Scanning

Carefully scanning old, rare, fragile books and documents is an art that must be done with experienced skill and with due respect for the medium being handled. Our scanning operators are fully trained and highly experienced in the scanning of all old and fragile document types.

Archiving & Output

Successful reproduction of documents during the scanning process is generally followed by an archiving process that involves writing the scanned images to a secure long-term medium for disaster recovery, reproduction or general viewing purposes. A long-term medium may take the form of a CD-Rom or DVD, or perhaps writing the files directly to a networked server. Alternatively the images can be written to transparencies or microfiche. In addition to these output forms, Datafind also offer a full reproduction service where we are able to reprint the books and documents onto papers that exactly match the originals.

Repairs

An original old document may be damaged beyond repair. General wear and tear may mean that is has been ripped, torn, creased, stained or has faded over a period of time. Graphic Artists at Datafind are able to digitally repair scanned images – removing the rips, tears, creases and stains – and replacing any missing text and imagery.

Viewing & Software

It can often be difficult to locate information within a book or batch of documents of a certain size. Datafind have developed software that enables scanned images to be indexed during the scanning process. This indexed database is accessed via front-end software which allows full searches to be performed across all of the scanned pages – enabling the reader to jump to specific pages instantly.

The Internet

Many Datafind clients are now asking for their images and data to be displayed on the Internet. Datafind Services have experienced web designers who are able to optimise and display scanned images via web pages. Access to these web pages can be made available to the general public on a Freeview, Pay-Per-View or general password protected basis.

List of Services

Datafind Services provide services relating to:

Book/document scanning & archiving
image restoration and repairs
bespoke local software
bespoke web enabled software
finishing services (reprinting, rebinding, laminating, encapsulation, presentation folders etc.)
document management and back data entry

Would you like to see some Sample Scan Images?

Go to our Picture Gallery page.