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The Complexities & Economics of Digitizing Microfilm
www.pennieimaging.com
© 2009 Penny Imaging Exchange, Inc. 2
Overview Millions of records were microfilmed over the years and
those records can now be digitized for improved workflow, easier access, archiving, litigation, compliance and online hosting.
Some of that film which was not properly processed or stored is now slowly disintegrating and has to be scanned for back up.
Professional equipment and experienced personnel are required to properly scan these records.
© 2009 Penny Imaging Exchange, Inc. 3
Formats of Microfilm There are many formats of film based
records, such as: ReelsFicheSlidesAperture cards X-rays
Within these categories there are also many variables depending on cameras originally used as well as resolution, polarity, reduction and film type
© 2009 Penny Imaging Exchange, Inc. 4
Industry standards were originally established for the creation of filmed records which indicated requirements for :
ConsistencyChemical ResidueImage Marks (blips)Density of ImagesBackground Density
ResolutionReduction
Readings for these standards can be measured by an experienced microfilm laboratory.
Microfilm Standards
Resolution Chart
© 2009 Penny Imaging Exchange, Inc. 5
Microfilm Lab
An experienced microfilm lab will take readings to determine if the film meets industry standards as well as verify if the film media is original or duplicate film. Image quality and resolution will also be defined.
© 2009 Penny Imaging Exchange, Inc. 6
Scanning ApproachThe film inspection and readings will aid an experienced lab to identify scanner settings which will ensure optimal image quality
During this stage certain requirements are identified, such as :
DPI (Dots Per Inch)Bitonal vs Grayscale Format - TIFF, PDF, JPG etc Single vs Multi-page Images
© 2009 Penny Imaging Exchange, Inc. 7
The Conversion Process
The process of digitizing the film based documents can be quite complex, requiring experienced personnel and management as well as specialized professional equipment.
© 2009 Penny Imaging Exchange, Inc. 8
Conversion ComplexitiesNot all conversion houses have the needed expertise or the high end professional equipment needed to analyze and digitize microfilm.
Technology is rapidly evolving requiring new investments in high end equipment and training.
© 2009 Penny Imaging Exchange, Inc. 9
IndexingAnother consideration is indexing, to allow for the digital files to be searched and retrieved.
Options Include:
Manual indexing of each record Indexing against an existing corporate
Database or microfilm (CAR) database OCR to make the documents word
searchable
© 2009 Penny Imaging Exchange, Inc. 10
Delivery & Upload
The images and data can be formatted for uploaded into an imaging system
The image can be named as per index field to facilitate search and retrieval via Windows File Manager and stored on PCs, or drives
Images and data can be hosted online or on a network for access from various locations – www.dochq.com
© 2009 Penny Imaging Exchange, Inc. 11
ContactEmail: [email protected]
Phone: (631)563-6366 x301
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