Method of determining exposure condition

Claim 1

A method of determining an exposure condition for a negative film, comprising the steps of: measuring a density value of a reference film and a light amount of a light source at a time of measuring of said density value of said reference film; storing said density value and said light amount as a stored density value and a stored light amount, respectively; measuring a current light amount of a light source used when exposing a negative film to be printed; calculating a difference between said current light amount and said stored light amount; correcting said stored density value of said reference film according to said difference; measuring, a density value of said negative film to be printed under said current light amount; and calculating an exposure condition for said negative film by the use of a density difference between said corrected density value and said density value of said negative film.

Claim 2

A method of determining an exposure condition for a negative film, comprising the steps of: measuring a density value of a reference film and a light amount of a light source at a time of measuring of said density value of said reference film; storing said density value and said light amount as a stored density value and a stored light amount, respectively; measuring a current light amount of a light source used when exposing a negative film to be printed; calculating a difference between said current light amount and said stored light amount; correcting said stored density value of said reference film according to said difference; measuring, a density value of said negative film to be printed under said current light amount; and calculating an exposure condition for said negative film by the use of a density difference between said corrected density value and said density value of said negative film.

Claim 5

A method of determining an exposure condition for a negative film, comprising the steps of: measuring density values DNi of a plurality of types of reference films and light amounts Li of a light source at the times of measurement of said density values DNi; storing said density values DNi and said light amounts Li as stored density values and stored light amounts corresponding to said respective reference films; measuring a current light amount L of a light source used when exposing the negative film to be printed; calculating a difference logL-logLi=δi between said light amount L and each of said stored light amounts Li; correcting each of said stored density values DNi by using said difference δi; measuring a density value Dx of said negative film to be printed under said light amount L; and calculating an exposure condition for said negative film to be printed with reference to a density difference between said density value Dx and said corrected density value DNi (i=x) of a corresponding one of said reference films that corresponds to the type of said negative film to be printed.

Claim 6

A method of determining an exposure condition for a negative film, comprising the steps of: measuring density values DNi of a plurality of types of reference films and light amounts Li of a light source at the times of measurement of said density values DNi; storing said density values DNi and said light amounts Li as stored density values and stored light amounts corresponding to said respective reference films; measuring a current light amount L of a light source used when exposing the negative film to be printed; calculating a difference logL-logLi=δi between said light amount L and each of said stored light amounts Li; correcting each of said stored density values DNi by using said difference δi; measuring a density value Dx of said negative film to be printed under said light amount L; and calculating an exposure condition for said negative film to be printed with reference to a density difference between said density value Dx and said corrected density value DNi (i=x) of a corresponding one of said reference films that corresponds to the type of said negative film to be printed.

Claim 9

A method of determining an exposure condition for a negative film, comprising the steps of: measuring a light amount Li of transmission light emitted from a light source and passing through a negative carrier without setting a reference film and a negative film on said negative carrier, setting a reference film on said negative carrier; measuring density values DNui, DNni, and DNoi under said light amount Li for under-exposure, normal-exposure, and over-exposure negative images recorded on said reference film, and repeating the above-mentioned operation for a plurality of types of the reference films; storing said density values DNui, DNni, and DNoi for a plurality of types of reference films in a plurality of channels corresponding to said reference films in combination with said light amounts Li at times of measurement of said density values; measuring, when a negative film of a particular type is printed, a current light amount L of transmission light emitted from said light source and passing through said negative carrier without setting said negative film on said negative carrier; calculating differences δi=log L-log Li between the respective light amounts Li stored in the respective channels and said current light amount L of said light source measured at the time of printing; correcting said density values DNui, DNni, and DNoi of the reference films by using of said differences δi; setting said negative film to be printed on said negative carrier and measuring a density value Dx of said negative film under said current light amount L; and substituting said density value Dx of said negative film to be printed and a corresponding one of said corrected density value DNi (i=x) that corresponds to the type of said negative film into a predetermined formula for calculating an exposure condition to thereby calculate an exposure control value.

Claim 10

A method of determining an exposure condition for a negative film, comprising the steps of: measuring a light amount Li of transmission light emitted from a light source and passing through a negative carrier without setting a reference film and a negative film on said negative carrier, setting a reference film on said negative carrier; measuring density values DNui, DNni, and DNoi under said light amount Li for under-exposure, normal-exposure, and over-exposure negative images recorded on said reference film, and repeating the above-mentioned operation for a plurality of types of the reference films; storing said density values DNui, DNni, and DNoi for a plurality of types of reference films in a plurality of channels corresponding to said reference films in combination with said light amounts Li at times of measurement of said density values; measuring, when a negative film of a particular type is printed, a current light amount L of transmission light emitted from said light source and passing through said negative carrier without setting said negative film on said negative carrier; calculating differences δi=log L-log Li between the respective light amounts Li stored in the respective channels and said current light amount L of said light source measured at the time of printing; correcting said density values DNui, DNni, and DNoi of the reference films by using of said differences δi; setting said negative film to be printed on said negative carrier and measuring a density value Dx of said negative film under said current light amount L; and substituting said density value Dx of said negative film to be printed and a corresponding one of said corrected density value DNi (i=x) that corresponds to the type of said negative film into a predetermined formula for calculating an exposure condition to thereby calculate an exposure control value.