Preservation

Textual, Micrographic and Cartographic Records, Posters and Illustrated Materials

Desired Product Outcomes Product Scope Product Category Original Characteristics Product Name
Color Capture Native Characteristics

Digital Option

Customer needs:

  • create a digital copy because the source item is a high risk for loss of information (usually due to deterioration or obsolescence), and/or
  • exhibit or other researcher purposes require a high quality copy

Product solution: The final product should be at high-to-maximum information capture standards that capture a high degree of visual information beyond just the content and satisfy long term preservation needs.
  • This file is placed in a managed storage environment and retained for the long term.
  • This file satisfies both long term preservation needs and researcher requests for high quality files.
  • Because of the high capture specifications, this file could confidently take the place of the original record if the original record is no longer viable.
  • This file can make other files including exhibition/broadcast quality files, reproduction masters and distribution copies.
Preservation Master:

If this product category is needed, the specification is determined by the original characteristics of the source image.
Precise Color Representation Not Required
Clean High Contrast Text
Textual Maximum - B&W

[TXT-P1]
All Other Material Aside from Clean High Contrast Text including Low Contrast Text, Fading, Staining, etc
Textual Maximum - Grayscale

[TXT-P2]
Precise Color Representation Required
All Types of Source Material Where Color is Important to Capture
Textual Maximum - Color

[TXT-P3]

Microfilm Option

Customer need:

  • Produce B&W microfilm copy to satisfy long term preservation needs.

Product solution: Create physically stable polyester-based silver gelatin microfilm for long term preservation.
  • This microfilm product is stored in climate controlled conditions off site and is not accessed directly unless the reproduction master is damaged or destroyed or otherwise compromised.
  • This microfilm product satisfies long term preservation needs. Because of the stability of the film base and high image capture specifications, this product could confidently take the place of the original paper-based record if the original record is no longer viable.
  • This file can make other files including exhibition quality files, reproduction masters and distribution copies.
Preservation Master:

If this product category is needed, one specification can meet all current needs.
Textual and Cartographic digital preservation and reproduction master files.
Microfilm - Preservation

[TXM-P1]

Digital Only

Customer needs:

  • create a digital copy to minimize risk due to frequent handling or high use (but not address high risk of information loss due to deterioration or obsolescence), and/or
  • improve access options.

Product solution: The final product should range from minimum-acceptable to less than high-to-maximum information capture levels to satisfy limited risk and access needs by capturing the content of the image but maximum quality levels are not needed.
  • This file is placed in a managed storage environment and retained for the long term it represents a significant time and resource investment and/or is part of a coherent set. If the file can be regenerated from a preservation master with minimum effort, it is usually not managed and retained.
  • This file satisfies most researcher requests as well as limited preservation risks including loss, theft, and mishandling.
  • Because the capture/transfer specifications are closer to or at the minimum recommended level, this file would not be an optimal substitute for the original record if the original record is no longer viable.
  • This file can be generated from a preservation master or be the highest quality file created in a project.
  • This file can make other files including distribution copies.

Definition of coherent set

Reproduction Master:

If this product category is needed, the specification is determined by the original characteristics of the source image
Precise Color Representation Not Required
High Contrast Text
Textual Median - B&W

[TXT-R1]
All Other Material Aside from Clean High Contrast Text including Low Contrast Text, Fading, Staining, etc
Textual Median - Grayscale

[TXT-R2]
Precise Color Representation Required
All Types of Source Material Where Color is Important to Capture
Textual Median - Color

[TXT-R3]

Digital Options from Master File

Customer needs:

  • create digital files for specific distribution and access systems from a preservation or reproduction master file, and/or
  • there is no reason to retain the files after the distribution or access goal is met.

Product solution: The final product should meet the file requirements of the specific delivery systems. In general, these products emphasize small file sizes and faster transfer rates over high quality levels.
  • This file is retained only as long as needed to satisfy a specific distribution need. It is not actively managed over a long term.
  • Other files would not be generated from this file.
  • This file is not intended to substitute for the original record if the original record is no longer viable.
Distribution Copies:

If this category is needed, choose one or more products to suit project needs.

Characteristics of the original are not a factor in the product specifications.
Standard Distribution Image

[IMG-D1]
Letter-Sized Distribution Image

[IMG-D2]
Standard Distribution PDF

[IMG-D3]
Other/Project Specific Image

[IMG-D99]

Digital Options from Source Object

Customer needs:

  • create digital files directly from the scanner/capture equipment without creating a higher quality master file, and/or
  • there is no reason to retain the files after the distribution or access goal is met.

Product solution: The final product should meet the file requirements of the specific delivery systems. In general, these products emphasize small file sizes and faster transfer rates over high quality levels.
  • This file is the output of a local scanner.
  • This file is retained only as long as needed to satisfy a specific "on demand" distribution need. It is not retained after delivery to the requesting customer and is not actively managed over a long term.
  • Other files would not be generated from this file and this file has no higher quality master or parent file.
  • This file is not intended to substitute for the original record if the original record is no longer viable.
Distribution Copies:

If this category is needed, choose one or more products to suit project needs.

Characteristics of the original are not a factor in the product specifications.
Standard Distribution Image

[IMG-D1]
Scan on Demand

[IMG-D6]
Other/Project Specific Image

[IMG-D99]

Microfilm Option

Customer need:

  • Produce B&W microfilm for access.

Product solution: Create physically stable polyester-based silver gelatin microfilm for access needs.
  • This product is not retained.
  • This product satisfies fee requests for hard copy microfilm.
  • This product has identical technical product specifications as the Microfilm - Preservation [TXM-P1]product.
Distribution Copies:

If this product category is needed, one specification can meet all current needs.
Textual Median - B&W [TXT-R1] Reproduction Master Files for Microfilm Publications beginning with the M, P, C or T prefix ONLY
Microfilm - Access

[TXM-D1]
Microfilm legacy printing master
Microfilm - Access

[TXM-D1]

Hard Copy Option

Customer need:

  • Create textual or photographic prints from preservation or reproduction masters (or other supplied digital files) for specifically identified purposes.

Product solution:Create high-quality facsimile prints for exhibit needs or specific requests, or producing reference prints for a variety of project needs.

This product is not retained.

Distribution Copies:

If product category is needed, choose one or more as appropriate to suit project needs.

Characteristics of the original object are not a factor in the product specifications.
Fee Request Optical Disc

[TXT-D1]
Facsimile Print (hard copy output)

[IMG-D4]
Reference Print

[IMG-D5]

This strategy is suitable for the following Original Record Types

This strategy was implemented on the following recent projects.

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The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
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