Copying apparatus and method with editing and production control

Abstract

Apparatus and method for producing color-accented or otherwise edited reproductions of original documents with high productivity. Information of originals to be reproduced with, for example, color-accenting are highlighted on the originals with a marker pen or encircled with the highlight. The highlighted originals are serially passed during a copy run over an image scanner than is sensitive to the highlighted portions. The locations of the highlighted portions for each original are detected and stored in a bit map. In one embodiment an original is imaged onto two image frames of an electrostatically charged photoconductor. The photoconductor not being capable of distinguishing highlighted areas from background reproduces the electrostatic images through an optical exposure as if no highlighting is present. A selective erase element is provided to erase from one frame, areas on the original that were highlighted and to erase from the other frame, areas on the original that were not highlighted. The image frames are developed, each with a differently colored toner, and the developed areas transferred in register to a copy sheet to provide a reproduction with color accenting. In another embodiment the information is electronically scanned onto the photoconductor using an LED or laser light source and the appropriate image frames exposed in accordance with the highlighting on the documents. Highlighting of an original may also be used to indicate areas to be selectively screened, filled with a screen tint, areas to be deleted, or areas to be repositioned.