JPH01270043A - Photograph printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify dodging and to make a border look natural by shifting a border line between a part where dodging is needed and other part by means of a dodging unit obtained by superposing plural cover plates (liquid crystal display panel), thereby performing dodging. CONSTITUTION:When a negative film 20 is inserted into a carrier 21 and positioned and the monitor starting key of a keyboard is turned on, the image of the film 20 is picked up by a CCD camera 47 and displayed on a CRT 48. By observing the image and judging that dodging, etc., is necessitated, a dodging starting key is turned on. As to the image on the CRT 48, the part where dodging should be performed is specified on the liquid crystal display panels 41a and 41b with a light pen 49. In case where a shady part exists on an image plane, the border line is specified with the light pen 49. Driving signals in accordance with the density difference between the shady part and the other part are transmitted from a controller 38 to drivers 42a and 42b, so that dodging is performed by shifting the border line of the shady part on the panels 41a and 41b.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a photographic printing apparatus, and more particularly to a photographic printing apparatus capable of performing dodging at the same time as printing a photograph.

[Conventional technology]

In conventional photo printing equipment, the exposure amount is controlled according to the average density of the image on the photographic film, such as negative film, so if there is an extremely low density area, such as a shaded area, the print This area will appear dark and crushed in the photo. For such negative images,
Print exposure is performed by partially changing the exposure amount using the dodging technique. In this dodging process, after the first exposure, a second exposure is performed by placing an ND filter or cardboard over the photographic paper to hide areas where the finished density should be lowered, such as shaded areas. It is something.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The dodging described above is performed manually while observing the projected image, so until now this technique has been used in enlargers that print photographs on sheets of photographic paper in a dark room, and in enlargers installed in a bright room. This technique has not been utilized in automatic photographic printers that use rolls of photographic paper.

Additionally, since this dodging is done by hand, it requires skill, and if the outline of the area where you want to lower the density is curved, it is necessary to process cardboard, etc. into a shape that matches the curved outline. First, the printing process was quite troublesome.

The present invention can be used in an automatic photo printing device used in a bright room, and can easily perform dodging, while also making the boundary between the dodged area and other areas naturally confusing. It is an object of the present invention to provide a photo printing device that allows finishing.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a dodging plate in which a large number of pixels with variable light transmittance are arranged in a matrix, for example, by stacking a plurality of liquid crystal display panels. is provided on the printing optical path from the light diffusing means to the photographic paper, and drives each pixel for each dodging plate corresponding to the portion of the image on the photographic film that requires dodging, and also drives the dodging plate on each dodging plate. Dodge is performed by shifting the boundary line between the areas that require grilling and other areas. Preferably, the dodging plate is constituted by a normally open type liquid crystal display panel.

[Effect]

When an image on a negative film is printed onto photographic paper and exposed to light, the density of the image on the negative film is first observed. At this time, if there is a part of the film image with a fairly low density, for example a shaded part, the pixels corresponding to this part are driven to reduce the light transmittance thereof. This limits the amount of printing light in low-density areas of the negative film image, so that dodging is performed at the same time as photographic printing.

At this time, the pixels of each dodging plate are driven so as to shift the boundary line between the portion of each dodging plate that requires dodging and the other portions. Therefore, in areas where this boundary line is shifted, for example, pixels on the upper dodging plate are in a non-driven state and pixels on the lower dodging plate are in a driven state, and there is a difference between areas that require dodging and other areas. The density of the area near the boundary line is set to be an intermediate tone compared to the density of other areas. This makes it possible to create a natural illusion at the boundary between the dodged portion and other portions.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1 schematically showing the photoprinting apparatus, a white light source 1
0 is supplied with power from the lamp stabilizing power source 11 and emits light. The white light emitted from the white light source 10 passes through a yellow filter 12 , a magenta filter 13 , and a cyan filter 14 before entering a diffusion box 15 . The amount of insertion of these color filters 12 to 14 into the printing optical path 17 is adjusted by a filter adjustment section 16, thereby adjusting the light quality of the printing light. The diffusion box 15 is a rectangular cylinder whose inner surface is a mirror surface, with diffusion plates attached to both ends.
To sufficiently diffuse the printing light that has passed through color filters 12 to 14.

A base 19 having an opening 18 formed in the center is arranged above the diffusion box 15. On this base 19,
A film carrier 21 for setting a negative film 20 on the printing optical path 17 is arranged. The negative film 20 in this film carrier 21 is pressed down from above by a mask 22 during photographic printing. A negative image (photographic image) recorded on the negative film 20 is printed onto photographic paper 26 by a printing lens 25 when a shutter 24 is opened by a shutter drive section 23.

This photographic paper 26 is wound around a photographic paper reel 30 , and is taken up onto a take-up reel 34 via a roller 31 , a driving roller pair 32 , and a roller 33 . A photographic paper mask 35 is arranged between the roller 31 and the drive roller pair 32. The drive roller pair 32 is driven by a pulse motor 3
6, and its rotation amount is controlled by a controller 38 via a driver 37. Note that this controller 38 is composed of a microcomputer, and controls the filter adjustment section 16, shutter drive section 22, and dodging unit 40, which will be described later.

A dodging unit 40 is disposed within the film carrier 21 so as to be located between the negative film 20 and the diffuser surface 15a of the diffusion box 15. This dodging unit 40 includes two liquid crystal display panels 41a.
, 41b are stacked on top of each other. As is well known, these liquid crystal display panels 41a and 41b are
A transparent common electrode is formed on one transparent glass encapsulating a liquid crystal, and a matrix of small dot-shaped individual transparent electrodes is formed on the other transparent glass.These individual transparent electrodes form pixels (micro shutters). ) is configured. Therefore, by driving each pixel with the drivers 42a and 42b based on the output of the controller 3, the light transmittance of the dodging area can be lowered.

There are two types of LCD panels: a normally closed type that changes from a light blocking state to a light transmitting state when a voltage is applied, and a normally closed type that changes from a light transmitting state to a light blocking state when a voltage is applied. Considering that the number of times of dodging is smaller than that, it is better to use a normally open type. Note that the display on the liquid crystal display panels 41a and 41b will be a dot pattern if observed closely, but since the dots will be blurred by placing them apart from the negative film 20, no dots will appear on the printed photograph.

A dodging area specifying means 45 for specifying a dodging area of the dodging unit 40 includes a movable mirror 46 disposed on the printing optical path 17 that has passed through the negative film 20, and a printing light reflected by the movable mirror 46. A CCD camera 47 that captures a negative image from a CCD camera 47, a CRT 48 that displays an image captured by this CCD camera 47, and a CRT4B
It consists of a light pen 49 and a keyboard 50 for specifying an area to be dodged from the upper image.

A scanner 53 composed of a lens 51 and an image area sensor 52 is arranged diagonally above the print position of the film carrier 21, and measures the transmitted light at each point of the frame set at the print position. This signal from the scanner 53 is sent to a characteristic value calculation section 54, where characteristic values such as average transmitted density, maximum density, and minimum density are calculated for each color.These characteristic values are sent to the controller 38, and based on this, characteristic values are calculated for each color. Filter adjustment section 16 is controlled.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained. When printing a photographic image, the negative film 20 is inserted into the film carrier 21, and the frame to be printed is positioned at the printing position. Keyboard monitor start key (not shown)
When turned on, the CCD camera 47 captures the negative film 2.
0 image is captured and this image is displayed on the CRT 48.

The operator observes the image on the CRT 4B and determines whether dodging is necessary. If there is a shaded area and it is determined that dodging is necessary because the density of this area is significantly different from the density of other areas, the dodging start key is turned ON.
This starts the dodging process.

First, the area to be dodged is specified by tracing the outline of the area to be dodged with the light pen 49 on the image displayed on the CRT 48. This area designation is performed for each of the upper and lower liquid crystal display panels 41a and 41b. for example,
When a shaded area C exists diagonally at the upper right of the screen as shown in FIG. 2, first, as shown in FIG. Specify the boundary line BLI of C with the light pen 49.

Next, out of the area divided by the boundary line BLI, specify whether the shaded area C whose density needs to be changed is inside or outside the boundary line BLI using the keyboard 50, and by this, the lower liquid crystal display Dodge area AI of panel 41a is designated.

Similarly, for the upper liquid crystal display panel 41a, the boundary line BL2 of this shaded area C is designated with the light pen 49. This boundary line BL2 is specified with a slight offset toward the shaded portion C side from the boundary line BLI specified on the lower liquid crystal display panel 41'a.

This offset amount E is increased or decreased according to the density difference between the shaded area C and the other areas, and when the density difference is large, the offset ilE is also increased, and when the density difference is small, the offset IE is decreased. Ru. Next, out of the area divided by the boundary line BL2, use the keyboard 50 to specify whether the shaded area C whose density needs to be changed is inside or outside the boundary line BL2, and thereby the upper liquid crystal display panel The dodging area A2 of 41b is specified.

In this way, when the dodging areas Al and A2 of each liquid crystal display panel 41a and 41b are specified, the controller 3
8 sends a drive signal to the driver 42, so that the light transmittance of each pixel in the dodging areas AI and A2 of each liquid crystal display panel 41a and 41b is lowered. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the dodging area A corresponding to the shaded area C is
However, the liquid crystal display panels 41a and 4 have a medium density at the boundary portions.
1b in a pattern.

If you press the print start key after dodging,
The print frame is photometered by the scanner 53, the exposure amount of each color is calculated from the obtained photometric value by the characteristic value calculation section 54, and the color filter 1 is
The amount of insertion of lenses 2 to 14 into the printing optical path 17 is adjusted. After this filter adjustment, the shutter 24 is opened for a predetermined period of time, so that a negative image is printed onto the photographic paper 26 by the printing lens 25. During this printing exposure, the liquid crystal display panel 4
Since each pixel in the dodging area A formed by 1a and 41b reduces the light transmittance to the dodging area,
The transmission exposure amount of the shaded portion C in the negative image is limited, and dodging exposure is performed simultaneously with photographic printing.

Moreover, the dodging area A is the dodging area AI of the upper and lower liquid crystal display panels 41a and 41b.

High concentration area where A2 overlaps (mesh pattern area in Figure 3)
and a medium density area (hatched area in Figure 3) where only the pixels of the lower liquid crystal display panel 41b are driven, so the area near the boundary has a medium density, and this area is finished with a natural look. You will be able to do this.

When the shutter 24 is closed and the exposure of the photographic paper 26 is completed, a signal from the controller 38 resets each pixel of the liquid crystal display panels 41a and 41b to the maximum light transmittance. At the same time, the pulse motor 36 is rotated via the driver 37 to rotate the drive roller pair 32. As a result, one frame of unexposed photographic paper 26 wound around the photographic paper reel 30 is pulled out and set at a new print position. In addition, exposed photographic paper 26
is wound up on a take-up reel 34 via a roller 33. When printing the next frame, the negative film 20 may be transferred by one frame, and this frame may be set in the printing opening.

Note that if the operator determines that dodging is unnecessary, the dodging process is omitted and normal printing exposure is performed.

In the above embodiment, the boundary of the dodging area A is specified with the light pen 49, but this may also be done with the cursor on the CRT 48 by operating the keyboard. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, a start address SP and a goal address CP are specified using the keyboard, and a straight line connecting the start and goal addresses SP and GP is defined as a boundary line BL. Furthermore, if the boundary line BL3 is a curved line, as shown in FIG. 5, the start and goal addresses SP.

By specifying intermediate addresses MP1 to MP3 in addition to GP, the boundary line BL3 can be specified with high precision.

Furthermore, instead of the light pen 49, a touch panel sensor can be attached to the CRT 48, and the boundary can be specified by touching it with a finger, or by using a well-known mouse or the like.

In addition, CRT48, light pen 49, and keyboard 5
Instead of the dodging area specifying means 45 consisting of 0, etc., the sixth
A transparent digitizer 61 may also be used, as in the second embodiment of the invention shown in the figure.

The digitizer 61 inputs position information of the dodging area on the negative image to the controller 60 by moving a stylus, cursor, etc. based on the image of the negative film 20. Note that the same constituent members as in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their explanations will be omitted.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the dodging area A for each of the upper and lower liquid crystal display panels 41a and 41b is
1 and A2 are specified, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, only the lower liquid crystal display panel 41a is specified, and based on the specified contents and the offset amount E input from the keyboard, , the dodging area of the upper liquid crystal display panel 41b may be automatically specified by the controller 38.

Further, in the above embodiment, the dodging unit 4 is operated by the two lower and upper liquid crystal display panels 41a and 41b.
0, but the present invention is not limited to this.
It may be configured with three or more liquid crystal display panels. Furthermore, when driving the pixels of each liquid crystal display panel, the driving voltage was fixed, but the present invention is not limited to this, but it is preferable to modify the density in order to make the finished density appropriate. The light transmittance of each pixel of the liquid crystal display panels 41a and 41b may be adjusted depending on the negative density of the portion. In this case, in order to change the light transmittance in steps, the keyboard 50 is provided with a density adjustment key, and the controller 38 is provided with a density adjustment section, and the density adjustment section adjusts the density specified by the density adjustment key. Generates a corresponding drive signal and sends it to driver 4.
2a and 42b. According to this,
Since the light transmittance of each pixel is lowered according to the density of the shaded area C, the print can be finished in a state closer to nature.

Furthermore, although the dodging unit 40 is disposed within the film carrier 21 in close proximity to the diff user surface 15a of the diffusion box 15, the present invention is not limited thereto. Any position may be used as long as it can be partially changed.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the operator determines whether dodging is necessary and specifies the dodging area. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the scanner 53 and the characteristic value Based on the signal from the calculation unit 54, it may be determined whether or not dodging is necessary and the dodging area A may be specified automatically. That is, based on the density signal from the characteristic value calculation section, it is determined whether the density of a certain area is significantly different from that of other areas. When the difference between the density values is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, it is determined that dodging is necessary. Then, this area where the density is extremely low is defined as a dodging area A. Next, each pixel of the liquid crystal display panel corresponding to this area A is driven to increase the density to this area and reduce the light transmittance of the printing light. In this way, it is also possible to automatically determine whether or not to perform dodging exposure and to designate it.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the dodging unit 40 is fixed on the printing optical path 17, but it can be inserted into and removed from this optical path so that it is located on the printing optical path only when dodging or the like is necessary. It can also be provided in

Furthermore, although each of the above embodiments uses exposure once, it is also possible to perform exposure twice as in the prior art. In this case, the liquid crystal display panel may be set to the highest light transmittance during the first exposure, and the light transmittance of the liquid crystal display panel may be lowered to a constant light transmittance during the second exposure. Furthermore, the dodging plate may be constructed using PLZT or the like instead of the liquid crystal display panel.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, a dodging unit in which pixels with variable light transmittance are arranged in a matrix is provided on the printing optical path, and the pixels are activated according to the density of the image on the photographic film. Since dodging is performed, it is no longer necessary to insert a light-shielding mask or the like for dodging into the printing optical path and check the image projected on the photographic paper as in the conventional method. Therefore, printing and exposure can be performed in a bright room using an automatic photo printing device loaded with roll photographic paper, and there is no need to manually dodge, so even non-experts can easily perform the printing. Moreover, since only one exposure is required, work efficiency is greatly improved. Furthermore, since the dodging area is specified by changing the light transmittance of the pixel, the dodging area can be specified with high accuracy, and the quality of the finished print can be improved.

Furthermore, a plurality of dodging plates (liquid crystal display panels) are stacked and placed on the printing optical path, and each dodging plate is driven to drive each pixel corresponding to the portion of the photographic film image that requires dodging. At the same time, the boundary line between the areas that require dodging and other areas of each dodging plate is shifted and the dodging exposure is performed, so the areas that need dodging such as shaded areas and the other areas are different. It is possible to make the area near the boundary between the two parts have a midtone density compared to the other parts, making it possible to finish the print with a natural feel. Moreover, compared to a method in which halftone density is obtained by changing the voltage applied to each pixel, it is only necessary to keep the voltage applied to each pixel constant, and the configuration of the controller can be simplified.

In addition, since the dodging unit is constructed by stacking multiple dodging plates, it is possible to increase the density of the dodging area compared to dodging with a single dodging plate, and the range of change in light transmittance. can be expanded.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a photographic printing apparatus embodying the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of an image that requires dodging exposure. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a display example of a liquid crystal display panel driven for dodging in accordance with the image shown in FIG. 2. FIGS. 4 and 5 are front views showing another method of specifying a boundary line. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a photographic printing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. A... Dodge area BL, BL1-3... Boundary line E... Offset amount 10... White light source 12-14... Filter 15... Diffusion box 20... Negative film 21... ... Film carrier 24 ... Shutter 26 ... Photographic paper 38.60 ... Controller 40 ... Dodge unit 41 ... Liquid crystal display panel (dodge plate) 45.
... Dodge area specifying means 61 ... digitizer.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A plurality of dodging plates each having a large number of pixels with variable light transmittance arranged in a matrix are stacked on top of each other, and these are placed on the printing optical path from the light diffusion means to the photographic paper, so that the image on the photographic film is The pixels are driven for each dodging plate in accordance with the area that requires dodging, and the boundary line between the area that requires dodging and the other areas on each dodging plate is shifted. A photo printing device that performs printing. (2) The photographic printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dodging plate is constituted by a normally open type liquid crystal display panel.