curve is derived and applied to the luminance histogram signal the resultant modified luminance histogram signal is blurred prior to directing it to a contrast processor the modifying trc curves determined at each processor are combined and applied to the color density signals only after combination application_number US 14761493 A description referring now to the drawings where the showings are for the purpose of describing the embodiment of the invention and not for limiting same reference is made to fig1 scan to print system in which the present invention may find advantageous use fig1 illustrates a scanner 10 which may conveniently be a black and white or color scanner which produces image signals defined in either rgb space for color images or density space for black and white images these images of concern are pictorial in nature i e they represent natural scenes while certain computer generated imagery may qualify as representing nature scenes the contemplated images are predominantly scanned photographs the images themselves are defined in terms of pixels wherein each pixel has a gray value which varies between a white level and a black level in a currently desirable system in which calculations may be done on 8 bits of information 256 levels of gray will be available for use pixels are also identified in terms of position i e a pixel defines a unique area within the image identified by its position in a scan line and the scan line position.