Formatted digital index print system and method

A system for creating a formatted index print comprising:

• means for supplying digital image data;
• means for supplying data corresponding to bit-mapped graphical representations;
• means for supplying instruction data corresponding to a user-selected index print template;
• decoder means responsive to said index print template instruction data to convert said instruction data into bit mapped template data;
• means for setting image data size for each image to an appropriate size for merger into said template;
• and
• index print rendering means for merging said sized image data and said bit-mapped graphical representation data into said index print template to create said formatted index print.

A method of creating an index print template description file in a digital data workstation comprising the steps of:

• selecting the size of an index print to be generated;
• providing digital data representing a master index print template to be customized by a user;
• providing a menu of user-selectable digital data representing graphical representations to be incorporated in the index print;
• selecting desired ones of said graphical representation digital data and determining the locations thereof on said master template;
• and
• determining and setting size and locations of user selected images on the master template.

A method of generating customized, formatted index prints comprising:

• providing a plurality of different encoded index print description files each descriptive of a predetermined index print template having imagette areas and a plurality of different graphical areas, the encoded file including data representative of size of the imagette;
• providing user selectable bit-mapped data corresponding to graphical representations to be incorporated into the graphical areas of the index print template;
• selecting one of said plurality of index print description files and desired ones of said bit-mapped graphical representations;
• decoding said selected index print description file to create bit-mapped template data representing the layout of the formatted index print
• providing digital image data representative of image frames scanned from photographic film to be reproduced as imagettes for insertion into the imagette areas of the index print template and providing digital non-image data representative of characteristics of the image frames including location of the image frames on the film;
• processing said digital image data to modify characteristics of the digital image data, including image size, to generate processed imagette data;
• and
• merging said processed imagette data and said graphical representation data into the bit mapped index print template data to thereby create a printable, customized, formatted index print data file.