As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 9, 1996.
                                                       Registration No. 33-15533
================================================================================
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                        POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO.2 TO
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                        UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                        AUTO-TROL TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

                   Colorado                         84-0515221
                ----------------                  ---------------
                (State or Other                    (IRS Employer
                Jurisdiction of                    Identification
                 Incorporation                        Number)
                or Organization)

          12500 North Washington Street, Denver, Colorado  80241-2400
         -------------------------------------------------------------
                    (Address of Principal Executive Offices)

       AUTO-TROL TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION SPECIAL PURPOSE STOCK OPTION PLAN
         AUTO-TROL TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
          AUTO-TROL TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION PLAN
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            (Full Title of the Plan)

                               Allyson S. Kissell
                           12500 N. Washington Street
                          Denver, Colorado  80241-2400
                         -----------------------------
                    (Name and Address of Agent for Service)

                                 (303) 452-4919
                                ------------------
                    (Telephone Number of Agent for Service)

                                  Copies to:
                            -----------------------

                           Herbert H. Davis III, Esq.
                      Rothgerber, Appel, Powers & Johnson
                          1200 17th Street, Suite 3000
                            Denver, Colorado  80202
                                 (303) 623-9000

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
================================================================================


                                            Proposed Maximum     Proposed Maximum     Amount of
Title of Securities       Amount to be       Offering Price          Aggregate       Registration
to be Registered           Registered           Per Share         Offering Price         Fee
                                                                         
 Common Stock
$.02 par value            285,000(1)             $1.875(2)         $534,375 (2)        $184.27

===============================================================================
     (1) In addition, pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933,
this Registration Statement also covers an indeterminate amount of interests to
be offered or sold pursuant to the employee benefit plans described herein.

     (2) Pursuant to Rule 457 under the Securities Act of 1933, the proposed
maximum offering price per share and the proposed maximum aggregate offering
price are estimated solely for purposes of calculating the registration fee and
are based upon the average of the bid and ask prices for the Company stock on
the Nasdaq Small Cap market on May 2, 1996.

This Registration Statement, including Exhibits, contains 6 pages. The Exhibit
Index appears on page 5 of the sequentially numbered pages of this Registration
Statement.

 
INCORPORATION OF PREVIOUS REGISTRATION STATEMENT BY REFERENCE.

     The contents of the previous Registration Statement on Form S-8, including
Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 thereto, Registration No. 33-15533, previously
filed with the Commission by Auto-Trol Technology Corporation (the "Company")
are incorporated herein by this reference.

REGISTRATION OF ADDITIONAL SECURITIES.

     The Company has previously registered an aggregate 1,950,000 shares of its
common stock, $.01 par value ("Common Stock") issuable under the Company's
Special Purpose Stock Option Plan, Incentive Stock Option Plan and Employee
Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plans").  On January 30, 1996, the shareholders of the
Company approved amendments to the articles of incorporation to recapitalize the
Company by: (1) effecting a reverse one-for-ten stock split; (2) changing the
par value of the Common Stock to $.02; and (3) maintaining the number of shares
of Common Stock authorized at 40,000,000.  Pursuant to the terms of the Plans,
the aggregate amount of shares of Common Stock issuable under all of the Plans
would be adjusted to reflect the reverse split, to a revised 195,000 shares.
Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, the Company would be
required to file an amendment to its registration statement pertaining to the
shares issuable under the Plans to reflect the lesser amount.  However, the
shareholders on the same date approved amendments to the Plans authorizing the
issuance of up to an aggregate 480,000 post-split shares of Common Stock under
the Plans.  As a result, the number of shares issuable under the Plans was
effectively increased by 285,000.  This Registration Statement is being filed
pursuant to General Instruction E to Form S-8 to register such additional shares
issuable under the Plans.

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PREVIOUS REGISTRATION STATEMENT.

     ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS

     (a)  Rule 415 Offering

          The Company hereby undertakes:

          (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
     made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement to include
     any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not
     previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change
     to such information in the registration statement;

          (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
     Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed
     to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
     therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed
     to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; and

          (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
     amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
     termination of the offering.

     (b)  Undertaking Concerning Filings Incorporating Subsequent Exchange Act
          Documents by Reference

          The Company hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any
     liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Company's
     annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities
     Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee
     benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities
     Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration
     statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to
     the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that
     time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

                                      -2-

 
     (h)  Filing of Registration Statement on Form S-8

          Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
     Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and
     controlling persons of the Company pursuant to the Company's articles of
     incorporation, bylaws or otherwise, the Company has been advised that in
     the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification
     is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore,
     unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification against such
     liabilities (other than the payment by the Company of expenses incurred or
     paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Company in the
     successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
     director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities
     being registered, the Company will, unless in the opinion of its counsel
     the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
     appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is
     against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the
     final adjudication of such issue.

                                      -3-

 
                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Company
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Denver and the State of Colorado, on this 8th day
of May, 1996.

                                   AUTO-TROL TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION


                                   By: /s/ HOWARD B. HILLMAN
                                      ----------------------------
                                      Howard B. Hillman, President


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration
Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and
on the dates indicated.


Signature                         Title                Date
- ---------                         -----                ----

/s/ HOWARD B. HILLMAN
- --------------------------------  President/Chief       May 8, 1996
Howard B. Hillman                 Executive Officer/
                                  Director


/s/ DAVID C. O'BRIEN
- --------------------------------  Chief Financial       May 8, 1996
David C. O'Brien                  Officer/Chief
                                  Accounting Officer/
                                  Vice President/
                                  Treasurer


/s/ WILLIAM R. USHER
- ---------------------------------  Director             May 6, 1996
Maj. Gen. William R. Usher (Ret.)



/s/ J. RODERICK HELLER III
- ---------------------------------  Director             May 6, 1996
J. Roderick Heller III

 
                                 EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit No.    Description                                        Page No.
- -----------    -----------                                        --------

5              Opinion of Rothgerber, Appel, Powers & Johnson         6
               as to legality