JPEG compression processing on the intermediate image data to obtain image data, wherein the image data generating unit stores the image data in an external storage;

a print data generating unit that reads image data from the external storage, carries out a JPEG expansion processing on the image data, determining whether the white balance correction has been enforced on the image data based on information obtained from the image data generating unit, sets a color balance operation value based on the image data and enforces a white balance correction corresponding to the color balance operation value on the image data if the white balance correction has not been enforced on the image data, and then generates print data from the image data; and

a print unit that executes printing based on the print data.

2. An image processing method in a printer, comprising:

a) inputting RAW data;

b) analyzing attribute information of the RAW data to specify development control information including pre-gain information and optical black information, after the step a);

c) executing a pre-gain processing and an optical black compensation processing on the RAW data based on the pre-gain information and the optical black information, after the step c);

d) setting a color balance operation value based on the RAW data, after the step c)

e) enforcing a white balance correction corresponding to the color balance operation value on the RAW data, after the step d);

f) carrying out a demosaicking processing on the RAW data, after the step e);

g) carrying out a tone reproduction processing on the RAW data to obtain intermediate image data, after the step f);

h) carrying out a subtractive color processing on the intermediate image data, after the step g);

i) carrying out a JPEG compression processing on the intermediate image data to obtain image data, after the step h);

j) storing the image data in an external storage, after the step i);

k) reading image data from the external storage, after the step j);

l) carrying out a JPEG expansion processing on the image data, after the step k);

m) determining whether the white balance correction has been enforced on the image data, after the step l);

n) setting a color balance operation value based on the image data and enforcing a white balance correction corresponding to the color balance operation value on the image data, after the step m) if the white balance correction has not been enforced on the image data;

o) generating print data from the image data and executing printing based on the print data, after the step m) or the step n).

3. A computer-readable medium storing a computer-executable program which, when executed by a computer, performs the method as set forth in claim 2 .