A simple method for the improvement of scanning images.

METHOD A 14" X 17" Kodak Industrial x-ray film, type M, is placed on a smooth surface in a darkroom. The original photoscan is superimposed on this film, and then both covered with a 15" X 18" glass plate, one-fourth inch thick, and exposed to an incadescent bulb for a very short period of time, 0.5-2.0 seconds. The ex posed film is developed and a negative picture is obtained. The contrast on this film is proportional to exposure time. If one prefers a positive picture, this step can be repeated, using the negative for the original. This type of film lias two advantages: (a) it is a slow film, thus not critically dependent on the amount of light it is exposed to; and (b) after developing, the nonexposed areas are almost totally transparent in contrast to the gray background we normally see on medical x-ray films.