SCANNER IR
The IR SCANNER is an infrared reflectographer. The infrared
reflectography is an optical technique successfully used in the
analisys of old paintings (on wood, canvas or wall, fresco
excluded). The IR Reflectography allows to display artist’s
scketches behind the paint layer. By this technique is also allowed
to disclose presence of hidden layings previous to the final one.
PRODUCT FAMILIES
SCANNER IR
WHAT IS THE IR REFLECTOGRAPHY

It is an optical technique to analyse paintings.

It works in the so called Near InfraRed wavelengths
(N.I.R.), that’s between around 0.8 mm and 2.5 mm.

Its major use is the detection of details hidden underneath
layings, among which there is the underdrawing.
SCANNER IR
A COMPARISON BETWEEN TECHNOLOGIES
CCD NIR camera, working from visible to 1.1 mm
 good resolution, but unsuitable to see underneath many
type of pigments
VIDICON camera (PbS), working from visible to 2.2 mm
 both resolution and contrast rather scarce
 good behaviour with the majority of pigments
SCANNER IR, working from 0.9 mm to 1.7 mm
 insuperable resolution
 very high contrast
 excellent visibility underneath any kind of pigments
SCANNER IR
BASIC FEATURES
The IR SCANNER combines to the good visibility achieved by a
Vidicon tube an excellent contrast, a more extended tone range
and a very high spatial resolution, as it is briefly reported below.

Spatial Resolution: 4 pixel/mm (16 pixel/mm2), equal to 101.6 dpi

Tone Range: 4096 levels of gray

Working Wavelength: 900 ÷ 1700 nm

Acquisition Area: 1 m2

Dimensions of digital image: 4000 * 4000 pixel
SCANNER IR
OTHER IMPORTANT FEATURES

Vertical Scan Speed ~ 0.2 m/s

Distance between optical head and painting: ~ 150 mm

Image Format: RAW 16 bit

Increment of vertical stroke by a rigid module on Y axis,
to scan areas as tall as 2 m, by simply moving initial
position of the optical head

Use of a standard notebook as PC;
(this data immediately informs
about the total time of acquisition: for example 6 hours for 1 m2 area)
(for reflectograms relevant to 1 m2
area, the image dimension is ~ 32 MB)
SCANNER IR
THE COLOUR HEAD MODULE (RGB)
It is an element made of three detectors working at the wavelengths of the
Red, the Green, the Blue.
It allows acquisition of three images in the visible, which will be then
processed by a dedicated graphic software which will make up one colour
image.
The Optical Head, equipped with the RGB Module, therefore acquires both
the IR reflectogram and the colour image.
Since these two images are perfectly aligned and have same spatial
resolution, they are perfectly superposable. This is absolutely impossible
with traditional colour images, because of their optical distortion and of
scarce optical resolution, comparing to an IR reflectogram.
The dimension of an RGB image, stored in RAW format at 16 bit, and
relevant to 1 m2 is about 96MB.
SCANNER IR
THE PORTABLE VERSION
- modularity
- lightness
- ergonomic
design
- very fast decomposability
- limited number of modules
- modules portable in wheeled containers
18002500 mm (*)
FALCON has designed and manufactured a
convenient portable version of the IR
SCANNER, having the following features:
SCANNER IR
from Reflectogram
to ..... RGB image !
Matteo di Giovanni
Madonna col
Bambino e
quattro Santi
(detail - Duomo of Pienza)
SCANNER IR
Maddalena - Dutch School -XVI century
(London - National Gallery)
from IR
to
RGB
SCANNER IR
Giovanni Bellini - Madonna col Bambino
detail of underdrawing
for the Jesus’ head
detail of underdrawing
for the hands
SCANNER IR
Giorgione
La Tempesta
pentimento
under Antenore’s
figure