Digitization Practice
Digitization Practice
Prepared by
Margaret Engelter
Prepared for
Dr. Yan Liu
Digital Libraries – ILS 655
February 24, 2008 (Assignment 2)
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Digitization Practice
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Throughout this exercise, I have explored different techniques to produce materials that can be
globally accessible using a few basic pieces of equipment (a Canon Powershot S1 IS digital
camera capable of creating AVI video files, an Epson 4490 Photo scanner, and a laptop with
internet access) and a variety of software. Information on the original form, process, digitized
file name and file size, and comments are described below to produce five different digitized
outputs.
Digitized Sketch
Original Form: Rhythmic gymnastic equipment pencil sketch by my husband.
Process: Initially, I scanned the sketch using the manufacturer software in the professional
mode and chose the options for 16-bit grayscale and 200 dpi. Next, I opened the file in
MicroSoft Paint to erase smudges. The file is ready for use.
Digitized File name and File Size: EngelterMargaretILS655-2scan.jpg; 181 KB.
Comments: The Epson scanner software has many features. I tested 16-bit Grayscale and
Black/White, as well as different resolutions, to ensure the product was close to the original
without the file size being unmanageable.
Digitized Photo
Original Form: Digital photo of a Snowy Owl in our woods; October 5, 2007; 1,624 KB.
Process: I transferred the photo file from my camera's compact flash memory card using a 17in-1 card reader to my computer's hard drive. Using Picasa by Google, I cropped the photo and
exported it to a new file applying the Image Quality option of Normal that is described as a good
balance of quality and size.
Digitization Practice
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Digitized File name and File Size: EngelterMargaretILS655-2photo.jpg; 92 KB.
Comments: I have found Picasa useful to reduce file sizes of photos since I prefer to take
photos using a high resolution.
Digitized PDF file
Original Form: Print out of this document's cover page.
Process: Initially, I scanned the page using the manufacturer software in the professional mode
and chose the options for Black/White, Best Quality, and 200 dpi.
Digitized File name and File Size: EngelterMargaretILS655-2.pdf; 4 KB.
Comments: The Epson scanner software has many features. I tested 16-bit Grayscale and
Black/White, as well as different resolutions, to ensure the product was close to the original
without losing clarity. Resulting file sizes ranged from 4 KB to 109 KB.
Digitized Sound
Original Form: My voice sharing a "joke" about the differences between dogs and cats.
Process: Using a microphone, I recorded my voice with Blaze Media Pro 6.1 by Mystik Media
using its audio editor. I was able to edit out some sounds and pauses. When saving the file, I
was able to choose options like Bit Rate, Frequency, and Quality. At about 4 minutes long, most
files were around 3,817 KB. The default Bit Rate was 128 and modifying this option created
smaller file sizes. The final file was saved Bit Rate of 64 and Frequency of 22 MHz.
Digitized File name and File Size: EngelterMargaretILS655-2.mp3; 1,809 KB.
Digitization Practice
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Comments: We purchased Blaze Media Pro last summer for $50 so my daughter could
experiment creating music for her rhythmic gymnastic routines. The software has great audio
and video editing capability, as well as many conversion possibilities.
Digitized Moving Pictures with Sound and Text Overlay
Original Form: Digital movie of Rufous Hummingbirds feeding near our porch with
background "music" from a chainsaw; 2005; 81,669 KB.
Process: I transferred the video file from my camera's compact flash memory card using
Canon's software to my computer's hard drive. Using Blaze Media Pro 6.1 by Mystik Media's
software, I was able to convert the original AVI file to a MPG file that reduced the size to one
fourth of the original. Then, I used the video editing software to cut length from over two
minutes to about 14 seconds (419 frames). I also used the Text Overlay feature to provide a
visual label for the viewers.
Digitized File name and File Size: EngelterMargaretILS655-2.mpg; 3,181 KB.
Comments: There are many editing options available. The save feature of this software has
options to save audio only or picture.
Summary
This has been a beneficial exercise, as well as enjoyable. I have become more aware of the
variety of options available through software and hardware has to generate better products. This
is very important when sharing content on the internet – ensuring size and quality are factored
into making an easily accessible product.