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Re: touching up digital images



I wanted to wait awhile to respond to these postings as to not come off as
defensive (as my post set this off), and then Catherine touched on most of
what I wanted to say. Those who are involved with digital imaging projects
are faced with a myriad of questions, most of which have no clear answers.
The questions that James brought up and the issues Catherine raised are ones
that need to be  dealt with on a project by project basis. Institutional
goals and resources, staff knowledge, end -user expectations, and condition
of originals are but a few of the mitigating factors in deciding workflow.

That said, I still believe fragile originals should be protected before
scanning in a flatbed. It just so happens that our project received the
extra benefit of the mylar acting as a screen (I used filter before, but
screen is perhaps a better word). The digital copy still retains its
yellowing, but the coloring is not as harsh and made it easier to recapture
pencil notations that were unreadable oin the original map.

Michael C. Miller
Special Collections Librarian
Dallas Public Library, Texas/Dallas History & Archives Division
1515 Young St.
Dallas TX 75201
214-670-1440
fax: 214-670-1437
mmiller@dallaslibrary.org
Visit us at http://dallaslibrary.org


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Catherine Brown [SMTP:catherine.brown@NCMAIL.NET]
> Sent: Friday, February 08, 2002 1:00 PM
> To:   ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
> Subject:      Re: touching up digital images
>
> Mr. Beaven,
>
> Your question is most interesting, and raises many issues.
>
> The current preservation standard is to microfilm, not scan. So, if we are
> discussing presentation of an image for access, the possibilities are many
> and the mitigating factors are mind boggling.
>
> If you can scan the image in a bi-tonal format and capture the
> informational value, then file size is not an issue.
>
> If the contrast is minimal, then you need color, possibly millions of them
> (file size increases exponentially).
>
> We have scanned documents where the text is not visible to the eye, and
> recovered the information by using enhancement features.
>
> The value to a researcher is high, but is the item valuable to a large
> enough portion of your audience to justify the high cost in time to
> recover the image? Do you have the bandwidth and/or software to deliver
> the image to your clients in an amount of time that will not cost you
> their good will? Or is the item of such value that people are willing to
> wait for a large download?
>
> In response to whether we are trying to display the document as it was
> when it was created, or as it is today, in digitizing, we are doing
> neither to from an analog original.
>
> What we need to know in order to make the decision of whether to scan or
> not is:
>
>  ...the value of the item(s) in regard to information, artifact, and
> evidence.
>
> ...the added value of the item as a commodity for publicity, marketing and
> customer service.
>
> ...whether we have the ability to create and deliver (adequately) an
> enhanced image with our current hardware and software limitations.
>
> ...are we willing to commit people and assets to develop the ability to
> retain and deliver this product.
>
> ... and many more ....
>
> If the final decision is to make an image available, then we should
> definitely present the image with the metadata defining the creation of
> the file. This is beneficial to others undertaking the same type of
> projects, and it is pro-active for the eventuality of this image becoming
> a legal document.
>
> And then there is the decision about presentation. For example, should an
> untouched image of the document be presented beside of the enhancement
> altered version (for comparison)?
>
> I'm pretty sure that's not the half of it.....
>
> Cathy Brown, CA
> Information Management Archivist
> North Carolina State Archives
> Raleigh, NC 27601
> 919-733-3952
>
> My opinions... .
>
> ESSE QUAM VIDERI --
> To be rather than to seem

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