Before I start, I would prefer to hear from someone who is a PROFESSIONAL working with digital image formats...graphic artist, photographer, print media, etc.

Over the past two years or so, I have been scanning a whole old steam trunk full of generations of family photos dating back to the beginning of photography around 1827. The images are predominately black/white...tin types, thick card stock, etc. all wonderfully done and vary in size from a thumbnail to larger than an 8x10. Initially, I tried using the TIFF format, but with my 10yr old Mac and spinning 250Gb HD it was simply taking FOREVER to scan a single image. I opted to scan all the photos using JPG with minimal compression with a resolution of 1200DPI. The files are all very large with the smallest being at least 2mb to 24mb+. My thought behind this was to have the ability to blow up and print some of the photos in the future so I was afraid to skimp on the resolution. However, I have seen many recommending using the TIFF format at 300DPI and honestly, I don't know enough or understand enough about image formats/editing, etc. to make a call on what I should be using. I upgraded my old Mac to a 1.0Tb SSD drive and its like a new computer now. Should I switch to TIFF and a lower resolution or stick with the JPG and higher resolution?

If it makes any difference I'm using an Epson v600 scanner. It has seemed to work well for me, but wish the glass was a little bigger and that it really scanned full edge to edge.

Thanks for the input.

I have been in the imaging industry since 1992 and am currently working with the USMC Library and other agencies on archiving.

We are building a scanner to scan the film assets of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. They are having the same concerns for file size. The scanners we are developing will scan at 4 micron. So each 500 foot roll will be about 7TB each and they have well over 100,000 rolls.

They store in JPEG 2000 with minimal compression. It is better to scan your originals as a great resolution and store them in an advanced compression format. also be sure you are not scanning in SRGB. You lose a great deal of color for your color scans.

I you have any questions give feel free to contact me.

You didn't mention, but please dear god, tell us you have some form of backup routine for that Mac HDD. If would totally suck to lose all your work because of a HDD/SSD/motherboard/etc failure.

You are so correct. I have had more drives die in the past.

A GOOD RAID is always a good idea or at least clone fo your drive stirred somewhere other than with your working drive.

PowerBook,

I’ll email you, thanks! I have at least 4 backups of these images...two on-site and two off-site with Amazon and Google.

I got stunk near my eye by a wasp today and my eye is swelling. I may be off to urgent care or the ER if it’s not better tomorrow.

PowerBook, what color space do you recommend? AdobeRGB?

AdobeRGB or Adobe 1998 is the standard.

There are many color spaces including RAW, LAB, etc. All of which serve a purpose. If you have a digital camera you should consider RAW. Some scanning software will scan in RAW.

LaserSoft

This will show how the two standards compare to what most can see.

GREAT Book.

Very worth the read.

quote:

Originally posted by PowerBook:
I have been in the imaging industry since 1992 and am currently working with the USMC Library and other agencies on archiving.

We are building a scanner to scan the film assets of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. They are having the same concerns for file size. The scanners we are developing will scan at 4 micron. So each 500 foot roll will be about 7TB each and they have well over 100,000 rolls.

They store in JPEG 2000 with minimal compression. It is better to scan your originals as a great resolution and store them in an advanced compression format. also be sure you are not scanning in SRGB. You lose a great deal of color for your color scans.

I you have any questions give feel free to contact me.

Fascinating.

quote:

So each 500 foot roll will be about 7TB each and they have well over 100,000 rolls.

Gosh, that's about an exabyte.

flashguy

PowerBook,

Email sent. Thanks in advance!