Abstract: In recording an image on a recording medium such as photographic film, position information used for the detection of a principal image is recorded on the recording medium. The position information is read when a hard copy of the image is produced. A characteristic value is derived from within the area of the principal image detected in accordance with the position information. A print exposure amount used for producing a hard copy is determined in accordance with the characteristic value. The position information may be the information directly or indirectly representing the position of the primary image. The indirect representation may be a combination of a subject distance and a focal length of a taking lens. This combination determines a reference size of a face or figure image on a frame. By detecting an image having the same size as the reference size, the principle image such as a facial image or a figure image can be identified.

Abstract: Determined is a degree of correction in accordance with a length of at least one of two periods from film manufacturing to photographing or from photographing to film developing. A printing light quantity is corrected in accordance with this degree, and a film image is printed on photographic paper, thereby optimizing the printing light quantity to all films by correcting time-elapsed variations in film characteristics.

Abstract: A copying apparatus provided with a light-attenuating filter used for controlling copying conditions. The light-attenuating filter is formed of a nontransparent member in which a multiplicity of small holes or small-width slits are provided. In setting the printing conditions for the copying apparatus, a film development-evaluating film with an evaluating latent image recorded thereon is developed, the image on the evaluating film developed is photometrically measured and printed on a paper, the printed paper is developed, and the density of a print obtained by development is measured so as to set the printing conditions. To photometrically measure the print, a punched hole provided in the paper is detected to photometrically measure a central portion of the image plane.

Abstract: A method for determining exposure amount by making use of the fact that values in which the photometric data on a lowest-density portion of a color film is subtracted from tricolor photometric data are approximately the same irrespective of the type of film. The lowest-density data is subtracted from the tricolor photometric data to determine tricolor corrected data. This tricolor corrected data is normalized, and the tricolor normalized data is compared with a reference value so as to be classified into tricolor normalized data. The tricolor photometric data is selected in correspondence with this classification, and the exposure amount is determined on the basis of an average value of the tricolor photometric data selected. As a result, it is possible to print various types of film under the conditions of print exposure of a reference film type without requiring information indicating the film type.

Abstract: An interference filter includes a multi-coated interference filter layer of dielectric substances deposited on a transparent base plate and extinction members applied to side surfaces of the transparent base plate. A multi-color interference filter has at least two such interference filters having different spectral characteristics closely connected to each other through the extinction members and cemented to a transparent base plate which is formed with a multi-coated anti-reflection layer deposited on one surface opposite to a surface to which the interference filter is cemented.

Abstract: A recording medium such as a photographic film is recorded with an image of a principal object and distance information of the principal object. The distance information is read during a printing operation for calculating a print exposure amount. In calculating the print exposure amount, a scene of an object image is discriminated in accordance with the object distance, and a calculating equation, which is different for each discriminated scene, is selected for use. Finer discrimination may be conducted by using flash emission data and object brightness data in addition to the distance information. Effective measurement points may be selected from all measurement points within a frame by taking the distance information into consideration, to calculate a print exposure amount by using the selected effective measurement points.

Abstract: Codes (the so-called DX codes) recorded on a plurality of films are read to classify the films into a plurality of film types. Light is measured with respect to images on the films to obtain image densities, and, on the basis of the resultant photometric values, the image densities are obtained and are then stored in correspondence with the film types. A reference value is calculated on the basis of the image density that corresponds to the film type to which one of the films to be subjected to printing belongs. A color region is specified on the basis of the calculated reference value, and, on the basis of photometric values that belong to the specified color region, image density values for the three primary colors are calculated. The exposure for use in the printing of the film to be subjected to printing is determined from a reference printing exposure condition already stored and the calculated image density values for the three primary colors.

Abstract: Prior to copying of a color original, the original is scanned for photometric measurement in order to determine an optimum exposure amount for copying. The exposure amount in copying of a color original is controlled by (a) photometrically measuring a color density on the surface of the original, (b) determining whether or not the difference in color density between two positionally different spots exceeds a predetermined value, thereby determining whether the spots belong to an image region or a background region and extracting at least one of the regions, and (c) determining an exposure amount for subsequent copying based on a characteristic quantity of the extracted region.

Abstract: An exposure determining method. Light is measured with respect to a plurality of portions of film images into which images on films to be subjected to printing are divided, thereby obtaining photometric data. The printing exposure condition for a reference film type is corrected with respect to at least one color selected on the basis of the difference in the three color balance of one of the films to be subjected to printing, from that of the reference film type. The exposure is determined on the basis of the corrected printing exposure condition and on the basis of image densities with respect to three colors which are calculated on the basis of photometric data belonging to a specific color region.

Abstract: A color photographic printing method of printing a film on the basis of the printing condition of a reference film type, comprises comparing the film characteristic of the reference film type with the film characteristic of the type of a film to be printed and correcting the printing condition of the reference film type on the basis of the result of this comparison. Accordingly, the proper printing condition of each type of film to be printed can be obtained from the printing condition of a single reference film type.

Abstract: A color image exposure apparatus with improved color reproducibility is disclosed. The improved color reproducibility has been achieved by using for exposure only those rays having a substantially uniform angle distribution relative to an optical axis. In order to perform exposure by the above rays, rays substantially parallel to the optical axis are caused to enter a filter coated with a dielectric multilayer film or, as an alternative, rays substantially parallel to the optical axis only are chosen from rays emitted through the filter. Since rays near an enlarging master lens are substantially parallel to the optical axis, an optical member coated with a dielectric multilayer film may be arranged in the vicinity of the master lens.

Abstract: The factors necessary for controlling photographic systems involve the photographic characteristics such as developing process characteristics which are subject to complicated interaction among various factors. Since it is difficult to measure and control such variable factor independently, situations involving such variations are preferably grasped comprehensively by a small number of criteria or values and controlled with a small number of values having high correlation with the variations. When gray image of an original film is photometrically measured at printing in three primary colors, the image densities in the colors are not uniform even with the same exposure and image density ratio is not uniform, either. This invention method enables optimum control of the photographic system by estimating the current photographic characteristics with the data up until the current spot, and further enables normalization of measured data at a high precision.

Abstract: A method of setting the copying conditions of a color copying machine includes the steps of scanning a test chart having density patterns in three primary colors, to detect three color components of the light reflected from the test chart, based on which three color exposures are obtained. The test chart is scanned again to make a color copy thereof, and the color copy is scanned to detect three color components of the light reflected therefrom, based on which three color densities are obtained. Relationships between the three color exposures and the three color densities are obtained for the three colors. Based on the relationships, three primary color filters are adjusted to regulate three color components of the light passed therethrough, thereby controlling three color exposures.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for classifying color originals into at least color photographs and other colored articles such as color printed articles, letters, handwriting, art graphics or the like by detecting the reflection densities of divisions into which the color original is spatially divided, using light sensors having peak sensitivities at different wavelengths for at least one of the three primary colors. The reflection densities are compared to obtain a difference or a ratio thereof and based on the result of the comparison, the color originals are classified as color photographs or as other colored articles.

Abstract: A photographic printing system comprising a printer-processor; a plurality of non-contact IC cards in which various printing conditions, printer-processor operating conditions, and the like are stored; and an IC card read-write unit for reading and writing data on the above-mentioned conditions. The plurality of IC cards are used selectively according to printing purposes and are inserted into the read-write unit. When the selected IC card is inserted into the read-write unit, the read-write unit accesses the data stored in the IC card to set the printer-processor automatically to the printing and operating conditions suitable for the printing purpose. After printing, the read-write unit writes the printing conditions and conditions under which the printer-processor has acutally been operated in the IC card.

Abstract: An exposure determining device detects densities of a number of picture elements of a color original and displays an image of the color original on a color monitor. A part of a principal subject image of the color original is specified on the color monitor. Based on the measured color density of the specified part, picture elements by which the principal subject image is formed are detected to determine a principal subject image area. By using the detected densities of picture elements included in the prinipal subject image area, at least one image characteristic value is calculated and is used with one of a plurality of previously provided exposure calculating formulas selected according to scenes into which principal subject images are classified, in order to determine the proper exposure for reproducing color images of proper color balance and density.

Abstract: A method for setting and managing photographic printing conditions of a printing system in which an exposure is carries out in several times on a recording paper with respect to respective monocolors (R, G and B) to prepare a reference image consisting of a plurality of areas having different densities. The densitites of the three respective colors of the reference image are measured and the thus measured density data is then stored, and an amount of exposure necessary for obtaining predetermined densities regarding the three colors from a preliminarily prepared relationship between the exposure amount and the densities regarding the respective three colors is then obtained. In accordance with the thus obtained amount of exposure, the exposure conditions for the respective three colors are set or corrected.

Abstract: A color negative inspection apparatus includes at least one color image display device which displays a plurality of color positive images of a single frame of a color negative film for inspection, one of the plurality of color positive images being displayed through simulation for a standardized printing exposure condition of a printing apparatus to which the color negative film is fed upon printing and the remaining through automatic simulation for at least one of color and density corrections stepwise over or under in respect to the one of the plurality of color positive images. If there is no color positive images corrected suitably for printing, the one of the plurality of color images is manually corrected in color and density and thereby the remaining are correspondingly corrected for inspection.

Abstract: When a number of prints of an image frame are made at a time or different times for the multiple printing, test printing, or re-printing thereof, it is needed to have them printed under the same condition and mode. However, it has been difficult to produce them without a deviation or variation of densities even when the same selected image frame is printed, because the photometric measurement of the image frame has been made conventionally before each time of printing for the operation and determination thereby of an exposure amount under which the printing is made, and because such photometric measurement at each time of printing gives an exposure amount which is slightly different at each time. In this invention, photometric data of a specific image frame which has been printed once are memorized, and when the specific image frame is to be printed once again, the frame is printed always at an entirely constant density on the basis of the data memorized and read-out at each succeeding printing.

Abstract: Three color densities of a color original are measured for a number of picture elements into which the color original is divided. A part of the color original that includes at least one picture element is selected, with whose color based on the measured densities thereof the color of each picture element based on the measured densities is compared to detect picture elements having colors identical or similar to the color of the selected part of the color original. The picture elements of the identical or similar colors can define an extent of image which determines a principal subject image and the remainder of which is background.