1. A method of automatically evaluating an image being processed in a photographic laboratory system which is operable to produce a plurality of different selectable forms of output, wherein said image is present in one of the forms of a physical image and of an image data set, and wherein the evaluation of said image serves to determine whether or not the image is of sufficient quality to merit processing into one of said forms of output, the method comprising the steps: determining grade values for each of one or more characteristic image properties, assigning target values to be met by the grade values relative to each of the one or more characteristic image properties and specific to each of said different forms of output, selecting one of said different forms of output, and comparing the grade values to the target values for the selected form of output.