Generation Imaging » Microfilm Scanning

2012 Microfilm Scanning Update

GenerationImaging — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:43:58 +0000

Microfilm scanning has been transferring microfilm documents to digital images for many years and chances are that we have all benefited in one way or another. After all, microfilm scanning has been used to convert microfilms from libraries, banks, hospitals and many other common organizations. This process has allowed these and many organizations to better service their customers and this could include you and me at one point or another. Since we are accustomed to a fast paced life style, we tend to demand faster response from our service providers, and microfilm scanning has help close the gap that existed and still exists in many cases. Microfilm scanning is the efficient and safe way to store and quickly retrieve document and this is precisely what allows providers to service customers quickly.

Although this has become a standard, there are many countries that somewhat lag in this technology advancements. Microfilm scanning requires very expensive equipment to be done well and in a timely manner. In addition to microfilm scanning which is used to create digital files from documents stored on microfilm, a good network and system is needed to transfer and process a large number of digital images. This is especially true if additional data processing and indexing is required after the microfilm scanning is complete. These and other obstacles has hindered many companies from advancing into the digital world and continue to operate using hard copy documents or microfilm.

Recently I interviewed a representative from a South America publishing company, who was looking into the possibility of using a microfilm scanning process to convert their large archive of newspaper document stored on 35mm microfilm. In addition, other publishing companies across South America had similar opportunities. The chances to apply microfilm scanning across many organizations and multiple countries with similar needs and similar information is very interesting. Microfilm scanning opens the door for creating a very large data bank that can be shared over the internet and provided to the general public.

Microfilm scanning has become more accessible to everyone thanks to the used of very fast microfilm scanning equipment and reliable delivery sources. A good microfilm scanning service provider can now provide these services at prices that are attainable to just about every organization. When looking for such microfilm scanning vendor, make sure that they can accomplish all your needs at the right price. The best way to do this is to request samples of the deliverable and a written statement with the price commitment. Some microfilm scanning vendors used inferior scanning equipment that can compromise quality. By requesting samples, you will see what your final project will look like upfront and can prevent future issues.

Converting Microfiche to PDF

GenerationImaging — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:04:36 +0000

Converting microfiche to PDF is most easily accomplished via a microfiche scanner. There are many different types of microfiche scanners made by various manufacturers and distributed by different resellers. Each type of microfiche machine has different quality settings. Using a flatbed scanner or photo camera is out of the question.

Buying a microfiche scanner may also be out of the question depending on your budget and technical experience. The best way to complete your microfiche to pdf project- regardless if you have one or one hundred thousand- is to have a microfiche to pdf company perform that service for you.

Damian Hospital and Dan Gandul, co-founders of Generation Imaging, have scanned thousands of microfiche to PDF jobs in these last few decades and have seen all types of fiche and variations. Your project would be in good hands.

The microfiche to PDF cost has been on the way down since 2006, due to many factors, including the increased speed of microfiche scanners, increased competition of those companies that use these services, and the trend of outsources microfiche to PDF overseas.

As wholesalers, Generation Imaging is able to keep the microfiche to PDF price as low as possible, all while keeping your project in Florida- with no outsourcing or “creative” server subcontracting.

Microfiche to PDF can result in single pages (one frame = one image) or multi-page PDFs (all frames on a microfiche = one ‘giant’ image).

Other file formats include microfiche to TIFF, microfiche to JPEG, microfiche to PNG, and other compression variants. Microfiche to PDF can result in greyscale or black-and-white images.

Please feel free to contact Generation Imaging for a microfiche scanning quote.

What Are Microfilm Scanning Services?

GenerationImaging — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:45:14 +0000

At the most basic level, microfilm scanning services refers to digitizing roll film. In other words, it is the transfer from analog media to digital format. To break it down even further, it is roll film to tiff, pdf, jpeg, or other image format. The two types of roll film are 16mm and 35mm, not to be confused with movie film.

So in addition to the actual roll film conversion, is another component of microfilm scanning services?

Quality control. Some companies don’t actually check their work, or simply do a quick spot check before sending the project out. What happens is that he burden would get put on you to perform your own in-depth quality check. If you don’t have time or labor to perform a check, there would be a great chance that the images are incorrect, which is a nightmare. Generation Imaging performs four phases of quality control, which are including in our standard microfilm scanning services.

Phase 1: Generation Imaging’s scanner operators actually check their work during scanning. They check their settings. As a failsafe, each project has a project manager and supervisor to verify that the microfilm machines and specifications are correct.
Phase 2: Another worker or workers will audit the scan. The scanner will create a ribbon of the entire roll, and the auditor will manually verify, modify, and- if necessary- adjust quality or rescan the roll.
Phase 3: This is an intense quality control process that meets industry standards. It is performed by a separate quality control team. A significant percentage of images is checked. 100% QC and/or manually adjusting or manually cropping or manually splitting images are add-on microfilm scanning services.
Phase 4: The CD, DVD, or hard drive is checked and image counts are matched.

As you can see there is more to microfilm scanning services than just hanging a roll on the machine. Copyright G.I. Partners, LLC

A Microfiche Machine Offers Low Cost Scanning

GenerationImaging — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:06:23 +0000

So you are looking for a microfiche machine. If so, you probably have some microfiche cards and you need to view the contents in it. Some people when looking for a microfiche machine, find a microfiche viewer. These microfiche machines are different from a microfiche scanner. A microfiche viewer projects an image for viewing, while a microfiche scanner creates a digital file to view in a computer.

These two distinctly different microfiche machines are widely used for the same reason. However, the scanner is the modern microfiche machine that is recommended because it offers the user a great deal of functionality. The images that a microfiche machine creates as pdf or jpegs, can be stored in your computer just as a digital picture. Microfiche machines of these type are very expensive and are usually bout by large a microfiche scanning company. You can contact us if you have a handful of microfiche cards or many thousands of microfiche and you want our microfiche machine to convert your images to digital. Our microfiche machine can generate whatever format images you like.

The advanced microfiche machine we use is extremely advanced and creates very high quality files. These files can be copied to a pc and sent through the internet. The difference between a viewing microfiche machine and a scanning microfiche machine is like day and night. The price is very different, but with the help of a scanning company, you don’t need to worry about the cost. In fact, the cost to use our microfiche machine can be cents per image. Copyright G.I. Partners, LLC

Generation Imaging’s Microfilm Scanning Services

GenerationImaging — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 20:19:58 +0000

Generation Imaging is a Florida company owned by Damian Hospital and Dan Gandul that provides 16mm and 35mm microfilm scanning services. They met each other at Lorien Technologies and have been working together since 1998. Prior to Lorien Technologies, Dan worked at First American Real Estate, and in their microfilm scanning services division for 22 years.

Experiencing life is fun, but so is learning from experiences. Damian and Dan have committed themselves to making sure microfilm scanning services provided by G.I. Partners, LLC are efficiently provided to clients with no excuses.

G.I.’s microfilm scanning services include:

-Free quotes and sample testing.

-Creating an Inventory of roll film to compare to your list or database or to build one from scratch.

-Examining the film to make sure it can be scanned or damaged or repaired.

-Digitizing film at 200DPI to 400DPI (and in rare cases higher) as bi-tonal or greyscale images. File formats can be PDF, TIFF, JPEG, PNG, BMP, ad various bi-tonal and greyscale image compressions.

-Images can be split, autocropped, manual cropped, grouped by blips, and named whatever you wish.

-All images are audited/check/modified using ribbon software, which guarantees that every image is detected and captured.

-Roll film projects can be outputed to CD, DVD, external drives, USB stick, FTP’ed, or fileshared.

-While your project is in progress and is it completes, you will be informed about it with updates. We will meet our deadline.

What is NOT included in our microfilm scanning services: bait and switch pricing, bad quality work, missed deadlines without notice, lack of communication, or sending your project overseas or to other companies. Copyright G.I. Partners, LLC

Scanning Company With Low Microfilm Scanning Cost

GenerationImaging — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:28:48 +0000

How important is it really to scan your microfilm records? And How is this process ever going to pay for the microfilm conversion cost? These and many other question are asked by organizations all the time. Generation Imaging is a scanning company that has been scanning microfilm for years. The experts that make up the core of this scanning company have combined 30 years plus of experience helping organizations bring their microfilm scanning need to a successful completions.

More that just a scanning company, we see ourselves as advisers. When you contact our scanning company, you will meet a team ready to help you understand all you need to know about your microfilm scanning project. The importance of your scanning project is determined by your needs. Your consideration to data conservation, efficient data utilization and customer services are just some issues our scanning company looks at to determine the importance of your microfilm conversion needs. Scanning companies may not always get involved with this, but at Generation Imaging, our scanning company goes this extra step and it has proven very beneficial to our customers.

Typically, the savings associated with a scanning project is subject to real utilization, and the value is shared with other benefits. The experts at our scanning company can look closely at some of this factors and estimated the break even point. In Many cases your project begins to pay back soon after completion because our scanning company is very competitive with price. Our scanning company will offer you some of the lowest microfilm scanning cost ever. Copyright G.I. Partners, LLC

16mm Cartridge Microfilm Conversion

GenerationImaging — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:45:48 +0000

Microfilm conversion is pretty much a catch all phrase that describes transferring roll film to digital image, such as PDF, TIFF, JPEG, or PNG. Most people visualize roll film as being like small versions of movie film in a mini-spool. Although the bulk of roll film is indeed like that, reels can also be enclosed in plastic cartridges.

There are a few kinds of 16mm roll film cartridges. Some are completely enclosed in a hard plastic, and are held together by screws and a snap mechanism. These were perhaps made famous by 3M, although other companies have produced and continue to sell these hard plastic film cartridges. Completely enclosed, they provide better protection from air, pests, and shipping.

Other 16mm cartridges are made of a lighter plastic and are open, and were created to be inserted into a large roll film shelf.

Generation Imaging has the capability to perform the microfilm conversion of 16mm cartridges. Let us know if you have any file format and naming preferences. Otherwise, we will digitize the cartridges using standard microfilm conversion parameters, such as 200DPI bi-tonal TIFFs.

Generation Imaging has expert microfilm conversion scanner operators with the experience and technical know-how to convert roll film to digital images in a timely manner.

Most of the time it is more cost-effective to send G.I. your cartridges instead of purchasing a microfilm scanner. If you prefer to deal locally, and are located outside of South Florida, you may be disappointed in the quality of the final product and microfilm conversion pricing you are offered, so give Generation Imaging a try.

Scanning Company Creates New Trend

GenerationImaging — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:17:36 +0000

The trend to convert all sort of information to digital is all around us. Many people are still using microfiche cards and want to digitize them For that, you need a microfiche scanning company. A scanning company can convert all types of microfiche cards and create pdf or jpeg files. In fact, for the last few years scanning companies have been used furiously to convert everything from newspaper articles to airplane manuals and everything else in-between.

Scanning companies that specialize in this field have help develop and construct the infrastructure that exist today. Without the aid of scanning companies, the information on microfiche would be impossible to convert to the appropriate digital format. This is one of the first steps necessary that allows the advancement of data storage and retrieval systems to a more up to date digital platform. Scanning companies not only scan the microfiche, but can also process images to achieve various output systems requirements.

But a scanning company can go beyond the scope of helping the industry. We have helped many individuals who are looking to digitize personal information. Also people that do lots of research are also getting the help from a scanning company that can convert small collections of microfiche cards. This service from a scanning company is essential for people who don’t want to spend too much money to get their microfiche converted to pdf. A good way to get your microfiche converted to digital is to come to a reputable scanning company with years of experience. Copyright G.I. Partners, LLC

Microfilm Conversion Steps: How To Start the Process

GenerationImaging — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:04:57 +0000

Getting Your Microfilm Conversion Started

Identify the media for microfilm conversion. Roll film can be 16mm and 35mm. You can measure the width of the film to determine this. 16mm can be on spools or cartridges, while there are no 35mm cartridges. Roll film is not microfiche (small flat cards), aperture cards (PC cards with a rectangle cut out for film), color slides, or movie film.
The term microfilm conversion refers to creating digital images from roll film. So choose an output format, such as PDF, TIFF, JPEG, PNG, or other standard image file formats. Do the folders or images need to be named a certain way? Will the files be single page or multipages?
Get an estimate as to how many reels are in the collection and around how any images are on a roll. To do that, you can use a rule of thumb of 2,000 frames for 16mm or 500 for 35mm, or you can measure an inch and count how many frames are in that inch. Then multiple that number by how long the film is (it may be indicated on the roll label). Otherwise, a rule of thumb could be 100 feet for thick film and 200 feet for thin film.
Contact Generation Imaging for your microfilm conversion quote and turnaround time.
Pack your film up and don’t leave any room for movement. Use any mail carrier you are comfortable with to send it to G.I. If you are local to South Florida you can drop it off or have us pick it up to perform your microfilm conversion.

The Florida Microfilm Scanning Company

GenerationImaging — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:59:50 +0000

Our Florida microfilm scanning company was used to resolve a microfilm scanning need for a local government agency. In this case, the county had a requirement to digitize 35mm microfilm and create gray scale pdf files and index the files according to specific criterion. With the experts at our scanning company, the project was a success. The county made many requests along the way, and it was a learning experience for the county participants as were able to help communicate various options out scanning company offers.

This is a typical development a scanning company should expect to run into during a microfilm conversion project. The experts at our scanning company have resolved similar issues for many years. If you have a need for a microfilm or microfiche conversion process and are interested in contacting anyone of the experts at our scanning company, please let us know. Some of the most productive events happen at he very beginning of the process, when you are just becoming informed of the options and possibilities available from the scanning company.

A good scanning company will find out what your needs are by asking questions related to your project. Whether you have the right answer or not, this feed back set the stage for additional line of questioning that will ultimately inform you of details that may be crucial to you. The idea, from our scanning company point of view, is two-fold: One, we what to make sure you make the best possible decision that will generate the best results for you. Second, we want to make sure we as a scanning company fully understand your needs. Copyright G.I. Partners, LLC