Abstract: A method for determining an exposure for printing an original image of a photographic film onto a photographic paper. The method includes the steps of; scanning an image on a photographic film to obtain an image data; obtaining plural region characteristic values which includes a maximum density value, a minimum density value, and an average density value in each of plural areas of an image for example; obtaining plural image characteristic values from the region characteristic values; calculating a linear first order sum of the image characteristic values; and selecting one of plural predetermined sets according to the result of the calculating step. The exposure is determined with the regression equation predetermined for one of the predetermined sets.