Method of correcting color saturation in electronic image processing

An improved method for correction of color saturation, in electronic image processing, automatically compensates for brightness changes resulting from contrast processing. The method is used with electronic image processing, in which a two-dimensional original image is electro-optically scanned along rows and columns for three primary colors, the resulting image signals are transformed into a luminance signal Y and two color-difference or chrominance signals C1, C2, and the luminance signal is modified by electronic contrast processing. The invention improves the basic image processing method by measuring the luminance signals Y1 and Y2 which occur, respectively, before and after contrast processing, and multiplying their quotient Y2/Y1 by each of the two chrominance signals C1, C2. This compensates automatically for the increase in color saturation which accompanies a brightness reduction and for the decrease in color saturation which accompanies a brightness increase.