Category: Archive Writing

October 18, 2011

Archival Services For Creating Microfilm

Archival services for documents or image files can generate microfilm that you can store for a very long time. This process allows you to save a true copy of the original information. We can assist you if you are planning on using archival services and you need to find out what it costs or what archival services options are available for you.

Large format archival services is used to transfer zoning maps, engineering maps and other types of documents that are oversize. E size drawings are reduced about 12 times and required 35mm microfilm. We can microfilm your large format and without scanning them, but if you need digital images also, we are experts at microfilm scanning as well. Archival services of smaller documents is very common for transferring pdf files to 16 mm microfilm.

We do not recommend you try to start your own archival services for your in-house needs. Archival services requires the use of chemicals for film developing. Unless you already have zoning permits and licensing from your local government, getting all this set up can be challenging. If you need archival services for a specific project or you have on-going needs, try contacting a qualified company that offers archival services. You may need to specify certain microfilm requirements and reduction issues. You may also want to have the microfilm duplicated. A duplicate roll from the original is very inexpensive to make and a good archival services company should offer this option as well.

March 24, 2010

Microfilm Scanning Bureau

Generation Imaging is a scanning bureau that uses the right kind of digital microfilm scanner to convert your microfilm, microfiche, aperture cards, and Kodak slides. Generation Imaging’s staff has decades of experience with using different types of digital microfilm scanners from various scanner manufacturers, like Sunrise, NextScan, Wicks & Wilson, Canon, Minolta, E Image Data, and others.

Generation Imaging is able to keep your microfilm scanning price down because of their low overhead. G.I. is an ideal partner for other scanning bureaus who wish to outsource microfilm scanning projects.

Why would other scanning bureaus that have scanning equipment outsource to Generation Imaging? There are quite a few reasons:

1) Scanning Costs- Depending on the volume, time-frame, and labor costs of your microfilm scanning project, it is very possible that G.I.’s scanning costs may actually be lower. Some scanning bureaus don’t have a smooth microfilm scanning production set up and it can really be a hassle sometimes.

2) Scanning equipment- not all digital microfilm scanners are created equal- some name brands are better than others, some scanners have additional modules, higher resolutions, more imaging filters, and faster image output rates. At the most basic level, some scanning bureaus don’t have a microfilm scanner, microfiche scanner, aperture card scanner, or Kodak slide scanner.

3) Work Overflow– there are some microfilm scanning projects that are so big, that a scanning bureau needs to either buy a new digital scanner or partner up with another scanning bureau. Some scanning bureaus can be hit with a bunch of smaller projects that need to be outsourced as well.

4) Film Scanning service– at Generation Imaging, co-founders Damian Hospital and Dan Gandul are trustworthy, efficient, productive, technically orientated, and practice outstanding customer service.

5) Corporate pricing– some scanning bureaus get handcuffed by their corporate office when it comes to giving low prices for an internal microfilm conversion. Subcontracting the film scanning service to G.I. is an excellent alternative.

6) Microfilm government RFP bids- in addition to offering low microfilm, microfiche, and aperture card scanning prices so scanning bureaus can be in a better position to win government RFPs, G.I. also provides other micrographic services, such as microfilming, archive writing, Florida document scanning, microfilm duplication, paper blowback printing, and more.

March 3, 2010

16mm Kodak Document Archive Writer

Digital Image to Microfilm Conversion- If you are looking for analog backup of digital images, Generation Imaging provides 16mm archive writing. A Kodak archive writer can create excellent duplicates of the images on 16mm roll film. Our microfilm processing lab develops the film in accordance with ANSI standards.

Some organizations or government municipalities require a microfilm backup of their digital images (which had been created by document scanning or at some previous time with microfilm scanning). This is usually a requirement for many counties. This digital to microfilm process is called archive writing, and it requires a Kodak archive writer or other type of document archive writer. It also requires a filming lab and the ability to work with chemicals.

16mm archive writers or other methods of microfilming digital images are used to produce a microfilm version of the TIFFs or PDFs, for the purposes of storing the microfilm for long term protection of the information. For example, if you have a microfilm backup, but disaster has struck and you lost the digital images, Generation Imaging can remake the digital images from the microfilm by scanning the microfilm.

A couple of facts about 16mm archive writing that archive writer manufacturers don’t really like to advertise:

There are reduction ratio limitations and document size limitations with 16mm archive writers. Reducing maps or drawings that were originally scanned from 35mm roll film will most likely result in poor quality frames, because the images would have to be resized before sent through the 16mm archive writer. Resizing images to fit the 16mm archive writing process will make text blurry. There are other options, of course, but they require different equipment, so be sure to know the maximum document size of your project.

16mm archive writers will “error out” if they encounter a corrupt TIFF file or PDF file or if there is an oversized image. A corrupt image file has bad tags. Many times they are sub-pages in a multi-page file, and the page cannot display properly. Other times the page can display properly but a fluke happened when the image was created by scanning. Generation Imaging will notify you ASAP if we encounter issues like that and work with you to resolve them.

Anyway, that’s about it when it comes to bumps on the road with archive writing: most projects don’t have corrupt image problems. We just wanted to give you the heads up, and for you to be rest assured that we can find solutions for any of these issues. Generation Imaging can create blipped film for you if your images are grouped in folders or multi-page images. If they are not already grouped, we can even perform indexing functions to break them properly.

We look forward to providing you the 16mm archive writing service.

February 25, 2010

List of Generation Imaging Services

Generation Imaging offers a wide-range of digital imaging and microfilm scanning services, such as:

16mm and 35mm microfilm scanning
microfiche scanning
aperture card scanning
microfilming
archive writing
Florida document scanning
high volume color slides
data entry and indexing
image processing (PDF, TIFF, OCR conversions)
Paper blowbacks (printing)

G.I. Partners, LLC of Florida is very open-minded about providing services for you even if you have your own microfilm equipment. Sometimes it may be more cost-effective or quicker to subcontract work to us. We can offer excellent pricing for RFP government bids as well. We want to foster mutually beneficial business-to-business relationships.

February 24, 2010

Microfilm Scanning

Generation Imaging is a microfilm scanning company founded by G.I. Partners, LLC of Florida, and is run by Damian Hospital and Dan Gandul. We are composed of the most experienced and detail orientated microfilm scanner operators, managers, and customer service representatives in the United States. No microfilm or microfiche scanning job is too big or too small for us- we stand ready for 20 million images or one roll. Due to the hit the economy has taken, GI realizes and understands the importance of offering low microfilm conversion prices and low microfiche scanning prices. However, do not let our below market microfilm scanning prices make you think your project will be rushed out- Generation Imaging has assembled an experience quality control team, and uses the latest software to ensure your images are top-notch.

Please contact Damian Hospital directly at 954-851-6970 or Dan Gandul directly at 786-227-3042 and by e-mail damian@generationimaging or dan@generationimaging. Dan and Damian want you to be Generation Imaging’s business parter, and they are more than willing to assist you with technical questions, assist with government RFPs, and remember- there’s no such thing as a “stupid question”. In the microfilm scanning industry, many people use different terms, and since microfilm scanning is a niche market, we understand that some processes may be foreign or new to some. Damian and Dan have the patience, knowledge, and take care of you as a client by being fully and quickly accessible. Anyone who has done business with Damian Hospital from the customer service end, knows that he responds faster than an automated robot and will not rest until you are satisfied. Dan Gandul is matchless when it comes to explaining microfilm scanning production.

With a dedicated staff with years of micrographics and digital imaging experience, the Generation Imaging team have been providing digital microfilm conversions and image indexing services for government agencies, microfilm service bureaus, large corporations, small businesses, and other organizations since the 1980’s. With the recent economic hardships, GI has been able to gather a team with a wealth of professional microfilm scanning experience.

Using the best microfiche scanners, microfilm scanners, and aperture card scanners, indexing software , Quality Control methods, and image processing software, our digital imaging conversion includes not only includes microfilm scanning services, but we are just as efficient in microfiche scanning, aperture card conversion, Florida document imaging, OCR, autocrop, manual crop, deskew, TIFF to PDF, multi-tiff, multi-pdf, CSV files, txt files, duplex image splitting, fully-customizable imaging processes, creating databases , microfilming, microfilm duplication, and other microfilm and microfiche processes.

Generation Imaging’s microfilm scanning services include scanning all types of microform, such as 16mm roll film, 35mm roll film, 16mm 3m or Kodak cartridges, 16mm COM continuous film, duplex film, aperture cards, source document jacketed fiche, 35mm fiche, oversized large format fiche, 35mm color slides, and other media.

In addition to our relatively low overhead, new technology applications has played a major role in microfilm scanning cost cut. Over the past few years, improvements in image capturing and processing tools, faster processing capabilities, and development of more efficient scanning equipment, has increase productivity many times over what it was just a few years ago. For example, for 16mm roll film, you can expect to see an 80% lower scan cost from the early 2000’s. This price trend started before the current economy changes took affect.

Our clients will benefit from the price cuts, but another important advantage is that we all benefit from quality and service improvements also. Although the microfilm scanning cost has been lowered, the quality of the output images has been increasing . We can now capture and process images with much higher quality standards, thanks to the advancements of the latest systems available.

For Dan, Damian, and the rest of the Generation Imaging team, it is a pleasure to serve your microfilm scanning needs. Please feel free to contact us for microfilm quotes or project details.

Damian Hospital damian@generationimaging
954-851-6970 (cell)

Dan Gandul dan@generationimaging
786-227-3042 (cell)