Because each of the four ddNTPs is tagged with a different fluorescent label, the light emitted can be directly tied to the identity of the terminal ddNTP.
In automated Sanger sequencing, a computer reads each band of the capillary gel, in order, using fluorescence to call the identity of each terminal ddNTP. In short, a laser excites the fluorescent tags in each band, and a computer detects the resulting light emitted. Because each of the four ddNTPs is tagged with a different fluorescent label, the light emitted can be directly tied to the identity of the terminal ddNTP. The output is called a chromatogram, which shows the fluorescent peak of each nucleotide along the length of the template DNA.