With progress in the advancement of measuring techniques and information processing, it is increasingly possible to analyse even complex signals with on-line methods. After fundamental considerations concerning the evaluation of such signals, digital Fourier spectroscopy is explained as an example of a new development. With this method the image of a particle collection will be transformed by the Fourier transformation. Methods such as used with laser diffraction spectrometry are applied to calculate back to the particle size distribution. After a description of the principles of the procedure, its application is demonstrated by different examples. It can be shown that digital Fourier spectroscopy is superior to conventional image analysis methods especially if the particle density in the image is high and the particles overlap. In a further development step it should be possible to determine the particle size distribution of the bulk from an image of its surface.