When you are ready to convert your old microfilm resources to a digital format, you may wonder what the process of conversion is. While the process may sound simple, finding the right equipment and receiving high-quality results can be challenging. That’s why it’s important to hire a professional. At Resource Data Management (RDM), we are proud to perform microfilm conversion in Delaware and the rest of the mid-Atlantic region.
If you’re interested in learning more about the process of converting microfilm to digital formats, keep on reading! Here’s how we convert all your old microfilm to easily accessible digital formats.
1. Determine Microfilm Type
Before we can start the process of digitizing microfilm, we must first be aware of which type of microfilm you gave us. There are two main types: 16mm and 35mm. 16mm microfilm is smaller and harder to reproduce, so we need to be prepared to use more powerful equipment for a high-quality result.
To make the next few steps simpler, while we are inspecting your microfilm, we take the time to organize it into the order you want us to convert it. That will save us time once conversion is complete in organizing your new files.
2. Acquire Scanning Equipment
This is probably the most difficult step if trying to perform microfilm conversion by yourself, as the equipment can be hard to find.
We need a digital reader or specialized microfilm scanning equipment and software to edit and save the images created from the microfilm. It’s also important at this stage to ensure that we have enough storage for your new digitized files, as TIFF images can take up a lot of space.
3. Begin Scanning
Once we have your microfilm in order and our equipment set up, it’s time to start scanning!
4. Inspect Resulting Images
This step happens immediately after the third and continues for the duration of the scanning process. As images come in – it’s important to check the quality of the images so that we can fix any issues with scan quality before we have to redo more than just one. If we catch it early, it can save us a lot of time and hassle sorting through the microfilm to determine which portions need to be scanned again.
5. File Conversion
Finally, we select the file type you need and begin the conversion process! This is the last step before we return the converted microfilm and originals back to you, so that you can more easily access your important sources.
While those are our steps, your process for microfilm conversion in Delaware and the rest of the mid-Atlantic Region is a lot simpler! Just call RDM at 215-953-5175 or contact us!