How do I create a usable digital copy of documents

							How do I create a readable digital copy of documents?

Version 4

To reduce the handling of documents contained within your collection, you may wish to
create a digital copy. However, the digital copy is only helpful in reducing handling is you
can read the text on the document!

If your institution has purchased the Multi-media Upgrade for PastPerfect, you have the
ability to attach up to 999 images per record. You may also link many formats including
large images, PDF documents, Microsoft Word files, etc to your catalog record. To
attach images using the Image Management function that have readable text, please
follow the suggested scanning resolutions discussed below. However, these image
guidelines may not fit your institution’s requirements for archival quality images. The goal
of this project is to make the document readable, without making the file size too large.

Scanning within PastPerfect:
TWAIN compliant scanners will work from within PastPerfect. While other scanners are
useable, the procedure is slightly different from the one here for attaching the image.
Please see page 318 of the PastPerfect 4.0 User’s Guide.

   1. To begin, please go to the archival record to which you would like the image
      attached and select “Image Management”.
   2. Click on the scanner icon.
   3. If you have more than one device attached to this computer, select
      “Scanner/Camera” to choose the desired scanner and press “Select”.
   4. Next, under “File Type” choose “TIF”.
   5. Click “Operate Scanner Camera”.

Please adjust your resolution settings based on the desired result. Your scanner may
indicate the resolution in pixels per inch (ppi) or dots per inch (dpi); many times these
terms are used interchangeably. To attach a clear image that is less than 2 MB, please
consider the following resolutions with an uncompressed TIF format:

       90-100 ppi for letter or legal documents
       130-150 ppi for a paperback book page
       150-200 ppi for business card sized documents

Once your image has been scanned and saved into PastPerfect, you may need to use
the “Zoom” feature in the Image Management screen to fully access your readable
document.

If you have any questions, please contact our Support Office at (800)562-6080. Thank
you for using PastPerfect!