Bits and microfilm

mailto:Walter_Gilbert@UMAIL.UMD.EDU--Maryland ("mailto:Walter_Gilbert@UMAIL.UMD.EDU--Maryland")
Thu, 4 May 1995 17:53:28 -0400

Message-Id: <mailto:199505042208.RAA26746@library.wustl.edu>
Date:         Thu, 4 May 1995 17:53:28 -0400
From: "mailto:Walter_Gilbert@UMAIL.UMD.EDU--Maryland" <WALT@UMDD.bitnet>
Subject:      Bits and microfilm
To: Multiple recipients of list IMAGELIB

In re Tanya Brun's question about digitizing and recording on microfilm.

For scanning printed materials, line drawings, etc., 400 dpi at 256-level gray scale is adequate for all but fussy purposes (where you might like to record bleeding of ink, fading, paper imperfections, etc.). Many people are happily using a lower resolution.

As for color, I would scan in 24-bit color, but again, unless you are concerned about microscopic accuracy in reproduction, 400 dpi is plenty. Note that a Kodak Photo-CD digitized image of an 8"x12" page is the equivalent of 250 dpi. ... and they make "posters" from those CD images.

My question is: With such high-quality scanning, why duplicate your information on a just slightly post Civil War technology (microfilm)? (OK, OK, maybe World War I.) Walt

Walter Gilbert, Asst. Dir. mailto:Walter_Gilbert@umail.umd.edu Computer Science Center Manager: Teaching Technologies University of Maryland at College Park 20742-2411 (301)405-6727