JP2006047203A - Test print and its colorimetric method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a test print and its calorimetric method capable of shortening a time required for manufacturing the test print and reducing a cost of the test print. <P>SOLUTION: Rectangular charts 102-108 having the same size are formed on the test print 100. On the charts 102-108, images relative to color data of black, Y(yellow), M(magenta) and C(cyanogen) are shown respectively by patches P1-P18 having different coloring densities. The charts 102-108 are constituted respectively by arraying the patches P1-P18 in due order in the opposite direction to the arrow A direction. The charts 102-108 are arrayed in the arrow B direction on the test print 100, and, when setting up a photograph processing device 10, the coloring densities of the patches P1-P18 on the charts 102-108 are measured respectively by a colorimetric unit 24. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a test print and a color measurement method thereof, and more specifically, a test print obtained by forming a chart on a photosensitive material in which a plurality of patches having different color densities are arranged in a predetermined direction, and the measurement thereof. It relates to the color method.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a photographic processing apparatus that forms an image recorded on a photographic film or the like on a photographic paper as an example of a photosensitive material by performing exposure processing and development processing is used in a development laboratory (laboratory) or the like. When setting up a photographic processing apparatus, a chart in which a plurality of patches with different color densities are arranged in a predetermined direction is formed on a photographic paper, and a test print is produced. At the time of setting up a photographic processing apparatus, for example, four charts each representing a change in color density of Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and black by a plurality of patches are formed on photographic paper, Four test prints are produced. Then, the color density of each patch of the chart formed on each test print is measured by a color measuring device as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. When the measured value of each patch by the color measuring device is not an appropriate value, the exposure amount, exposure time, etc. of the photographic processing device are adjusted so that each patch of the chart can be formed with an appropriate color density.
JP 2001-174937 A

  However, since a plurality of test prints are produced, there is a problem that it takes time to produce the test prints.

  In addition, since a plurality of test prints are produced, there is a problem that the cost of photographic paper used for the test prints is increased. Generally, the chart width dimension (dimension in the direction orthogonal to the patch arrangement direction) is smaller than the photographic paper width dimension, and the patch width that can be measured by the colorimetric means of the colorimeter is smaller than the chart width dimension. The width dimension is small. For this reason, there is a problem that the loss in the width direction of the photographic paper used for the test print becomes large, and the yield is poor even when one test print is viewed.

  Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide a test print and a colorimetric method thereof that can reduce the time required for producing the test print and reduce the cost of the test print.

  In order to achieve the above object, the test print according to claim 1 is a test print obtained by forming a chart in which a plurality of patches having different color densities are arranged in a predetermined direction on a photosensitive material. A plurality of different types of charts are arranged in a direction orthogonal to a predetermined direction.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a colorimetric method in which the color density of each patch arranged in a predetermined direction of a plurality of charts of the test print according to the first aspect is measured by a colorimetric device including a colorimetric means. A first step of measuring the color density of each patch of a predetermined chart among a plurality of charts of a test print by a colorimetric means, so that the color density of each patch of a chart other than the predetermined chart can be measured A second step of moving at least one of the colorimetric means and the test print in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction; and a third step of measuring the color density of each patch of the chart other than the predetermined chart by the colorimetric means. A process is provided.

  The colorimetric method according to claim 3 is the colorimetric method according to claim 2, wherein the colorimetric device further comprises positioning means that can move in a direction orthogonal to a predetermined direction and position the test print. In the second step, the position of the test print is moved in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction by moving the positioning means in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a colorimetric method in which the color density of each patch arranged in a predetermined direction of the plurality of charts of the test print according to the first aspect is measured by a colorimetric device including a colorimetric means. The test print is formed with a first chart and a second chart arranged at the same position as the first chart before rotation when the test print is rotated halfway. A first step of placing a test print at a predetermined position where the color density of each patch can be measured by the color measuring means, a second step of measuring the color density of each patch of the first chart by the color measuring means, and a half of the test print A third step of rotating and arranging at a predetermined position, and a fourth step of measuring the color density of each patch of the second chart by the colorimetric means.

  Note that “different types” for the test print chart means that each chart includes at least one patch of color density that is not found in any of the other charts.

  In the test print according to the first aspect, a plurality of different types of charts are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the patches. Thus, the width of the photosensitive material can be reduced by forming a plurality of different types of charts on one test print to reduce the number of test prints and arranging the plurality of charts in a direction orthogonal to the patch arrangement direction. The loss in the dimension direction can be suppressed, the time required for producing the test print can be shortened, and the cost of the test print can be reduced. In addition, a chart conventionally formed on a photosensitive material as one chart can be divided and arranged in a direction orthogonal to the patch arrangement direction. In this case, the dimension (length dimension) in the test print patch arrangement direction ) And the cost of test printing can be reduced.

  The colorimetric method according to claim 2 is orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the patches so that the color density of each patch of the chart other than the predetermined chart can be measured after the color density of each patch of the predetermined chart is measured. At least one of the colorimetric means and the test print is moved in the direction. In this way, since the color density of each patch of a plurality of charts formed on the test print can be measured, it is not necessary to prepare a plurality of test prints, and the cost of the test print and the setup of the photo processing apparatus are required. Cost can be reduced.

  In the color measurement method according to claim 3, by moving the positioning means in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the patches, the position of the test print is moved in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the patches, so that the test print can be easily performed. The color density of each patch of a plurality of formed charts can be measured.

  In the color measurement method according to claim 4, the first chart and the second chart arranged at the same position as the first chart before rotation when half-rotated are formed on the test print, The color density of each patch in the first chart is measured at a predetermined position, and then the test print is rotated halfway and placed at the predetermined position. In this way, the color density of each patch of the two charts formed on the test print can be easily measured by rotating the test print halfway.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to shorten the time required for producing the test print and reduce the cost of the test print.

A photo processing apparatus 10 that uses a test print of the present invention and a test print of the present invention for setup will be described below with reference to the drawings.
Referring to FIG. 1, a photographic processing apparatus 10 includes an exposure processing unit 12 that performs an exposure process on a silver salt photographic paper (hereinafter simply referred to as a photographic paper) S, and a development process that performs a development process on the exposed photographic paper S. Unit 14, drying unit 16 that dries the developed photographic paper S, controller 18 that controls the operation of the photographic processing apparatus 10, an input unit 20 such as a keyboard and a mouse for an operator to input data and instructions, photographic processing A GUI (Graphical User Interface) that makes the apparatus 10 easy to operate, a display unit 22 that displays a message to the operator, an image to be formed on the photographic paper S, and the like, and a color measurement unit 24 that measures the color density of the print are included. In this embodiment, the color measurement unit 24 of the photo processing apparatus 10 corresponds to a color measurement device.

  The exposure processing unit 12 includes a paper magazine 26 in which a long photographic paper S that is an example of a photosensitive material is stored. The paper magazine 26 stores a photographic printing paper S having a predetermined width dimension (dimension in the direction of arrow B: see FIG. 2), and is exchanged with a change in the size of a print to be produced, for example. The photographic paper S stored in the paper magazine 26 is pulled out along a predetermined path, cut into an appropriate size by a cutter, and the cut photographic paper S is transported on a predetermined transport path by a transport roller 28. . The conveying roller 28 is rotationally driven by a drive motor 30, and the drive motor 30 is controlled by the controller 18.

  A digital exposure head 32 is disposed on the transport path of the cut photographic paper S. The digital exposure head 32 exposes an image based on the image data input from the controller 18 on the surface of the photographic paper S to form an image (latent image). As the digital exposure head 32, for example, a printer head such as a fluorescent printer, a PLZT printer, or a CRT printer is used.

  The photographic paper S subjected to the exposure processing in the exposure processing unit 12 is developed by passing through the processing tank storing the development processing solution in the development processing unit 14 and dried by the heat generated by the heater in the drying unit 16. Later, it is discharged from the photo processing apparatus 10 as a finished print.

  The controller 18 includes a CPU 18a, a ROM 18b, and a RAM 18c connected to each other via a CPU bus. The controller 18 is connected to a hard disk drive (HDD: including a hard disk) 34 for storing various programs and data.

  The CPU 18a executes various programs stored in the ROM 18b, the HDD 34, etc., gives instructions to each component in the photo processing apparatus 10, and controls their operations.

  The ROM 18b stores a startup program and the like. The activation program is executed by the CPU 18a when the photographic processing apparatus 10 is powered on. As a result, a program such as an operating system (OS) recorded in the HDD 34 is loaded into the RAM 18c, and various processes and controls can be executed.

  In the RAM 18c, a program for controlling the photo processing device 10 is developed. The processing result of this program, temporary data for processing, and display data (text data, image for displaying information on the screen of the display unit 22). Data) and the like, and is used as a work area of the CPU 18a. The display data developed on the RAM 18c is transmitted to the display unit 22, and the display unit 22 displays the display content (text, image, etc.) corresponding to the display data on the screen.

  The HDD 34 is a device for writing and reading programs, control data, text data, image data, and the like to and from the hard disk in accordance with instructions from the CPU 18a. In this embodiment, the hard disk in the HDD 34 stores a program for the operation of the photographic processing apparatus 10 and also stores image data and the like of the charts 102 to 108 (see FIG. 2) to be formed on the photographic paper S. The

  Further, the colorimetric unit 24 is connected to such a controller 18. The color measurement unit 24 measures (measures the color density) of the patches P1 to P18 of the charts 102 to 108 formed on the test print 100 inserted in the direction of arrow A (see FIG. 3) according to the instruction of the CPU 18a. .

Here, the test print 100 will be described with reference to FIG.
The test print 100 shown in FIG. 2 exposes the charts 102 to 108 on the photographic paper S that has been cut by the digital exposure head 32 in the exposure processing unit 12 and develops the photographic paper S that has been exposed in the development processing unit 14. And the photographic paper S is dried by the drying unit 16. The test print 100 is produced at the time of set-up of the photographic processing apparatus 10 that is performed at the development office, for example, before the start of daily work.

  The test print 100 is formed with rectangular charts 102 to 108 having the same dimensions. Each of the charts 102 to 108 represents an image corresponding to predetermined color data (8-bit density value: 0 to 255) by patches P1 to P18 having different color densities. Here, it is assumed that the charts 102 to 108 correspond to black, Y (yellow), M (magenta), and C (cyan) color data, respectively. The concentration is different.

  Each of the charts 102 to 108 is configured by arranging patches P1 to P18 in the order opposite to the direction of insertion into the color measurement unit 24 (direction of arrow A), and the color is developed as the direction moves in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow A. It is formed so that the concentration increases stepwise. The dimensions of the patches P1 to P18 in the direction of arrow A are equal, and the dimensions of the patches P1 to P18 in the direction of arrow B (direction perpendicular to the direction of arrow A) are the same.

  In the test print 100, such charts 102 to 108 are arranged in the arrow B direction. Corresponding to the charts 102 to 108, triangular marks 110 indicating the insertion direction into the color measurement unit 24 are formed above the patches P1 of the charts 102 to 108, respectively.

  Thus, by arranging the charts 102 to 108 in the direction of arrow B and forming them on the test print 100, the number of test prints produced when setting up the photographic processing apparatus 10 is reduced, and the arrow B of the photographic paper S is reduced. Directional loss can be suppressed, test print production time can be reduced, and test print costs can be reduced.

  In FIG. 2, for the sake of easy understanding, the rectangular chart 102 is divided by a one-dot chain line along a diagonal line and is represented as a combination of two right triangles. And the patches P1-P18 which comprise the left side right triangle are represented by the one-point difference line.

  Next, the color measurement unit 24 for measuring the colors of the patches P1 to P18 of the charts 102 to 108 formed on the test print 100 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the color measurement unit 24 includes a lower housing 36, an upper housing 38, and a connecting member 40 that connects the lower housing 36 and the upper housing 38. The test print 100 is inserted into the color measurement unit 24 so that the surface on which the charts 102 to 108 are formed in the direction of arrow A is the upper surface, and the test print 100 is placed between the lower housing 36 and the upper housing 38. Be placed.

  A groove portion 42 extending in the direction of arrow B is provided below the front surface 36a of the lower housing 36, and sliders 44 and 46 are disposed on the groove portion 42 on the left and right as viewed from the front. The slider 44 includes a sliding portion 44a disposed in the groove portion 42 and a disposing portion 44b provided above the sliding portion 44a. The slider 46 includes a sliding portion 46a disposed in the groove portion 42, an arm portion 46b extending from the sliding portion 46a, and a placement portion 46c provided at the end of the arm portion 46b. The sliders 44 and 46 move in the direction of arrow B as the sliding portions 44a and 46a slide along the groove 42, respectively. A guide 48 is erected on the upper surface of the arrangement portion 44 b of the slider 44, and the guide 48 is erected on the upper surface of the arrangement portion 46 c of the slider 46.

  In the upper surface 36b of the lower housing 36, four triangular marks 50 (here, marks 50a to 50d) indicating positions where guides 48 provided on the slider 44 are to be disposed are formed in the vicinity of the end portion on the front surface 36a side. Is done. The plurality of marks 50 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the direction of arrow B, and the slider 44 is disposed so that the guide 48 is positioned above any of the marks 50. In addition, four triangular marks 52 (here, marks 52a to 52d) are formed on the front surface 36a of the lower housing 36 to indicate positions where the sliding portions 46a of the slider 46 should be disposed. The plurality of marks 52 are arranged in the direction of the arrow B at intervals equal to the interval of the marks 50, and apexes pointing below one of the marks 52 and apexes pointing in the arrow A direction of the marks 53 formed on the upper surface of the sliding portion 46a. The slider 46 is arranged so as to match.

  The marks 50a to 50d and the marks 52a to 50d have a corresponding relationship. For example, when the colors of the patches P1 to P18 of the chart 102 formed on the test print 100 are measured, a guide 48 provided on the slider 44 is a mark. The slider 46 is arranged above the 50a so that the vertex indicating the lower side of the mark 52a and the vertex indicating the arrow A direction of the mark 53 of the sliding portion 46a coincide.

  The guides 48 erected on the placement portions 44 b and 46 c are formed so as to extend in the direction of arrow A, and extend between the lower housing 36 and the upper housing 38. Further, the bottom surfaces of the guides 48 standing on the placement portions 44b and 46c are in contact with or close to the top surface 36b of the lower housing 36 (see FIG. 4). The guide 48 erected on the placement portion 44b is in contact with the left side edge of the test print 100 in the arrow B direction, and the guide 48 erected on the placement portion 46c is in contact with the right side edge of the test print 100 in the arrow B direction. That is, the movement of the test print 100 inserted between the lower housing 36 and the upper housing 38 in the direction of arrow B is regulated by the two guides 48, and the test print 100 is positioned.

  Further, a horizontal guide 48a is provided on the side surface on the right side in the arrow B direction of the guide 48 that is erected on the arrangement portion 44b. The horizontal guide 48 a facing the upper surface 36 b of the lower housing 36 guides the test print 100 between the lower housing 36 and the upper housing 38 and is inserted between the lower housing 36 and the upper housing 38. The vertical movement of the test print 100 is restricted. In this embodiment, the two guides 48 and the horizontal guide 48a correspond to positioning means.

  In addition, as indicated by a broken line in FIG. 3, an opening 54 is formed on the upper surface 36 b of the lower housing 36, and a transport unit 56 is provided in the lower housing 36 and below the opening 54. The transport unit 56 includes transport rollers 58a, 58b, 60a, and 60b that transport the test print 100 inserted between the lower housing 36 and the upper housing 38 in the arrow A direction.

  The transport rollers 58a, 58b, 60a and 60b protrude from the opening 54 to the upper surface 36b of the lower housing 36, the transport rollers 58a and 58b are connected by a shaft 62, and the transport rollers 60a and 60b are connected by a shaft 64.

  The transport rollers 58a and 58b rotate with the rotation of the inserted shaft 62, and the transport rollers 60a and 60b rotate with the rotation of the inserted shaft 64. The shafts 62 and 64 are connected by, for example, a belt or the like, and rotate with the driving of one stepping motor. The conveyance rollers 58a, 58b, 60a, and 60b stop the conveyance of the test print 100 at the time of color measurement of the patch P, and when the color measurement of one patch P is completed, the conveyance rollers 58a, 58b, 60a, 60b The test print 100 is conveyed.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the upper casing 38 is formed with an opening 66 at a position facing the opening 54 of the lower casing 36, and the test print 100 is conveyed to the opening 66 by the conveying rollers 58 a, 58 b, 60 a and A pressure roller 68 for pressing 60b is arranged. In FIG. 4, only the pressure roller 68 that presses the test print 100 against the transport rollers 58a and 60a is shown.

  Further, a color meter 70 for measuring the colors of the patches P1 to P18 of the charts 102 to 108 formed on the test print 100 is provided in the upper housing 38, and the measuring unit 70a of the color meter 70 is disposed in the opening 66. Is done. In this embodiment, the color meter 70 corresponds to the color measuring means.

  As shown in FIG. 5, an opening 72 is formed on the surface of the measuring unit 70a facing the test print 100, and a light source 74 and a lens 76 are provided above the opening 72 in the measuring unit 70a. The light source 74 includes a plurality of LEDs that respectively emit light in the R (red), G (green), and B (blue) wavelength regions. The light emitted by the light source 74 is collected by the lens 76, passes through the opening 72, and is given to the test print 100. The light given to the test print 100 reflects the test print 100, returns from the opening 72 into the measurement unit 70a, is reflected by the inner wall of the measurement unit 70a, and is given to the light receiving unit 78. The light receiving unit 78 includes a plurality of light receiving elements that respectively detect the intensities of light in the R, G, and B wavelength regions, and obtains measurement data of the color density of the patch P from the light reflected from the test print 100.

  In addition, a pressing mechanism 80 for pressing the test print 100 against the opening 72 is provided in the transport unit 56 and below the measurement unit 70a. The pressing mechanism 80 includes a swing bracket 82, a shaft 84 that fits into the swing bracket 82, and a solenoid 86.

  A pressing plate 88 that presses the test print 100 against the opening 72 from below and an arm 90 are joined to the swing bracket 82. The solenoid 86 is provided with a rod-shaped member 86a, and the rod-shaped member 86a moves in the direction of arrow A when electric power is supplied to the solenoid 86. A plate-like member 91 is attached to the solenoid 86, and the plate-like member 91 is connected to the arm 90 by a spring 92.

  The pressing mechanism 80 applies a force that swings counterclockwise to the swinging bracket 82 by pulling the arm 90 in the direction opposite to the arrow A direction by the spring 92, and is opened by the pressing plate 88 joined to the swinging bracket 82. The test print 100 is pressed against the portion 72. Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 (indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 5), the pressing mechanism 80 swings the swinging bracket 82 clockwise by pushing the arm 90 in the direction of arrow A by the rod-shaped member 86a. A moving force is applied, the pressing plate 88 is moved downward, and the pressing of the test print 100 to the opening 72 is released. The pressing mechanism 80 presses the test print 100 against the opening 72 when the patch P is measured, and releases the pressing when the test print 100 is conveyed.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the controller 18 is further connected to a scanner 94 that operates in accordance with instructions from the CPU 18a and acquires a frame image formed on a photographic film as image data. The image data acquired by the scanner 94 is recorded in, for example, the HDD 34, and an image based on the image data is exposed and formed on the photographic paper S by the digital exposure head 32.

  When setting up the photo processing apparatus 10 configured as described above, a test print 100 is prepared, and the patches P1 to P18 of the charts 102 to 108 formed on the test print 100 are measured by the color measurement unit 24, respectively. To color. Then, the exposure conditions of the digital exposure head 32 are adjusted so that the measured values of the patches P1 to P18 in the charts 102 to 108 are appropriate values.

Next, a color measurement method of the test print 100 by the color measurement unit 24 will be described with reference to FIGS.
When the test print 100 is color-measured, the sliders 44 and 46 should be arranged so that a predetermined program is read from the HDD 34 and the test print 100 is arranged at a position corresponding to the color measurement of any chart. An instruction screen for instructing the position is displayed on the display unit 22. Here, a case where color measurement is performed in the order of the charts 102 to 108 will be described.

  First, according to the instruction screen, the slider 44a is moved in the direction of arrow B, and the slider 44 is arranged so that the guide 48 standing on the arrangement part 44b is positioned above the mark 50a. Further, the sliding portion 46a is moved in the direction of arrow B, and the apex pointing below the mark 52a (see FIG. 3) coincides with the apex pointing in the arrow A direction of the mark 53 (see FIG. 3) of the sliding portion 46a. The slider 46 is arranged as described above. Then, the test print 100 is inserted between the guide 48 erected on the upper surface of the arrangement portion 44b and the guide 48 erected on the upper surface of the arrangement portion 46c and below the horizontal guide 48a. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6A, the test print 100 is positioned by the two guides 48 so that the chart 102 passes below the opening 72 of the color meter 70, and the lower casing 36 and the upper casing are positioned. It is arranged between the body 38. That is, the test print 100 is arranged at the colorimetric position on the chart 102.

  Thereafter, the test print 100 is transported in the direction of arrow A as the transport rollers 58a, 58b, 60a, and 60b rotate, and the color meter 70 sequentially measures the patches P1 to P18 of the chart 102. The measurement data of the patches P1 to P18 of the chart 102 acquired by the light receiving unit 78 of the color meter 70 is output to the controller 18, and for example, the measurement values based on the measurement data of the patches P1 to P18 are displayed on the display unit 22. The

  After the color measurement of the patch P18, the test print 100 may be further conveyed in the direction of the arrow A and the test print 100 may be discharged from the color measurement unit 24, or the test print 100 may be discharged in the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow A. , And the test print 100 may be discharged from the color measurement unit 24.

  Subsequently, according to the instruction screen, the slider 44 is arranged so that the guide 48 erected on the arrangement portion 44b is positioned above the mark 50b, and the apex and the mark 53 pointing below the mark 52b (see FIG. 3). The slider 46 is arranged so that the vertex pointing in the direction of arrow A in FIG. Then, the test print 100 is inserted between the two guides 48 and below the horizontal guide 48a. At this time, the test print 100 is positioned by the two guides 48 so that the chart 104 passes below the opening 72 as shown in FIG. Arranged between. That is, the test print 100 is moved from the colorimetric position of the chart 102 in one direction of the arrow B (left direction in this case) so that the chart 104 can be colorimetrically arranged at the colorimetric position of the chart 104. Thereafter, as in the case of the color measurement of the chart 102, the patches P1 to P18 of the chart 104 are sequentially measured.

  Subsequently, according to the instruction screen, the slider 44 is arranged so that the guide 48 erected on the arrangement portion 44b is positioned above the mark 50c, and the apex and the mark 53 pointing below the mark 52c (see FIG. 3). The slider 46 is arranged so that the vertex pointing in the direction of arrow A in FIG. Then, the test print 100 is inserted between the two guides 48 and below the horizontal guide 48a. At this time, the test print 100 is positioned by the two guides 48 so that the chart 106 passes under the opening 72 as shown in FIG. Arranged between. That is, the test print 100 is moved from the colorimetric position of the chart 104 in one direction of the arrow B so that the chart 106 can perform colorimetry, and is arranged at the colorimetric position of the chart 106. Thereafter, as in the case of the color measurement of the chart 102, the patches P1 to P18 of the chart 106 are sequentially measured.

  Subsequently, according to the instruction screen, the slider 44 is arranged so that the guide 48 erected on the arrangement portion 44b is positioned above the mark 50d, and the apex and the mark 53 point below the mark 52d (see FIG. 3). The slider 46 is arranged so that the vertex pointing in the direction of arrow A in FIG. Then, the test print 100 is inserted between the two guides 48 and below the horizontal guide 48a. At this time, the test print 100 is positioned by the two guides 48 so that the chart 108 passes below the opening 72 as shown in FIG. Arranged between. That is, the test print 100 is moved in one direction in the direction of arrow B from the colorimetric position of the chart 106 so that the chart 108 can perform colorimetry, and is arranged at the colorimetric position of the chart 108. Thereafter, as in the case of the color measurement of the chart 102, the patches P1 to P18 of the chart 108 are sequentially measured.

  In such a colorimetric unit 24 of the photographic processing apparatus 10, the test print 100 can be easily moved in the arrow B direction by moving the guides 48 erected on the sliders 44 and 46 in the arrow B direction. This makes it possible to easily measure the colors of the patches P1 to P18 of the charts 102 to 108 formed on the test print 100, so that it is not necessary to prepare a plurality of test prints, and the time required for the test print preparation is shortened. In addition, the cost of the test print can be reduced, and consequently the cost required for setting up the photo processing apparatus 10 can be reduced.

  Needless to say, the color may be measured from any of the charts 102 to 108.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the test print 100 is moved in the arrow B direction has been described. However, the color meter 70 may be moved in the arrow B direction, or the color meter 70 and the test print 100 may be moved. You may make it move to the arrow B direction and the opposite direction, respectively.

  Further, a mark indicating the position of the opening 72 of the color meter 70 is formed on, for example, the upper surface 36b of the lower housing 36, and the sliders 44 and 46 are moved so that one of the charts 102 to 108 is disposed at the position of the mark. You may make it make it.

Next, a test print 100a, which is another example of the test print of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 8, charts 102a and 102b obtained by dividing the chart 102 into two so that the number of patches P are equal are arranged in the arrow B direction on the test print 100a. The chart 102a is composed of patches P1 to P9 of the chart 102 representing changes in black color density, and the chart 102b is composed of patches P10 to P18 of the chart 102. When the test print 100a is rotated halfway (180 degrees), the chart 102b is arranged at the same position as the chart 102a before rotation.

  Note that any one of the charts 104 to 108 may be divided into two on the test print 100a.

  In the test print 100a, if the arrangement direction of the patches P1 to P9 of the chart 102a is a forward direction, the chart 102b is formed so that the arrangement direction of the patches P10 to P18 is reversed. In FIG. 8, the chart 102a is formed so that the color density increases as it moves in the direction opposite to the arrow A direction, whereas the chart 102b so that the color density decreases as it moves in the direction opposite to the arrow A direction. Is formed.

  Further, on the test print 100a, a triangular mark 110 indicating the insertion direction into the color measurement unit 24 is formed above the patch P1 corresponding to the chart 102a, and the color measurement is performed below the patch P10 corresponding to the chart 102b. A mark 110 indicating the direction of insertion into the unit 24 is formed.

  A case where a test print on which one type of chart is formed in the setup of the photographic processing apparatus 10 is also considered. Like the test print 100a, the chart 102 conventionally formed on the photosensitive material as one chart is divided into two and arranged in the arrow B direction, so that the dimension in the arrow A direction can be shortened and the cost of the test print can be reduced. it can.

  In FIG. 8, for convenience of understanding, the charts 102 a and 102 b that are rectangles are divided by a one-dot chain line along a diagonal line, and are expressed as two right triangles combined. In the chart 102a, the patches P1 to P9 constituting the left right triangle are represented by a one-dot chain line, and in the chart 102b, the patches P10 to P18 constituting the right right triangle are represented by a one-dot chain line.

  Next, with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, a color measurement method of the test print 100a by the color measurement unit 24 will be described. Here, the case where the chart 102a is the first chart and the chart 102b is the second chart, and the patches P1 to P9 of the chart 102a are measured and then the patches P10 to P18 of the chart 102b are measured is described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 9, the slider 46 is arranged so that the apex pointing below the mark 52c coincides with the apex pointing in the arrow A direction of the mark 53 of the sliding portion 46a, and the right side surface of the sliding portion 44a. Is arranged so as to be in contact with the left side surface of the sliding portion 46a.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 10, the test print 100a is inserted between the two guides 48 and below the horizontal guide 48a with the direction indicated by the mark 110 corresponding to the chart 102a and the direction of the arrow A aligned. As a result, the test print 100a is arranged at a position where the chart 102a can pass under the opening 72, that is, a colorimetric position where the patches P1 to P9 of the chart 102a can be measured.

  Thereafter, the test print 100a is conveyed in the direction of arrow A as the conveyance rollers 58a, 58b, 60a and 60b rotate, and the color meter 70 sequentially measures the patches P1 to P9 on the chart 102a. The measurement data of the patches P1 to P9 of the chart 102a acquired by the light receiving unit 78 of the color meter 70 is output to the controller 18, and for example, the measurement values based on the measurement data of the patches P1 to P9 are displayed on the display unit 22. .

  Subsequently, the direction indicated by the mark 110 corresponding to the chart 102b and the direction of the arrow A are made coincident with each other, and the test print 100a is inserted into the color measurement unit 24 and arranged at the color measurement position. That is, when the color measurement is performed on the patches P10 to P18 of the chart 102b, the test print 100a is inserted into the color measurement unit 24 in a half-rotated state as compared with the case where the color measurement of the chart 102a is performed, and the color measurement position. Be placed. Thereafter, similarly to the color measurement of the chart 102a, the patches P10 to P18 of the chart 102b are sequentially measured.

  Thus, by rotating the test print 100a halfway, the chart 102b is arranged at the position of the chart 102a before rotation, and the patches P1 to P9 of the chart 102a and the patch P10 of the chart 102b that are simply formed on the test print 100a. ~ P18 can be measured.

Next, a test print 100b, which is another example of the test print of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 11, charts 102 to 108 arranged in the direction of arrow B are formed on the test print 100b in the order of charts 102, 106, 108, and 104 from the left. In the test print 100b, if the arrangement direction of the patches P1 to P18 of the charts 102 and 106 is a forward direction, the charts 104 and 108 are formed so that the arrangement direction of the patches P1 to P18 is opposite. When the test print 100b is rotated halfway, the chart 104 is arranged at the same position as the chart 102 before rotation, and the chart 108 is arranged at the same position as the chart 106 before rotation.

  In such a test print 100b, the patches P1 to P18 of the chart 102 are color-measured at the positions shown in FIG. 6A, and then the patches P1 to P18 of the chart 104 are color-measured by being half-rotated. Similarly, the patches P1 to P18 of the chart 106 are measured at the position shown in FIG. 6B, and then the patches P1 to P18 of the chart 108 are measured by being rotated halfway. Therefore, the sliders 44 and 46 need only be moved once, and the colors of the patches P1 to P18 of the charts 102 to 108 can be measured more easily.

  The number of charts formed on the test print is not limited to the above-described four (test prints 100 and 100b) and two (test print 100a), and can be arbitrarily set. Similarly, the number of patches in one chart can be arbitrarily set.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where each chart is configured by patches having different color densities has been described. However, in a plurality of charts formed on a test print, patches having color densities that are not included in any other chart are provided. Each chart only needs to include at least one.

  Furthermore, the photosensitive material used for the test print of the present invention is not limited to photographic paper, and may be a cloth or a plastic film.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of a photograph processing apparatus. It is a top view solution figure which shows an example of the test print of this invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a color measurement unit that measures the color density of the test print of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is an illustrative sectional view of the color measurement unit of FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is an illustrative sectional view showing a main part of the color measurement unit of FIG. FIG. 3 is an illustrative plan view showing an arrangement mode of the test print of FIG. 2 in the color measurement unit, (a) showing an arrangement mode when measuring the chart formed at the left end of the test print of FIG. 2, and (b). Fig. 2 shows an arrangement mode when the color of the chart formed second from the left of the test print of Fig. 2 is measured. FIG. 3 is an illustrative plan view showing an arrangement mode of the test print of FIG. 2 in the color measurement unit, wherein (a) shows an arrangement mode when performing color measurement on the chart formed third from the left of the test print of FIG. 2; (B) shows the arrangement | positioning aspect at the time of measuring the color of the chart formed in the right end of the test print of FIG. It is a top view solution figure which shows the other example of the test print of this invention. FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a slider arrangement when the test print of FIG. 8 is measured by the color measurement unit of FIG. 3. FIG. 9 is an illustrative plan view showing an arrangement mode of the test print of FIG. 8 in the color measurement unit. It is a top view solution figure which shows the other example of the test print of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Photo processing apparatus 12 Exposure processing part 32 Digital exposure unit 24 Colorimetry unit 36 Lower housing 38 Upper housing 44, 46 Slider 42 Groove 44a, 46a Sliding part 44b, 46c Arrangement part 48 Guide 48a Horizontal guide 70 Color meter 50a , 50b, 50c, 50d, 52a, 52b, 52c, 52b, 53, 110 Mark 100, 100a, 100b Test print 102, 102a, 102b, 104, 106, 108 Chart S Printing paper P Patch

Claims (4)

A test print obtained by forming a chart in which a plurality of patches having different color densities are arranged in a predetermined direction on a photosensitive material,
A test print in which a plurality of different types of charts are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction. A colorimetry method for measuring a color density of each patch arranged in a predetermined direction of a plurality of charts of the test print according to claim 1 by a colorimetry device including a colorimetry unit,
A first step of measuring the color density of each patch of a predetermined chart among the plurality of charts of the test print by the color measuring means;
A second step of moving at least one of the colorimetric means and the test print in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction so that the color density of each patch of the chart other than the predetermined chart can be measured; and A colorimetric method comprising a third step of measuring the color density of each patch of a chart other than the predetermined chart by the colorimetric means.   The color measurement device further includes a positioning unit that can move in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction and positions the test print, and in the second step, the positioning unit is moved in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction. The color measurement method according to claim 2, wherein the position of the test print is moved in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction. A colorimetry method for measuring a color density of each patch arranged in a predetermined direction of a plurality of charts of the test print according to claim 1 by a colorimetry device including a colorimetry unit,
The test print is formed with a first chart and a second chart arranged at the same position as the first chart before rotation when the test print is half-rotated,
A first step of arranging the test print at a predetermined position where the color density of each patch of the first chart can be measured by the colorimetric means;
A second step of measuring the color density of each patch of the first chart by the color measuring means;
A colorimetric method comprising a third step of rotating the test print halfway and placing the test print at the predetermined position, and a fourth step of measuring the color density of each patch of the second chart by the colorimetric means.

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