METHOD FOR READING IMAGES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR

The density of cyan color of an image at the peak wavelength .lambda..sub.C1 in the spectral absorption distribution of a developed cyan color dye is detected in the density range of 0-2 as a detection range, and the density of the developed cyan color dye at the wavelength .lambda..sub.C2 deviated from the peak wavelength is detected in the density range of 1-1.75 as a detection range. The density equivalent to the density value detected at the peak wavelength .lambda..sub.C1 in the density range of 2-3.5 is obtained by doubling the density value detected in the density range of 1-1.75 as the detection range. By using the density value thus obtained and the density value detected in the range of 0-2, the cyan color density of the image is obtained in the density range of 0-3.5 as a detection range. Similarly, the density of each color of magenta and yellow is determined. By doing this, the color image can be read accurately by using an apparatus with simple structure.