a picture producing apparatus forms a picture comprising a plurality of picture elements with different light - reflecting properties providing different optical reflection densities using a plurality of dot forming units to provide dots of recording materials of different concentrations . the optical reflection density range of an entire original picture to be reproduced is determined and selecting circuitry responsive to that determination selects at least one of the dot forming units to form picture elements reproducing the original picture . the dot forming units vary the areas of the picture elements formed by the dots so as to represent in the reproduced picture the optical reflection density range of the original .