Method and apparatus for reproducing an image recorded on a photographic filmstrip

An apparatus for reproducing images recorded on a photographic filmstrip wound on a film spool contained in a cartridge, said photographic filmstrip having machine-readable frame numbers associated with said images recorded thereon and said photographic filmstrip being associated with means for storing film related data including frame numbers identifying selected images to be reproduced;

• said apparatus comprising first means for reading said stored data, second means for reading said frame numbers, means for printing said images onto a photographic paper and means for controlling said first and second reading means, and said printing means;
• said apparatus characterized in that:
• said control means includes means for determining whether a frame number, read by said second reading means, of a first available frame on a photographic filmstrip removed from a film cartridge is equal to one or is greater than one;
• means for searching first for a highest of the respective frame reading means, on a photographic filmstrip removed from the cartridge and then in succession the next lowest frame number of the selected images until all of the frame numbers of the selected images have been found if the frame number of the first available frame of a photographic filmstrip is equal to one, or for searching first for a lowest of the respective frame reading means, on a photographic film strip removed from the cartridge and then in succession the next highest frame number of the selected images until all of the frame numbers of the selected images have been found if the frame number of the first available frame of a photographic filmstrip is greater than one, and means for activating said printing means to print each one of the selected images in response to its frame number being found.