Microfilm, microfiche and aperture cards.

Le document d’origine, pas seulement le film.

16 and 35 mm reels, microfiches and aperture cards are digitised at high speed, with automatic frame detection and checks on framing, sharpness and density. Film defects are not reproduced: they are compensated for, to render the microfilmed document as well as possible.

Files can then go through text recognition and be indexed, so that one page among thousands can be found in seconds.

What we handle

• 16 mm microfilm: Reels and cartridges, positive or negative.
• 35 mm microfilm: Perforated or unperforated reels, rolls over 300 m.
• Microfiches: Fiches, jackets and COM, silver or diazo.
• Aperture cards: Plans and technical drawings on 35 mm.
• Old or degraded films: Scratches, fragile splices, fogged or inverted frames.

Technical specifications

• Resolution: 200 to 400 dpi document equivalent
• Reductions: From 7.5 to 50 in 16 mm, from 7.5 to 36 in 35 mm
• Equipment: Wicks & Wilson FS 8850 and FS 300 scanners
• Capture: 12-bit sensor, greyscale, bitonal or colour
• Processing: Frame detection, cropping, deskewing, splitting
• Throughput: High-throughput production, in tracked batches
• Delivered files: TIFF, JPEG, multi-page PDF, PDF/A
• Options: OCR and ALTO, indexing, metadata

Du film à l’image, quatre étapes maîtrisées.

Two workflows, two scanners: reels and fiches are neither loaded nor set up the same way, but share the same rigour from start to finish.

Rouleaux 16 et 35 mm — Scanner Wicks & Wilson FS 8850

• Loading: The film is guided over the rollers and its end attached to the take-up spool; progressive loading limits tension.
• Preview: The first frames are used to set brightness, contrast and framing; a test scan validates exposure and sharpness.
• Sheet-feed: Reduced speed on spliced films, automatic frame detection, film transport monitored by the operator.
• Reprise : Le mode « Virtual » permet de retravailler le film après numérisation : un seul passage dans la machine, marges et cadres ajustables.

Microfiches et cartes à fenêtre — Scanner Wicks & Wilson FS 300

• Positioning: The fiche is placed on the dedicated tray; its alignment is checked to avoid any skew.
• Détection des vues : Cadrage interne ou externe, bordures et formats fixes ou variables : chaque vue de la fiche est isolée automatiquement.
• Rotation: Each frame can be rotated during scanning to restore its reading direction.
• Targeted rework: A single frame can be rescanned without redoing the whole fiche.

In both cases

• Inspection : Déchirures, rayures, moisissures, soudures fragiles : chaque microforme est examinée, soufflée et passée sur table lumineuse, avec des gants antistatiques.
• Calibration and test: Lamp, balance and equalisation set before each batch, configuration saved per medium, test on a sample you approve.
• Independent quality control: Images straightened, cropped and cleaned of dust and minor scratches; any anomaly is reworked free of charge before delivery.

La sécurité des originaux, avant tout.

Your reels never leave our hands.

Microforms are transported by our teams, in airtight padded crates, under the constant supervision of two staff members and with wall-to-wall insurance.

At the workshop, they stay in their original boxes, stored flat in windowless rooms with controlled temperature and humidity, accessible by badge to authorised staff only.

Difficult cases are part of the job.

Scratched, fogged or poorly developed films, fragile splices, inverted frames: every anomaly is identified before digitisation and, where possible, compensated for at capture or in post-production.

If a splice breaks, we only re-splice the film with your agreement. Frames that could not be digitised are reported in the production report.

Des fichiers prêts à l’usage.

The image is only one step. We deliver files ready to be consulted, searched and archived.

• OCR and ALTO: Text recognition and ALTO files for full-text search.
• Indexing: Index file completed, search by reference, date or name.
• Consultation and archiving: TIFF masters for preservation, JPEG or PDF for consultation.
• Secure delivery: Encrypted drives, integrity check of every file, copy report.

Ministries, local authorities and universities entrust us with their microforms.

• Ministry of the Armed Forces – Defence Historical Service: Digitisation of transparent photographic materials, including microfilms.
• City of Marseille: Digitisation of microfiches and microfilms, OCR processing.
• Paris Nanterre University: Digitisation of microfilms and creation of a database.

Frequently asked questions

What is microfilm and microfiche digitisation, and why undertake it?

Microforms are miniaturised reproductions of documents (registers, press, plans) on film or fiche, readable only with a dedicated reader. Digitising them makes them available online, with no reader and no handling of reels, protects deteriorating films and enables full-text search.

How can old, scratched or fragile microfilms be digitised without damaging them?

Every film is inspected before capture (scratches, mould, fragile splices) and handled with antistatic gloves, after being blown clean and checked on a light table. Our scanners load the film progressively, without tension, at reduced speed on spliced films; rollers and glass are cleaned three times a day.

How can a legible image be obtained from microfilm of uneven quality?

Microform scanners are calibrated before each batch (lamp, balance, equalisation) and each type of medium has its own configuration. Brightness, contrast and threshold are adjusted to render the original document rather than the defects of the film, then the image is straightened, cropped and cleaned of dust and minor scratches.

Which resolution, which file formats, and is OCR possible?

We generally work at 200 to 400 dpi document equivalent, in greyscale, bitonal or colour depending on the content. Files are delivered as TIFF, JPEG, multipage PDF or PDF/A, with metadata. OCR and ALTO are possible on images of sufficient quality, to make collections searchable.

How does a microfilm digitisation project work, and how is its cost estimated?

We inspect the collection, test a sample you approve, then scan with independent quality control and free rework of anomalies. The microforms are returned to you repackaged and the files delivered according to your naming rules. The cost depends on the number of images, the format and the condition of the films: describe your collection in our quote tool.