Advanced Photo System Photofinishing Service Certification

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One of the objectives of the Advanced Photo System is to provide a framework for communication and delivery of consumer Output Features. Within the confines of the Advanced Photo System, "photofinishing" is the process that produces certain of these features from the Consumers perspective. In reality, photofinishing is a series of steps that transform the Consumers' exposed film into the output of the Advanced Photo System.

This document will provide background concerning the Advanced Photo System Photofinishing Service Certification that will describe:

I) The purpose, envisioned minimum set of Output Features and administration of Advanced Photo System Photofinishing Service Certification

II) The guidelines for Advanced Photo System Photofinishing Service Certification

In order to be as precise in the descriptions as possible, the following definitions will be used throughout this discussion:

Consumer: End user

System Features: The entire set of features available within the Advanced Photo System*

* The term "Advanced Photo System" used herein means the system as defined in the Advanced Photo System Product License Agreement as "Advanced Photo System" and including index print.

Output Features: Those features of the Advanced Photo System that are delivered through the actions of the Photofinisher. Output Features are a subset of System Features.

Retailer: One who sells Output Features to Consumers

Photofinisher: One who is able to produce Output Features.

Photofinisher/Retailer: A Minilab or a Photofinisher who has retail shops, or has a mail-order business, is assumed for this discussion to have both Photofinisher and Retailer segments to his business.

Section I. Purpose and Administration of Photofinishing Service Certification

The intent of the Advanced Photo System Photofinishing Service Certification is to assure the availability and production of a minimum set of Output Features. This Certification is intended to allow communication about this set of Output Features between all interested parties: the System Developing Companies (SDC), Licensees, Photofinishers, Retailers and Consumers. Consumer communication will be handled through the use of the Advanced Photo System Photofinishing Service Certification Program Mark. The ultimate objective of the SDC is to have the Advanced Photo System Photofinishing Service Certification program provide the Consumer with an assurance of availability and production of the minimum set of Output Features wherever the Program Mark is displayed.

Photofinisher/Retailers and Retailers can be certified in one of two ways.

Option 1 is available only to Photofinisher/Retailers. In this case they must have the capability of producing a minimum set of Output Features him/herself.

These features are:

• Interspersed Aspect Ratio
• Backprinting
• Basic Print Quality Improvement
• Negative Return in Cartridge
• Index Print

A more complete definition of these features is in Appendix A.

Option 2 is for Retailers or a Photofinishing/Retailer who cannot produce the minimum set of Output Features called for. In this case, the Retailer or Photofinisher/Retailer must be able to contract with a Photofinisher who can produce these Output Features.

In either of these ways this Retailer would be able to achieve certification and display the Advanced Photo System Photofinishing Service Certification Program Mark.

The Advanced Photo System Photofinishing Service Certification will be administered as part of the Advanced Photo System Film/Cartridge licensing activity, and will be accomplished through the use of a Program Mark that will communicate the availability of the minimum set of Output Features.

The SDC reserve the right to enforce the Guidelines for Using the Advanced Photo System Photofinisher Service Certification Program Mark (actually to supersede the Film/Cartridge Licensee) in order to ensure uniform application of the Program Mark usage conditions.

The envisioned distribution of the Guidelines for Using the Advanced Photo System Photofinisher Service Certification Program Mark is described by the following flow chart.

As noted in the above flow chart, and in the definitions found on Page 2, activities related to delivery of photofinishing services to the Consumer have been divided into two parts: photofinishing and retailing. The flow described above is to enable Photofinishers to first understand the requirements of Advanced Photo System Photofinishing Service Certification in order to have the capabilities required for certification in place. Photofinishers would then work with Retailers to develop communications and service offerings. General communication of the specifics of the Advanced Photo System Photofinishing Service Certification will occur through information from the SDC, Film/Cartridge Licensees, Photofinishing Equipment Manufacturers, Camera Manufacturers, Photofinishers, Photofinisher/Retailers and the press.

Section I Summary Points:

Advanced Photo System Photofinishing Service Certification is non-contractual and not mandatory.

The intent is to certify Photofinisher/Retailers and Retailers, not photofinishing equipment manufacturers. Photofinishing equipment manufacturers have been supplied with Advanced Photo System Photofinishing Service Certification guidelines to allow them to anticipate capabilities that might be required for photofinishing equipment. Photofinishers will be able to work in cooperation with Photofinishing Equipment Licensees to obtain the required capabilities for their photofinishing operations.

Kodak, Fuji, and Film/Cartridge Licensees are enabled to distribute Advanced Photo System Photofinishing Service Certification guidelines to Photofinishers and Photofinisher/Retailers. This distribution of guidelines by Film/Cartridge Licensees is not a mandatory condition of license.

Guideline compliance is by the process of "self-certification". No active enforcement is planned; Kodak and Fuji will react to complaints, giving the company who provided the guidelines the first opportunity to correct the problem. Kodak and Fuji retain the right to enforce the guidelines, if necessary.

Kodak, Fuji and Film/Cartridge Licensees are certainly permitted to work with Photofinishers and Retailers to provide Advanced Photo System consumer programs beyond the scope of the Advanced Photo System Photofinishing Service Certification program.

Section II. Advanced Photo System Photofinishing Service Certification Guidelines

A requirement of the Advanced Photo System Photofinishing Service Certification is the delivery of a minimum set of Output Features of the Advanced Photo System for the benefit of Consumers, Retailers and Photofinishers.

The minimum set of Output Features are a specific subset of the total set of features envisioned for the Advanced Photo System and are ultimately delivered to the Consumer through the actions of the Retailer.

The minimum set of Output Features are to be included in the standard level of photofinishing service available to the Consumer. The standard level of photofinishing service is that normally offered by a Retailer as their standard develop and print service. If a Retailer or Photofinisher/Retailer offers multiple levels of photofinishing service, the minimum set of Output Features must be offered as the standard service for each level.

Delivery of less than the minimum set of Output Features may be done only with the informed consent of the Consumer; that is they must agree explicitly to this diminution of the feature set.

The minimum set of Output Features are :

1. Interspersed Aspect Ratio
2. Backprinting
3. Basic Print Quality Improvement
4. Negative Return in Cartridge
5. Index Print

Again, definition of these features is contained in Appendix A.

The first three are features initiated in the camera and produced by the Photofinisher; the last two are produced by the Photofinisher to enhance the usability of the system for the Consumer. This set is the minimum required for Advanced Photo System Photofinishing Service Certification; Photofinishers are free to provide services beyond those called for by the Certification.

The Guidelines for Using the Advanced Photo System Photofinishing Service Certification Program Mark provides the guidelines which must be followed by Photofinishers, Minilabs, and Retailers in order to obtain Advanced Photo System Photofinishing Service Certification.

1) Interspersed aspect ratio service prints

A) Three different aspect ratio prints shall be available (C/H/P) as defined in the System Specifications. Service prints are defined as prints having a maximum print width of 5".

B) Image shall cover the entire print area in the desired aspect ratio.

C) Vertical dimensions of C and H prints shall be the same within a photofinishing order.

2) Print Personalization via backprint

A) General Structure

1. 24 characters for FID#, Frame #, and Lab ID shall be allocated to the Photofinisher and must be printed by the Photofinisher.
2. 56 characters, inclusive of exposure date/time and titles, shall be allocated to camera IX. At least the exposure date/time and titles must be printed by the Photofinisher if available.
3. If camera uses less than 56 characters, remainder of the 56 characters may be used at the Photofinishers' discretion.

B) Rules

1. Photofinisher shall support user input titles of up to 40 characters in length.
2. Photofinisher shall support the printing of titles as 40 contiguous characters.
3. Camera is given the option of using all 56 characters for titles and other personalization items instead of date and time (i.e. 40 characters for titles and remaining 16 characters for personalization, instead of date and time).
4. Photofinisher shall support printing the date/time of exposure. However, if the date/time of exposure is not recorded by the camera, at the photofinishers option the date/time of processing may be printed.

1. Priority of imprinting information has been defined in the System Specification and incorporated in Licensed Photofinishing Equipment.

D) Lab ID

1. The lab ID shall consist of five (5) characters.
2. The lab IDs may be alphabetic, numeric, or alpha-numeric.
3. Photofinishers are permitted to define their own Lab IDs.

E) Example of 24 character allocation for Photofinisher

• FID # : 7 characters , such as XXX-XXX, + 1 space
• Frame # : 9 characters, such as <FrNo.40>,+ 1 space, or
  : 9 characters, such as <Nmbr.40>, + 1 space,or
  : 9 characters, such as <No. 40>, +1 space
• Lab ID : 5 characters, + 1 space
  

3) Negative Return in Cartridge

A) Processed negative film shall be returned to the Consumer in the original Advanced Photo System cartridge, i.e. the origination cartridge which contained corresponding unprocessed film.

B) When origination cartridge is not usable, display cartridge shall be used.

C) CID number shall be readable by the Consumer on the origination or display cartridge, and shall correspond to the filmstrip FID number.

4) Print Quality Improvement Capability through IX

A) For print quality improvement (PQI) capability via IX, the basic data items for PQI as defined by System Specifications for the Advanced Photo System shall be utilized in automatic printing to improve print quality, e.g. by correction of photos containing high contrast or artificial illuminant.

5) Index Prints

The index print shall mean a humanly visible index print recorded on a sheet material and satisfies all of the following "mandatory" conditions A) through G) and optionally the "optional" conditions H) and I). The return of the index print in combination with NRIC by the Photofinisher is permitted.

A) The respective original picture images in all the exposed frames of an Advanced Photo System Filmstrip are printed in an index print

B) The order of the picture image print frames of the index print shall be in the same order as the picture image frames of the Advanced Photo System Filmstrip.

C) The longitudinal length of each picture image print frame of the index print shall be no longer than 60 mm

D) A color or black/white positive picture image is printed in each frame of the index print

E) Each picture image print frame of the index print has a humanly visible numeric record of a frame number which corresponds to the frame number of each original picture image frame of the Advanced Photo System Filmstrip

F) The FID number is recorded on the index print

G) Each picture image print frame of the index print has a humanly visible character record of the C, H, or P size indication or a print size indicative of C, H, or P size determined by the CHP information recorded on the Advanced Photo System Filmstrip in correspondence to each original picture image frame of the Advanced Photo System Filmstrip; provided in no event the longitudinal length of each picture image print frame of the index print shall be no longer than 60 mm; and

Optionally:

H) The index print may have one or more humanly visible numeric or character or mark records that are the same records on the Advanced Photo System Filmstrip, Display Cartridge, or Film/Cartridge containing processed film; and

I) CHOL information recorded on the Advanced Photo System Filmstrip may be used to orientate the picture image of the respective frames of the index print.