The invention relates to an apparatus for thermal development comprising a receiving chamber for a thrust cartridge, drive means to advance thermal film from said thrust cartridge and rewind film into said thrust cartridge, a magnetic reader and writer to read and write magnetic information onto the film, an accumulator to gather said film after it has left the cartridge, a heater located between said chamber and said accumulator to develop said thermal film as it passes between said cartridge and said accumulator, an optical scanner to produce an electronic file representation of the film image information, and a lighttight container for said chamber, heater, and accumulator.