Advanced Digitization: Creating
Sustainable Collections
Class # 4 | February 11, 2008
Paper ,materials, Photographs,
Transparencies – Part 2
School of Information | UT @ Austin | Spring 2008
Substances / Media / Formats
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Prints
Positives
Negatives (glass/film)
Transparencies (glass/film)
• Paper / Film strips / Film rolls / Slides
• 3 x 4; 4 x 5; 35 mm ; “Medium formats”
• Mounts – glass; paper; plastic
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Type of Scanners
• Flatbeds
• Epson 10000XL – Graphic Artist
• EVERSMART Supreme ll (Kodak)
• Overheads
• DigiBook / CopiBook (i2s)
• Cruse (w/vacuum table…)
3
More Scanners 1
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Film
Nikon CoolScan 4000/5000
Nikon CoolScan 9000
Hasselblad FlexTight X5
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With attachment for:
Batch processing
Film rolls
Film strips
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More Scanners 2
• Drum scanners
• Hasselblad FlexTight X5
• ICG 380
• “Roller” scanners
• Contex
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Purchasing the appropriate scanner
• Make sure you get what you need
• Make sure you calculate all future costs
• If available, test the scanner before
purchasing
• Ask for other’s opinions, read reviews
• Peruse vendor specs (bit depth, res.,
depth of field, dynamic range)
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Production
• Archival Masters
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Detailed as possible; uncompressed; unedited; unmodified, used as a longterm source for all other instances, saved as TIFF, scanned with color/b&w
target
• Publication Masters
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Modified archival masters; color-corrected, de-skewed, cropped, rotated,
(sometimes) re-sized, target is cropped out; (sometimes) compressed
• Derivatives
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Derive from the publication masters – jpegs, pdfs, other… - usually re-sized
to fit web interface and patrons’ use; compressed for speedy access
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Production Cont.
• Automation
• Batching
• Machine-controlled enhancements
(sharpening, de-speckling, de-skewing,
color correction)
• Built-in in scanning applications
• External plug-ins like Kodak for PS
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Softwares
• Scanning software - proprietary (Nikon,
Epson, DigiBook) or ‘general’ (SilverFast)
• Imaging software – PhotoShop, IrfanView,
BookRestorer
• Enhancement plug-ins – ROC, GEM, SHO
(by Kodak), ‘built-in’ plug-ins, IrfanView
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Scanning
• ‘Match’ your analog object with the
appropriate scanner
• Decide what specs/configuration to use
• Pay attention to handling
• Make sure you get what you need
(Hmmmm, something looks weird here…)
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Quality Assurance / Quality Control
• Understand the limitations of current
knowledge, practice and technology
• Identify scope (10%? 100%)
• Work with originals in hand
• View at 100% (go higher if needed)
• Use targets to evaluate color visually
• Use histograms
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Quality Assurance / Quality Control
• Control your environment
• Hardware configuration (RAM, processor,
monitor)
• Software configuration (imaging, color
management)
• Room lighting levels
• Human characteristics
• Clean your screen 
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Quality Assurance / Quality Control
• So, what are we looking for?
• Is the stroke adequately reproduced?
• Is the significant detail adequately reproduced?
• Is the fine detail in the darkest and lightest areas
retained?
• Are there even gradations across the image?
• Is the image free of moiré effect?
• Is the significant ‘informational content’ adequately
reproduced?
• Is the document fully reproduced?
• Is the image too dark or too light?
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