Types of Microfilm Scanning Services

Microfilm scanning services have many components and options. In addition to straight 16mm and 35mm roll film conversions, microfilm scanning services also include:

Quality control. Generation Imaging practices four phases of quality control: at the scanner operator level, a post-scanning audit, an intense quality control, and a final media check.

Indexing. The sky is the limit when it comes to naming images at Generation Imaging. Using proprietary software designed by Dan Gandul and Damian Hospital, and coded by a programmer who has over 10 years experience in the micrographics industry, your images can be outputted in any format. From breaking rolls by start pages or data entry by names, SSN, drawing numbers, dates, or account numbers, anything is possible. G.I.’s indexing program has multiple modules, including a QC program, which enables the modification of individual images.

OCR (Object Character Recognition). Using propriety OCR software, Generation Imaging can create OCR searchable PDFs, text files, or spreadsheets with the extracted data. Recommended settings: 300 DPI for typed text.

Image processing. From autocropping to duplex image splitting to quality enhancements to changing file formats, a microfilm scanning services company must offer all in one solutions.

Output. CD, DVD, USB stick, USB external drive, FTP, or filesharing are all possibilities.

If you require microfilm scanning services of any kind, please contact Generation Imaging for an estimate. Information needed: how many reels, their type, how many frames are on a reel on the average, file format, naming, and any optional processes. It’s okay if you don’t have detailed preferences:  Generation Imaging can help you decide which microfilm scanning services are best for you.

Your Microfilm Scanning Company Is Available Today

This is the best time of the year to scan your microfilm. Generation Imaging is the scanning company that provides microfilm scanning services at reduced prices. There are times during the year when we get super busy and our scanning resources are at capacity. If you have been planning to convert you microfilm to digital, our scanning company can make room for your scanning project before the year ends. Our scanning company works around the clock to meet all of our customers needs and we have completed many of our projects. This is an opportunity for you to schedule your microfilm conversion with our scanning company.

The production manager at our scanning company has about a dozen projects penciled in but no real commitment to start as of now. This can change at a moments time and as always, there is no way to tell what tomorrow will bring. My recommendation is to call and reserve your spot as soon as you can. Topically, our scanning company will get busy near the end of the year. This is due to budgetary reasons]  and customers wanting to use the funding that was allocated for the project within the fiscal year. Our scanning company anticipates this process to start soon.

Our scanning company will guarantee you a priority spot in the production line if you notify us. Our goal is to keep our commitments to you. Therefore, we will not over-commit.  First come works well for our scanning company and makes it fair to our customers also. We do understand that last minute needs are part of the system. Our scanning company has the capacity to adjust to some degree, to meet your last minute need, but is best to schedule with time.

Microfilm Conversion

A microfilm conversion is another term for microfilm scanning, roll film scanning, and microfilm digitizing. Using a roll film scanner, 16mm or 35mm roll film is transferred from analog to digital. The scanner must be set up to blow the small frame back up to its original document size. Therefore the scanner operator must know the reduction ratio (similar to aspect ratio). Some scanners have auto-detect reduction ratio parameters, but nothing beats the careful supervision and instincts of an experienced scanner operator.

The other factors that a scanner operator must consider with a roll film conversion are frame detection parameters, quality settings, and output naming conventions. Each element requires a combination of technical skill, experience, and creativity. If the detection settings are not properly configured, the microfilm conversion would result in missing images and cut-off images. If the quality settings are not carefully created, the resulting images may be blurry, out of focus, too dark, too light, plugged, or improperly sized. Finally, incorrect scanner output naming settings will ruin the final product by misnaming the files, putting them out of order, or not meeting the client’s specification.

Generation Imaging has the experience, latest technology, and talent to perform any microfilm conversion project that comes our way. No microfilm conversion is too big or too small for us to process. The employees at Generation Imaging have performed thousands of microfilm conversion jobs over the decades, and know the correct way to set up and monitor the scanners. Contact us today for your microfilm conversion quote.

Microfilm Scanning And OCR Rescues Researchers

News articles describing modern time libraries talk about the roll they serve in today’s technological advanced age. The roll microfilm scanning serves is significant but is sometimes misunderstood. While libraries consider that they meet the needs of most people, there are advantages that will inevitably create a demand for further advancements. This includes microfilm scanning and OCR processing. The common thought is that regardless of technological advancements, people still like to read something they can hold on to, like a book.

While this may be true in some cases, and I happen to like reading a hard copy book in certain occasions, most of the time people just need to get information, and they want to get it as fast as possible. Here is where microfilm scanning helps. When it comes to searching for information, whether

a student researching for homework information, or a historian searching or a genealogical research looking for ancestors, they do not what to waste time reading books. Instead, they want the fastest way to specific information. Here is where OCR and microfilm scanning can really be beneficial.

OCR is the process of creating a text version of an image after microfilm scanning or some other image. Microfilm scanning takes microfilm and creates plain images like Jpeg. But you need OCR to facilitate quick searches. Imaging you are looking for a persons name within a book. What page? And How often does it appear? With microfilm scanning and OCR, you could just type the name in the computer and have the software find it for you.

Microfilm Scanning Prices

Microfilm scanning prices depend of volume and microfilm type. Of course, the number one difference in microfilm conversion cost is the scanning bureau itself. A company like Generation Imaging is very secure in knowing that if you soliciate many microfilm scanning quotes, that G.I. will combine low price and deliver top notch quality and service.

There are two types of microfilm that is converted by high-speed digital scanners: 16mm roll film and 35mm roll film. The number of images are variable, but a great rule of thumb is that 35mm contains 300 to 1000 frames, and 16mm contains 1000-2800 frames. Duplex film (“2-up”) may contain 5,000 to 20,000 images, while conversely both 35mm and 16mm reels may be short and only have a few images on them.

High volume jobs (millions of images) have lower rates per image than a dozen rolls. A project that consists of one roll or a handful of rolls may be converted at a flat rate. 35mm roll film scanning is slightly more expensive than 16mm roll film scanning.

There is “market value”, and then there is Generation Imaging’s discounted microfilm scanning price. How can Generation Imaging offer such low prices? G.I. has fast microfilm scanners, a low overhead, and specializes in microfilm conversions.

Depending on volume, the market value for microfilm scanning ranges from 3 cents to 5 cents per image. Companies have been known to sell microfilm scanning upwards to the 7-10 cents per image rate.

Generation Imaging has 16mm microfilm scanning prices that start 3 cents per image and can drop below 1 cent per image. G.I. has an extremely fair cost to scan one roll of film, as well.