Color monitoring system for use in creating colored displays

A scanning densitometer system for automatically monitoring a plurality of color inked areas on material and for automatically identifying which of a plurality of ink control positions related to said areas may be in need of a control change comprising in combination:

• moving means formed and disposed to move light sensitive detecting means along a path in close proximity to said plurality of color inked areas in order to scan said areas;
• light sensitive detecting means coupled to said moving means to be moved thereby and formed to direct light to each of said color inked areas being scanned and further formed to have three light receiving channels therein to receive light in said three channels simultaneously as reflected from each of said color inked areas being scanned;
• detection means disposed in said three channels to simultaneously generate three electrical signals which are respectively indicative of the optical densities of the basic colors cyan, magneta and yellow present at each of said color inked areas being scanned;
• first logic circuitry means coupled to said detection means to receive said three signals and formed to compare said three signals to automatically determine at each of said color inked areas being scanned, which basic color is predominant thereat and the optical density value thereof;
• said first logic circuitry means coupled to said moving means to determine and remember the location of each of said color inked areas being scanned;
• second logic circuitry means, including memory means, coupled to said first logic circuitry means to act with said first logic circuitry means to compare said predominant basic color optical density value at each of said color inked areas being scanned with a reference optical density value for a basic color being compared;
• and,
• display means coupled to said first and second logic circuitry means to display the location of each color inked area being scanned and display how its predominant basic color optical density value compares with its associated reference value whereby the need for adjusting an ink control position associated with a color inked area would become apparent.