At the most basic level, microfilm scanning services refers to digitizing roll film. In other words, it is the transfer from analog media to digital format. To break it down even further, it is roll film to tiff, pdf, jpeg, or other image format. The two types of roll film are 16mm and 35mm, not to be confused with movie film.

So in addition to the actual roll film conversion, is another component of microfilm scanning services?

Quality control. Some companies don’t actually check their work, or simply do a quick spot check before sending the project out. What happens is that he burden would get put on you to perform your own in-depth quality check. If you don’t have time or labor to perform a check, there would be a great chance that the images are incorrect, which is a nightmare. Generation Imaging performs four phases of quality control, which are including in our standard microfilm scanning services.

• Phase 1: Generation Imaging’s scanner operators actually check their work during scanning. They check their settings. As a failsafe, each project has a project manager and supervisor to verify that the microfilm machines and specifications are correct.
• Phase 2: Another worker or workers will audit the scan. The scanner will create a ribbon of the entire roll, and the auditor will manually verify, modify, and- if necessary- adjust quality or rescan the roll.
• Phase 3: This is an intense quality control process that meets industry standards. It is performed by a separate quality control team. A significant percentage of images is checked. 100% QC and/or manually adjusting or manually cropping or manually splitting images are add-on microfilm scanning services.
• Phase 4: The CD, DVD, or hard drive is checked and image counts are matched.

As you can see there is more to microfilm scanning services than just hanging a roll on the machine.

How important is it really to scan your microfilm records? And How is this process ever going to pay for the microfilm conversion cost? These and many other question are asked by organizations all the time. Generation Imaging is a scanning company that has been scanning microfilm for years. The experts that make up the core of this scanning company have combined 30 years plus of experience helping organizations bring their microfilm scanning need to a successful completions.

More that just a scanning company, we see ourselves as advisers. When you contact our scanning company, you will meet a team ready to help you understand all you need to know about your microfilm scanning project. The importance of your scanning project is determined by your needs. Your consideration to data conservation, efficient data utilization and customer services are just some issues our scanning company looks at to determine the importance of your microfilm conversion needs. Scanning companies may not always get involved with this, but at Generation Imaging, our scanning company goes this extra step and it has proven very beneficial to our customers.

Typically, the savings associated with a  scanning project is subject to real utilization, and the value is shared with other benefits. The experts at our scanning company can look closely at some  of this factors and estimated the break even point. In Many cases your project begins to pay back soon after completion because our scanning company is very competitive with price. Our scanning company will offer you some of the lowest microfilm scanning cost ever.

Microfilm conversion is pretty much a catch all phrase that describes transferring roll film to digital image, such as PDF, TIFF, JPEG, or PNG. Most people visualize roll film as being like small versions of movie film in a mini-spool. Although the bulk of roll film is indeed like that, reels can also be enclosed in plastic cartridges.

There are a few kinds of 16mm roll film cartridges. Some are completely enclosed in a hard plastic, and are held together by screws and a snap mechanism. These were perhaps made famous by 3M, although other companies have produced and continue to sell these hard plastic film cartridges. Completely enclosed, they provide better protection from air, pests, and shipping.

Other 16mm cartridges are made of a lighter plastic and are open, and were created to be inserted into a large roll film shelf.

Generation Imaging has the capability to perform the microfilm conversion of 16mm cartridges.  Let us know if you have any file format and naming preferences. Otherwise, we will digitize the cartridges using standard microfilm conversion parameters, such as 200DPI bi-tonal TIFFs.

Generation Imaging has expert microfilm conversion scanner operators with the experience and technical know-how to convert roll film to digital images in a timely manner.

Most of the time it is more cost-effective to send G.I. your cartridges instead of purchasing a microfilm scanner. If you prefer to deal locally, and are located outside of South Florida, you may be disappointed in the quality of the final product and microfilm conversion pricing you are offered, so give Generation Imaging a try.

Computer Output Microfilm is by far the most difficult 16mm roll film to digitize to images because the computer generated images do not have standard frame breaks most of the time. Unlike traditional 16mm roll film, Computer Output Microfilm has a super thin border (or no border!) or may have bits of data that is accidentally detected as a frame border. Most of the time, any roll film scanner (regardless if it saves one image at a time or saves the entire reel as a ribbon) will totally skip over Computer Output Microfilm sections or cut frames.

If the Computer Output Microfilm contains a 100% consistent, fixes, and thick frame order or blip marker, it is possible for a 16mm roll film scanner to detect images properly. In addition to having the correct micrographics equipment, it is very important to have experienced scanner operators. Let’s put it this way: if you have no experience with scanning Computer Output Microfilm, you will be totally lost and will need to pay the scanner manufacturer to come to your office and do it for you. They will only help you if you have a maintenance plan. In other words, you may be out of luck or it may cost you thousands of dollars to scan a few rolls of Computer Output Microfilm .

Generation Imaging has created a tried and true method to detect troublesome COM reels. Our scanner operators have been performing this method since the 1990s. It requires a knowledge of mathematics, detection algorithms, and attention to detail. It also requires post-processing: manually clipping strips. This method assures that all frames have been detected.

The word “best” may sound presumptuous, arrogant, or condescending, but I assure you that is not our intention to be cocky when titling this post “Best Florida Microfilm Scanning Company?”. In fact I left the question mark in there for you to find out yourself. One definition of best is “of the most excellent, effective, or desirable type or quality”. As you can see I’m not comparing Generation Imaging to other Florida microfilm scanning companies, I am simply stating confidence in the services that Generation Imaging provides. It’s OK to be confident, right?

Damian Hospital and Dan Gandul- G.I. Partners, LLC- have a small business mentality which focuses on customer satisfaction, low prices, high quality, meeting deadlines, and giving advice when necessary. There are indeed many Florida microfilm scanning bureaus, some are large corporations, some are small, some focus on other industries, and some work out of their garage. There is even one company online that offers “Florida microfilm scanning” services, but it is actually based in California. That’s a nice little hook. Also, thanks to the beauty of the internet anyone can set up a storefront and claim to offer Florida microfilm scanning services without actually owning any micrographics equipment.

We all have to make a living, so I don’t begrudge anyone exercising their freedom of speech, but I just wanted you to know that G.I. Partners, LLC is a legit Florida microfilm scanning business located in Davie, Florida.

Generation Imaging treats a client with one roll film the same as a multimillion dollar company with 20,000 reels. Communication is an important component of choosing a Florida microfilm scanning business, and you can be rest assured that G.I. will get all of the necessary specifications for your conversion project. After G.I. gets all of your requirements, once the digitization process begins, we will keep you abreast of any issues that may arise and when we are nearing completion of our agreed due date.

You can read some Generation Imaging testimonials if you are still unsure about G.I. being a viable solution for your Florida microfilm scanning needs.