Cut mask preparation method and apparatus

Claim 1

A cutting mask preparation method for preparing a cutting mask of color image data displayed on a monitor screen, said method comprising the steps of: a) designating at least one training area for the displayed color image; b) statistically analyzing said color image data in said at least one training area, and clustering a color distribution generated from said color image data in said at least one training area into a plurality of clusters based on the analysis so as to divide said color distribution into said plurality of clusters, said color distribution existent in a color space defined by color axes, each of said plurality of clusters defined by said color axes, said plurality of clusters formed by examining said color distribution along a selected one of said color axes to form intermediate clusters and repeatedly examining intermediate clusters along selected ones of said color axes to further form additional intermediate clusters until a classification termination condition is satisfied; c) assigning a representative color to each one of the divided clusters, and designating at least one of the plurality of clusters to a background region, referring to said representative color; d) designating a cutting area to said displayed color image data; and e) binary-coding said displayed color image data within said designated cutting area to prepare the cutting mask by classifying pixel data within the designated cutting area as belonging to said at least one of said plurality of clusters designated to the background region.