Capture devices used
| Type of device | Devices used |
|---|---|
| Digital cameras |
|
| Film & slide scanners |
|
| Flat bed scanners |
|
| Large format scanner |
|
| Overhead scanners |
|
| Microfilm/microfiche scanners |
|
Guidelines for selection of capture device
The nature of the material to be digitised, particularly its condition and construction, determines the type of equipment used for digital capture. All collections are surveyed prior to digitisation and minimal handling during the digital capture process is preferred. The following general guidelines apply to the selection of the digital capture device.
Creo flatbed scanners are used for the following categories of items, sized up to 31.5x45 cm:
- printed music: unbound sheet music
- printed material, including single sheets (e.g. handbills, newspapers, posters), ephemera (e.g. brochures, tickets), single section pamphlets or other bound items that can be opened with ease
- manuscripts: single sheets in pencil or ink (e.g. letters), small printed items
- maps in good condition
- artworks on paper
- hand and mechanically produced prints in black ink with no added colour or extreme relief (e.g. engravings, etchings, lithographs)
- pen and ink drawings without watercolour or gouache additions (e.g. cartoons)
- photographic material: film negatives, transparencies, microforms, glass negatives and lantern slides, B&W and colour gelatin silver prints, albumen prints
Sinar cameras (capture back) are used for the following categories of items, sized up to 67.73x50.8 cm (for capture @300dpi):
- fragile items
- oil paintings
- most original artworks on paper (e.g. watercolours, drawings)
- artwork with loose, friable media (e.g. pastels, charcoal, crayons, soft pencil)
- watercolours with thick paint, gouache or glazes
- loose pages, sheets from albums of printed items
- bound volumes: books, albums, printed music, atlases
- maps: fragile maps, river maps
- manuscripts: bound diaries, letter books, folded items, large items
- documents on parchment and vellum
- photographic items: oversize B&W and colour prints, historic process photographs (e.g. daguerreotypes, ambrotypes), platinum prints and other non-silver prints, glass negatives and lantern slides (if not possible to scan on a flat bed scanner)
- three dimensional material: textiles, sculpture, objects, wax seals and realia
PhaseOne camera (capture back) is used for items sized between A5 and 60x80 cm without colour management requirements:
- sheet music and music albums
- map albums
- books and journals
Betterlight camera (scan back) is used for large items, sized up to117x87 cm:
- fragile maps and artwork items
- framed paintings, oil paintings etc
Colortrac large format scanner is used for:
- maps up to 106 cm wide, if in good condition and suitable to go through the roller
- posters, broadsides larger than A3 and up to 106 cm wide
Film/slide scanners are used for:
- strip films, negatives and transparencies
- mounted slides
