Method and system for compensating the non-linearities in a reproduction

Abstract

A method of calibrating a reproduction apparatus having a sensor device for generating sensor signals by optically scanning a picture original and a recording device controlled by recording signals for recording the picture original on a film, comprising the steps: generating a set of first signals for said recording device to produce a sample gray scale on the film having a predetermined first range of gray scale values; generating and storing a set of second signals corresponding respectively to said first signals; generating a set of third signals corresponding substantially to the gray scale values of said sample recorded gray scale; correlating said third signals to said first signals; generating a set of fourth signals representing a predetermined second range of gray scale values of a reference gray scale; substantially correlating a first group of at least some of said fourth signals to a second group of at least some of said third signals for obtaining said second signals; and storing said second signals in a storage device having addresses corresponding to the fourth signals of said first group, whereby a substantially generated sensor signal for a given gray scale value by the picture original can be used to select a recording signal from a stored second signal of said second group by a correlated fourth signal suitable for obtaining a substantially duplicate gray scale value. The invention also relates to a system for calibrating the reproduction apparatus.