Abstract:
A method and apparatus are disclosed for recording and reading a color image formed on a receiving medium (30) such as a film coated with a blue metastable colloidal silver. Upon application of heat to selected areas of the coating, the blue silver turns yellow to form an image. In a record mode, a modulated beam from a diode laser (43) is scanned onto the receiving medium to form an image. In a read mode, a diode laser beam containing two different wavelengths of radiation is scanned across an image on the recording medium. In order to detect errors in the image, a detector (40) senses the two wavelengths at each pixel and produces signals indicative of the densities of the yellow and blue in the pixel. Signal processing means (60) is adapted to determine valid data points from the two signals.