Abstract: A stack of individual sheets of film is enclosed by lightproof plastic packaging. An opaque sheet is disposed at the bottom of the stack, and the side of the opaque sheet confronting the packaging is provided with a bar code containing information about the film. The packaging is removed in a lighttight area of a processing unit for the film and the bar code is read. The opaque sheet prevents the radiation used to read the bar code from reaching the film. The information retrieved from the bar code is employed to control processing of the film.

Abstract: Thermal dye transfer printing method comprising the step of imagewise heating a dye-donor element comprising a support having thereon a dye layer thereby transferring a dye image to a transparant dye-image receiving element comprising a support having thereon a dye image-receiving layer and optionally having one or more back layers on the opposite side of the support, characterized in that said receiving element is such that when a dye image has been transferred onto said receiving element the specular gloss of the obtained dye image measured from the readable side of the image in areas having a transmission density of at least 2.00 is at the most 90, and transparant dye-image receiving element for use according to said method.