The following image capture standards are used by the National Library in digitisation of its collection material. All digital master images are saved as uncompressed TIFF files.  Low resolution JPEG files are made available for access and can be downloaded online.

Material type Standard Specifications

Bound Volumes: Rare and Special Materials

Illuminated manuscripts, works that feature illustrations of special artistic or graphic interest

FADGI 4

Rare and special material, including colour critical material should be digitised using photography equipment capable of achieving a highly accurate image

400 ppi resolution
16 bit depth
Adobe 1998 colour space
Colour

Bound Volumes: General Collections

Textual and illustrated bound books, journals with clearly legible type and visual-arts elements of limited significance

FADGI 3

General collection material should be digitised to a preservation standard but, limited visual-arts elements mean this material does not need to be captured at level 4

300 ppi resolution
8 or 16 bit depth
RGB colour space
Colour or grayscale

Documents (Unbound): Manuscripts and Other Rare and Special Materials

Rare and special materials represent manuscripts, illustrations of special artistic or graphic interest

Note: In the Library context manuscripts (such as the papers of prominent Australians) will be considered ‘Documents (Unbound): General Collections’ except for components of special artistic or graphic interest which will be treated as ‘Documents (Unbound): Manuscripts and Other Rare and Special Materials’.

FADGI 4

Rare and special material, including colour critical material should be digitised using photography equipment capable of achieving a highly accurate image

400 ppi resolution
16 bit depth
Adobe 1998 colour space
Colour

Documents (Unbound): General Collections

Textual and illustrated materials e.g., evenly printed typeset or laser printed pages, includes visual-arts elements of limited significance

FADGI 3

General collection material should be digitised to a preservation standard but, limited visual-arts elements mean this material does not need to be captured at level 4

300 ppi resolution
8 or 16 bit depth
RGB colour space
Colour

Oversize Items: Maps, Posters, and Other Materials

Maps, Posters, and Other Materials with Challenging Features

FADGI 3

This material should be digitised to a preservation standard but, unless it falls into the category of rare and special material, does not need to be captured at level 4

300 ppi resolution
8 or 16 bit depth
RGB colour space
Colour or grayscale

Newspapers - Hardcopy

FADGI 3

Newspapers should be digitised to a preservation standard but, limited visual-arts elements mean this material does not need to be captured at level 4

300 ppi resolution
8 bit depth
RGB colour space
Colour or grayscale

Prints and Photographs

Includes photographic prints, graphic-arts prints (intaglio, lithographs, etc.), drawings, some paintings, (e.g., watercolours), and some maps.

FADGI 4

Prints and photographs have unique and subtle qualities that should be captured as accurately as possible

600 ppi resolution
16 bit depth
Adobe 1998 colour space
Colour

Photographic Transparencies: 35mm to 4”x5”

Black-and-white or colour (positive) transparencies that can be captured as a complete image

FADGI 4

Photographic transparencies should be digitised to the highest standard possible to support future (use such as image enlargement for exhibitions)

4000 ppi resolution
16 bit depth
Grey Gamma 2.2 or
Adobe 1998 colour space
Colour or grayscale

Photographic Transparencies Larger than 4” x 5”

Black-and-white or colour (positive) transparencies that are likely to require post-capture assembly to produce a complete image.

FADGI 4

Photographic transparencies should be digitised to the highest standard possible to support future use (such as image enlargement for exhibitions)

2000 ppi resolution
16 bit depth
Grey Gamma 2.2 or
Adobe 1998 colour space
Colour or grayscale

Photographic Negatives: 35mm to 4”x5”

Black-and white or colour negatives that can be captured as a complete image.

FADGI 4

Photographic negatives should be digitised to the highest standard possible to support future use (such as production of photographic prints)

4000 ppi resolution
16 bit depth
Grey Gamma 2.2 or Adobe 1998 colour space
Colour or grayscale

Photographic Negatives Larger than 4” x 5”

Black-and white or colour negatives that are likely to require post-capture assembly to produce a complete image.

FADGI 4

Photographic negatives should be digitised to the highest standard possible to support future use (such as production of photographic prints)

2000 ppi resolution
16 bit depth
Grey Gamma 2.2 or Adobe 1998 colour space
Colour or grayscale

Paintings and Other Two-Dimensional Art (Other Than Prints)

Original art works including oil paintings, water colour

FADGI 4

Paintings and other works of art have unique and subtle qualities that should be captured as accurately as possible

12,000 Pixels on long dimension
16 bit depth
Adobe 1998 colour space
Colour

Printed Matter, Manuscripts, and Other Documents on Microfilm

Newspapers on microfilm

FADGI 3

A preservation copy of newspaper on microfilm is required. Note that FADGI quality level 3 specifications are significantly different for this type of material. High resolution is required to account for reduction scale used when microfilm was created.

4000 ppi resolution
8 bit depth
Gray Gamma 2.2 colour space
Grayscale

NB* The resolution given is based on the optical capabilities of the scanning device, not interpolated resolution.