PURPOSE: To improve the precision of color reproduction by correcting color signals on a basis of a saturation density and a spectral density obtained from spectral optical reflection density characteristics and performing masking.

CONSTITUTION: Density signals (C0, M0, and Y0) for color separation signals R, G, and B are obtained. Operating circuits 2, 3, and 4 and a matrix operating circuit 5 are used to calculate correction components up to the third order on a basis of color correcting coefficients of each color to two other colors and constants, and calculated correction components are subtracted from density signals, and a masking matrix operation is executed by the second color correcting coefficients determined on a basis of subtraction results and density signals, and color signals C, M, and Y corresponding to quantities of respective inks of cyan, magenta, and yellow used for recording are obtained.