Uniting bands in the form of heat-sealable labels which bear encoded information are applied to exposed photographic films to join the films end-to-end. The encoded information is decoded by a reader before the labels are applied to the films to thus ensure that the hot sealing member which is used to apply labels cannot destroy or distort encoded information prior to decoding. Decoded information is used for the application of corresponding information to envelopes for exposed and developed films and for the prints of images of the respective film frames.
