In conventional image processing techniques, although a certain kind of image adjustment provides a desired effect on an image, it may cause an undesired side effect thereon, resulting in an unsatisfactory result of adjustment.
On a computer serving as the nucleus of image processing, a region applicable to image processing is specified at a step, an object pixel is moved for judging whether or not it belongs to the specified region at the subsequent steps, and then a specified image processing operation is carried out if the object pixel is judged to belong to the specified region. Therefore, adjustment of image data in a certain region does not have an adverse effect on image data in other regions, making it possible to realize satisfactory adjustment in an entire image with ease.
Further, on the computer, chromaticity "x-y" of each pixel is calculated at a step, and statistical calculation is performed at the subsequent steps if a value of chromaticity thus calculated is in a possible chromaticity range. After completion of statistical calculation on all the pixels, an average value is determined at the subsequent step, and a degree of each color adjustment is calculated while taking account of the number of pixels of interest at the subsequent step. In this manner, accurate statistical calculation is performed on color pixels to be adjusted independently of brightness, and a degree of each color adjustment is regulated by taking account of the number of pixels of interest, thereby making it possible to carry out optimum color adjustment processing without giving an adverse effect on colors of surrounding pixels.