Method and apparatus for evaluating developed photographic films

Abstract

An automatic prereader for exposed and developed frames of a web of spliced-together photographic color films is preceded by a first station and followed by a second station at the first of which groups of successive frames are subjected to a first subjective examination by an attendant and at the second of which some of the frames are subjected to renewed subjective examination by the same attendant. The attendant actuates one or more pushbuttons upon examination of frames at the first station to produce signals which denote improperly oriented frames, frames which were exposed in artificial light and/or frames which are unfit for copying. Such signals are used to modify signals which are furnished by the automatic prereader. The modified and unmodified signals which are furnished by the prereader are examined for intensity, and those signals whose intensity is outside of a preselected range are displayed at the second station so that the attendant can observe such signals simultaneously with observation of the respective film frames and is in a position to initiate the generation of additional signals which are used to modify or erase the corresponding signals from the prereader before the signals are transmitted to the exposure controls of a copying machine.