The present invention is directed to a method for processing color image data to reduce intercolor bleeding in an image printed on a receiving medium. The method begins with the receipt of a target pixel that includes a plurality of separation pixels corresponding to individual color planes, the color planes including a black plane and at least one non-black plane. The steps of the method further include determining if the target pixel is within an black border region near a black/color interface, and if so, modifying the target pixel using a substitution operation according to a black pixel modification pattern, the black pixel modification pattern identifying separation pixels in the black plane to replace with separation pixels from a non-black plane; and determining if the target pixel is within a color border region near a black/color interface, and if so, modifying the target pixel using a thinning operation according to a color pixel modification pattern, the color pixel modification pattern identifying a pattern of separation pixels in a non-black plane to remove from the composite image.