How to Convert Computer Output Microfilm to Digital Image

Computer Output Microfilm (COM) is the most tricky type of 16mm roll film to convert to digital image. Computer Output Microfiche is not problematic, but its roll film version creates numerous issues for roll film scanners not manned by an experienced scanner operator.

The true professional and experienced scanner operator relishes in the challenge of scanning Computer Output Microfilm to digital images because it truly pushes his or her level of technical expertise.

Why is Computer Output Microfilm is different than tradition roll film? Regular roll film has frames containing documents with a clear separation/space in-between each frame. The edges are nice and contrasted from the background of the film. Scanners can be set up to detect on these edges and separate each frame to create individual images.

However, Computer Output Microfilm usually has very thin edges between frames and almost no space in-between them. This is due to how they were created: they were electronic data stored on a PC and were transferred to 16mm roll film.

Depending on the layout of the Computer Output Microfilm, the experienced scanner operator can attempt to detect frames by carefully choosing multiple sense areas, and modifying edge detection filters, but the operator is at the mercy of the nature of COM, and this usually results in missed detection.

Another aspect that is film dependent is if the COM has blips or not. If the COM has small markers on the outside of the frame, it may be possible to detect each image. However even this may not be an exact science due to the nature of COM.

The final method would be to scan strips of several images with a backup over-scan to guarantee that all frames are captured in these ribbons. Then these giant images must be manually split and cropped to create individual frames from the strips.

If you have Computer Output Microfilm to convert, please contact Generation Imaging today,

Microfilm scanning 

The best time for a 16mm roll film or 35mm roll digital microfilm conversion is right now.

There are quite a few reasons:

• Microfilm will degrade and become ruined if you wait too long to convert microfilm to digital image.
• Your costs will actually decrease- it is much faster to work with and retrieve  digital images than hard copies or old microfilm viewers. I’ve seen countless government employees grab a 35mm reel, manually search for a frame, and use a reader printer to create a hard copy. That is very 1981!
• Online. Billions of records have already been uploaded and hosted online for the public on the internet or even on intranets for your office. Get with the times.
• The economy. The cost of microfilm scanning has dropped considerably. Getting a relatively cheap microfilm conversion is now possible.

Contact us today.

What IS microfilm scanning?

Microfilm is generally 16mm or 35mm, and can be held in reel spools or 3M or Kodak cartridges. They are used for archiving or research purposes, and were created by reducing paper documents into image frames.

Microfilm scanning converts microfilm to digital images, such as TIFFs, PDFs, JPEGS, or other file formats. Obviously, you can make unlimited number of copies, have the images indexed, uploaded to systems or the Internet, modify them, etc.

A microfilm scanning company should have the experience and technical know-how (in addition to the low cost) to transfer microfilm frames to images.

Utilizing the latest microfilm scanners, the best microfilm scanning company can convert millions of images in a short amount of time, and when you calculate the numbers, it would cost much less that purchasing microfilm scanners (NextScan, Mekel, Sunrise, Wicks & Wilson) and trying to run them on your own (training, labor, management, hours, etc.).