Category: Microfilm Scanning

January 6, 2023

The Benefits of Converting Microfilm to Digital Images

Converting microfilm to digital images has a number of benefits that make it an appealing option for businesses and organizations looking to modernize their record-keeping systems.

Here are just a few of the key benefits of this process:

Improved accessibility: Digital images can be accessed much more easily than microfilm, which requires specialized equipment to view. By converting microfilm to digital, users can simply log into a computer to access the images, making it much more convenient for them to retrieve the information they need.
Enhanced security: Digital images can be backed up in multiple locations, providing a higher level of security than microfilm, which is vulnerable to physical damage, erosion, and theft.
Better organization: Digital images can be easily organized and named, making it easier to locate specific documents or images within a larger collection. This can be especially useful for businesses with large volumes of records that need to be managed.
Increased efficiency: Digital images can be shared and accessed by multiple users at the same time, eliminating the need for multiple copies of microfilm and reducing the time and effort required to retrieve and share information.
Cost savings: While there is an initial investment to convert microfilm to digital, the long-term cost savings may be substantial. Digital images do not require the maintenance and repair of specialized microfilm equipment, and there are no ongoing costs for film and chemical processing.
Improved image quality: Digital images are generally of higher quality than microfilm, as they are not subject to the same level of deterioration and fading over time. This can be especially important for businesses that rely on the accuracy and clarity of their records.

Converting microfilm to digital images offers a range of benefits that can make it a worthwhile investment for businesses and organizations looking to improve the efficiency and security of their record-keeping systems. The enhanced accessibility, security, organization, and image quality provided by digital images, along with the potential cost savings, make this an appealing option for those looking to modernize and streamline their operations.

September 8, 2022

UFO Microfilm Scanning

Generation Imaging is the go-to digital conversion company for UFO researchers for UFO microfilm scanning. The importance of the history of UFOs has never been more important as the United States federal government is taking the UFO phenomena seriously.

Many researchers understand the need for freedom of information, and are sharing Generation Imaging’s scanned images. Most of the UFO media Generation Imaging has scanned were from images on 16mm and 35mm roll film.

Located in South Florida, Generation Imaging has 16mm and 35mm microfilm scanners, microfiche scanners, aperture card scanners, document scanners, and color slide scanners.

The format of converted images can be JPEGs, PDFs, or TIFFs. Many researchers like to do their own image enhancements and processing, so Generation Imaging usually delivers raw format without additional compression. However, if requested Generation Imaging can run some image processing, OCR, or indexing.

Generation Imaging has scanned thousands of UFO related microfilm images which were originally from UFO magazines, UFO books, UFO newsletters, UFO government reports, and UFO civilian reports. Whether you are a believer, skeptic, researcher, or government official, please consider utilizing Generation Imaging’s scanning services to scan digital images.

If you have access to UFO collections and want to be more productive, feel free to contact Generation Imaging for a free scanning quote. Generation Imaging will never try to overcharge or take advantage of UFO researchers who are on a budget.

Generation Imaging values your privacy and will never share the UFO images or media with anyone, nor your identity without your permission.

October 4, 2021

What is Duplex Roll Film Scanning?

Duplex roll film is 16mm microfilm that has been created with two images per frame. The front and backside of a document page was filmed at the same time as the front or they are simply two separate images side-by-side. There are around 5,000 frames on a 100-foot roll of 16mm duplex film, however once the pages get split it would be 10,000 separate images if split. Of course these are just estimates and longer film could contain a whopping 15,000+ frames (30,000+ images). Some documents were small to begin with, such as envelopes, checks, birth, death, and marriage certificates, driver’s licenses, fingerprints, and traffic tickets. In such cases rolls may contain double the expected amount (30,000-60,000 images)!

There are a handful of ways to scan duplex microfilm. Depending on how it was filmed, Generation Imaging can save both frames in one image, or save out two images separately. Advanced options include deleting out black backsides and making multi-page pdfs or tiffs based on blips or indexing fields.

Generation Imaging has a price discount for digitizing duplex rolls. This is because there are so many images on a roll, in some cases one roll has the same number of images of 2-4 common rolls. Keep in mind, the turnaround time for converting duplex microfilm will indeed be longer than standard 16mm rolls.

The bottom line is regardless of how duplex rolls were filmed, Generation Imaging will scan them so you won’t even know that a different technique was used; the end result is the same as other reels.

Feel free to contact us with any questions about your film.

January 21, 2021

How Do You Scan 16mm Roll Film?

16mm roll film (also called microfilm) can be read under a microfilm viewer. However if you want a copy of the actual documents contained on the film, they have to be digitized. 16mm roll film can be scanned using a reader printer- which is usually performed one image a time and every time consuming. The quicker way is to use a roll film scanner. Microfilm scanners are a product in which the cost is in proportion to the quality of its output. In other words, if you buy an “affordable” scanner ($10,000 USD) the speed and quality can’t match a high end model ($50,000+). There are used microfilm scanners on the market, but they rarely come with a warranty. And like printers, scanners have shelf lives.

The old way- using a reader printer.

The solution Generation Imaging offers is a roll film scanning service. For pennies or a fraction of a penny, depending on the microfilm type, volume, and format, we can convert your 16mm roll film to PDF, TIF, or JPG files. The speed and quality are top notch because NextScan roll film scanners are used.

The thing you have to realize how microfilm scanning is that it is a specialized technology. It’s not plug and play, nor is it an off the shelf solution if you are a newbie. If you work for a company, organization, government agency, or are an independent researcher, nine times out of ten it is more cost effective and less of a headache just to send Generation Images your 16mm roll film to get if converted to digital images.

Once you have the images, you can upload them to your PC, server, make backups, or import them into your imaging software.

March 11, 2020

Who Needs Microfilm Scanning? (Digitizing Roll Film)

Is Microfilm Still Used Today? What Is Microfilm Scanning?

It may surprise you that in the 21st century, organizations still use microfilm (also called roll film). There are a couple of reasons why microfilm is still relevant in this modern age of digitization.

Government Mandates

Many state, county, or federal government agencies demand that documents be archived on microfilm reels. It is easy to see why this is true. We have heard too many nightmare scenarios about digitized images and documents being lost due to accident. Indeed, it is a given that analogue media is “solid” and gives the impression that it could be accessed in the future easier than having the appropriate computer hardware and software to view specific file formats.

However, proponents of this philosophy ignore the inconvenient truths that microfilm actually degrades. If not stored in particular proper conditions, all microfilm could become brittle, start “melting”, smell like vinegar, fade, or become impossible to spool. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to scan your microfilm before it becomes unusable (and non-compliant with law).

It’s Always Been Done That Way

It’s possible an organization has been archiving or using their documents a certain way, dating back to the 1970s or beyond. Because things have always been done like this- and perhaps the fear of microfilm scanning costs- there could be a fear of change.

The counter argument to that is simple: having a company like Generation Imaging scanning roll film to tiff, pdf, or jpeg will save your organization time, space, and probably costs. Microfilm can become costly to store and difficult to manage and sort through. Digitizing your roll film makes your office more efficient. Indexed documents can be searched for and accessed in seconds instead of searching through hundreds of feet of roll film.

Please contact Generation Imaging today if you have:

Building Department microfilm
Police Department microfilm
Zoning and Planning microfilm
Environmental Protection microfilm
Public Works microfilm
Legal Department microfilm
Department of Health microfilm
Vital Records microfilm
Highway Department
Fire Department microfilm
Town Clerk microfilm
Student records microfilm
Social Services microfilm

and more…