Tag: digital images

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…

January 2, 2013

Microfiche+Microfilm Scanning Services: Happy New Year 2013

Happy 2013 from Generation Imaging. This South Florida microfilm scanning company continues to grow in machinery, staff, and projects. Damian Hospital and Dan Gandul are doing great and are still taking care of existing clients and new customers with the same zest and zeal.

Generation Imaging has experts in the microfilm scanning industry and provide digital images from analogue media, which allows faster retrieval and the ability for you to make unlimited backups on your network, computers, DVDs, CDs, external hard drives or other storage media.

New Economy, New Rules (Low Costs)

Generation Imaging offers low cost microfilm and microfiche scanning services because G.I. goes not use subcontractors or send your film overseas. G.I. will work closely with you to make sure your format, naming, scanning resolution, and other file requirements are met.

Don’t be shy; do not hesitate to contact Generation Imaging for any micrographics service inquiries, including color slide scanning, aperture card conversion, paper document digitization, photo scanning, indexing images, searchable OCR PDF/TEXT, and other image processing.

Generation Imaging has doubled its production and processing output, which means G.I. can continue to offer low prices and meet your deadline.

Welcome, Anthony DeCarvalho

[Update] Additionally, Generation Imaging welcomes aboard Anthony DeCarvalho in 2013. Anthony DeCarvalho has experience dating back to the mid-1990s to this century. DeCarvalho has worked as a scanner operator, supervisor, and manager. His technical skill is superior, as his dedication to quality and production.

Anthony DeCarvalho now assumes a role he has been familiar with for years at Lorien Technologies: he is now managing 3rd shift for Generation Imaging. This makes sure that Generation Imaging will strive to complete large projects even more efficiently.

Expanding Year After Year

Generation Imaging has the fastest growing client list in the industry and has glowing testimonials from real and satisfied clients. There would be more testimonials, but the bulk of Generation Imaging’s customers are other scanning service bureaus who subcontract work or middle-men or middle-women who resell or subcontract microfilm and microfiche projects. In other words, many of Generation Imaging’s clients must maintain confidentiality and anonymity.

Give Trust and Get Trust

Generation Imaging’s founders believe in and practice trust. G.I. will not “go after” a project if you request for a quote. For example, if you are a reseller or another scanning service bureau and tell us that you are trying to get a project from a specific library, Generation Imaging will not attempt to bypass you and steal your lead.

If you don’t want to take our word for it, you can read the testimonials or check G.I.’s reputation online. G.I. will gladly sign a confidentiality agreement (nondisclosure contract) if you or your corporation does not want to take our word. G.I. won’t take it personally- we work for you, not against you.

Generation Imaging hopes you have a healthy and prosperous new year.

October 8, 2012

Converting School Records to PDF

Scanning School Records is Our Speciality

convert college records

Generation Imaging is your one-stop provider for converting school records, including permanent record cards. We have helped numerous schools and school districts by scanning their records to PDF, JPEG, or TIFF. The benefits are threefold: 1) disaster recovery; 2) space; and 3) instant retrieval.

Most schools keep their student records and personnel records under lock and key, however they have no backup or contingency plan for a disaster. Sending the permanent records to Generation can solve that problem. Digitizing the records will allow the school to have electronic copies which can be loaded unto multiple computers, server, CD, or DVD.

There’s no question that an older school, college, or university can easily run out of room, especially with paper records. Even microfilmed school records cost space. However, converting records to digital eliminates the need to dedicate rooms for storage.

The third major benefit of converting school records to digital images is instant retrieval: no more hunting and searching through draws or using microfilm viewers. With digital school records, the images can be named by student, teacher, SSN, policy number, or other field. Once the school has the converted records, the files can be e-mailed and printed easily.

School, universities, and colleges have different methods of storing their permanent record cards. The media could be paper documents, manila envelopes, microfiche, or microfilm.

Although the end result is the same, the actual processes to convert documents to image, microfiche to image, or microfiche to image various and use different scanners.

January 25, 2012

2012 Microfilm Scanning Update

Microfilm scanning has been transferring microfilm documents to digital images for many years and chances are that we have all benefited from the benefits in one way or another. After all, microfilm scanning has been used to convert microfilms from libraries, banks, hospitals and many other common organizations.

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.