Abstract: A picture signal generating apparatus has a CCD line sensor. In this apparatus, an image read instruction pulse is generated whenever a CCD line sensor or an original image is moved by a predetermined distance, an exposure is detected by a time integral determined by a pulse interval of the image read instruction pulses upon detection of an intensity of light reflected by or transmitted through the original image, and an image output from the CCD line sensor in response to the image read instruction pulse is normalized according to the detected exposure. Image output normalization can be achieved by dividing the CCD line sensor image output by the exposure or by controlling the intensity of the illumination light so as to keep the exposure constant.