Bound and unbound archive documents.

Le document d’abord, l’image ensuite.

Bound documents are digitised on scanners with self-levelling plates or V-shaped cradles that respect the volume’s natural opening: the binding is never forced and pages appear flat in the image. Cold LED lighting, free of UV, protects fragile items.

Unbound documents (files, letters, bundles, loose sheets) go through flatbed or sheet-fed scanners depending on their condition, respecting the order of the items. Each item is carefully prepared, then files are reassembled exactly as they were after digitisation, original packaging included.

What we handle

• Registers and notebooks: Civil status, deliberations, military records.
• Books and bound newspapers: Old books, newspaper volumes, magazines.
• Notarial minutes: Bundles and deeds digitised item by item.
• Administrative files: Double-sided, with unbinding and file management.
• Loose sheets: Heritage documents on loose leaves, plans and large formats.
• Fragile or damaged documents: Damaged bindings, acidic paper, water damage.

Technical specifications

• Resolution: 200 to 600 dpi and more depending on use
• Formats: From A6 to A0
• Equipment: Self-levelling plates, with or without glass, partial opening down to 90°
• Colour mode: IT-8 target, daily check, NF Z42-026
• Delivered files: TIFF, JPEG 2000, PDF/A, JPEG…
• Quality control: Completeness, order, legibility, naming, metadata
• Metadata: EXIF, IPTC, naming according to your rules
• Backup: RAID 6 servers until your approval

Aucune contrainte sur le document.

From the first assessment to return, every volume follows the same four-stage process, with a workstation and handling suited to its binding and condition.

Assessment and preparation

Every collection is examined before any capture: physical condition, document types, format. Fastenings are photographed then removed, and the instructions entered in our database appear on the operator’s screen. Any incomplete, stained document or one that does not match the inventory is reported immediately.

Calibration and test

Each workstation is calibrated on an IT-8 target, then checked every morning on a colour target, in line with the NF Z42-026 standard. A test on representative documents you choose sets the reference values: production only starts once you have approved them.

Digitisation

Our operators, trained by BnF experts, handle every item with both hands, without glue or adhesive, and pause capture at the slightest doubt.

Bound volumes. Contactless overhead capture, self-balancing cradles and adjustable-pressure glass: the binding is never forced or held by the spine.

Loose sheets. Placed in a receptacle tilted at 45°: the original order and packaging are preserved.

Fragile documents. Operators never take risks: stuck or torn pages are skipped and flagged in the database.

Quality control and return

A team independent of production checks every image on a probe-calibrated screen: matching, completeness, orientation, legibility, file naming and metadata. Any anomaly is reworked free of charge. Each document is repackaged exactly as received, then compared with the photograph taken on arrival.

La sécurité des originaux, avant tout.

Your originals never leave our hands.

Transport is carried out by our own staff, in our own vehicles, with no third-party carrier. Documents travel in watertight insulated crates, under the constant supervision of a two-person crew, and are insured from collection until their return.

On arrival, they are stored in air-conditioned rooms, away from light and adjoining the workshop, to keep their movements to a minimum.

Difficult cases are part of the job.

Broken bindings, crumbling edges, stuck pages, traces of mould: every fragile document is examined before any capture. We adapt the workstation (digitisation without glass, partial opening, page-by-page capture).

Damaged collections follow a specific protocol: gloves and mask, isolated storage, cleaning of the workstation afterwards. If digitisation poses a risk to the document, we inform you before acting.

Des fichiers prêts à l’usage.

The image is only one step. Depending on your needs, we enrich the files so that they fit directly into your electronic archiving system or access portal.

• Metadata: Technical and descriptive (EXIF, IPTC), naming according to your rules.
• OCR and indexing: OCR and HTR to make collections accessible and searchable.
• Inventory: Completion of your inventory files, reference by reference.
• Delivery: On hard drive or by secure transfer, in the agreed formats.

Departmental archives, civil registry services, libraries and public institutions.

• French National Archives: A complete production workshop, organised into scanner clusters, for the continuous processing of large collections.
• Paris Archives: Digitisation of volumes and bundles on book cradle scanners, without straining the bindings.
• Seine-Maritime Departmental Archives: Digitisation and OCR of archival documents, in our workshops and on site.
• Ille-et-Vilaine Departmental Archives: Archival documents from every period (bound registers or loose sheets in bundles), digitisation and OCR of newspapers and periodicals.
• Préfecture de région de Bretagne : Archives publiques des départements 22, 29, 35 et 56 : registres, presse, affiches et plans, avec OCR.
• City of Douai: Digitisation of civil registration records and registers.

Frequently asked questions

What is archive digitisation, and why undertake it?

It means producing a faithful digital copy of original documents (registers, bundles, files, plans, bound volumes), preserving the medium as much as the image. It is done to safeguard the most consulted collections, make remote access easier and support digital transformation, electronic archiving or heritage promotion.

How can registers and bound documents be digitised without damaging them?

We use contactless overhead heritage scanners: self-balancing cradles or V-shaped cradles, adjustable-pressure glass or capture without glass for fragile paper, cold LED lighting. Our BnF-trained operators handle registers with both hands, without glue or disassembly.

Which formats, resolution and standards for archive digitisation?

Settings are agreed with you and validated on a sample: 300 dpi suits most registers, 400 to 600 dpi or more suits plans and fine handwriting. Preservation in TIFF or JPEG 2000, access copies in JPEG or PDF/A, following the NF Z42-026 and NF Z42-012 standards, with EXIF and IPTC metadata.

How does an archive digitisation project work, and how long does it take?

Preliminary study of the collection, collection and transport by our teams, written approval of a test, digitisation with independent quality control, then delivery and return of the originals repackaged exactly as received. The duration depends on the volume and condition of the documents; more than 50 scanners let us meet tight deadlines, with a single point of contact.

How much does archive digitisation cost, and how do I get a quote?

There is no single price: the cost depends on the number of images, the type of documents, the technical settings and any additional services (transport, indexing, OCR). Describe your collection in our online quote tool: a project manager then refines the estimate.