Automated imaging techniques were refined to characterise the rank and maceral composition of coals by a full maceral reflectogram of polished coal grain mounts. Precision was improved by processing individual grains in each image separately and correcting within the software for the topography that occurs between the different macerals and minerals in the grains. Maceral group proportions and vitrinite reflectance information extracted from these reflectograms compared well with manual results for a comprehensive suite of Australian coals varying in rank from a mean vitrinite reflectance of 0.48-2.13%. A parameter that combines rank and type calculated from the reflectograms correlated strongly with chemical properties determined by ultimate and proximate analyses. For a limited number of samples, for which coking tests had been performed, this parameter also correlated with estimated coking performance. Crown Copyright (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.