Plans, posters, drawings and paintings.

À plat, sans contact, sans contrainte.

Documents are captured flat on large-format overhead scanners, under cold, even lighting, without contact with the surface: no mechanical strain, no harsh light. Depending on the item, capture is done on the glass, under the glass or without glass.

For artworks, each session is calibrated on a colour target and files carry an ICC profile: reproduction remains faithful to the original, from one document to the next. Beyond A0, multiple shots are stitched into a single file.

What we handle

• Maps and plans: In sheets, in atlases or in non-standard shapes, cadastral plans.
• Posters: Up to 2 × A0, coated, glossy or matt papers.
• Tracings: Plans and technical drawings, digitised on a white background.
• Drawings, prints and engravings: Graphic works, decoration designs, sketches.
• Paintings and watercolours: Unframed or framed works, under polarised light.
• Precious and fragile documents: Brittle, torn, mounted or folded items.

Technical specifications

• Resolution: 300 to 600 dpi, up to 1,000 dpi at A2
• Formats: From A6 to A0+, beyond by stitching
• Equipment: Suprascan Quartz A0 HD, CopiBook A1, Phase One IQ4 studios
• Lighting: Cold, side or polarised depending on the item
• Colour: 24-patch ColorChecker, ICC profiles, target at every session
• Sharpness: ISO 12653 target, focus and geometry check
• Delivered files: TIFF, JPEG 2000, JPEG
• Stitching: 20% overlap, controlled manual merging

Cinq typologies, cinq façons de faire.

A plan, a poster, a print and a painting are not laid out, lit or checked in the same way: each type has its own method, within the same rigorous framework.

Maps and plans

• Preparation: Unfolded or unrolled slowly, with gloves, on a clean surface; a rolled plan is flattened under a light weight, never forced.
• Capture: On or under the glass depending on the test, at 300 to 400 dpi, up to 1,000 dpi in A2; holding weights are removed in post-production.
• Quality control: Geometry, scale and legibility of legends checked on a calibrated screen; files named according to your inventory.

Posters

• Preparation: Posters sorted by format and condition, unfolded without adding creases; recto-verso when the back is not blank.
• Capture: Lighting and angle adjusted to limit reflections on coated or glossy paper and metallic inks; two operators above A1.
• Quality control: Colours compared with the target, legibility of text and details, no stray reflections.

Drawings, prints and engravings

• Preparation: One document at a time, with gloves and interleaving sheets; light or transparent sheets are laid on a neutral backing.
• Capture: 400 dpi for drawings, 200 to 600 dpi for prints and engravings, more for very fine lines.
• Quality control: Line quality, densities and paper tones compared with the original.

Paintings and watercolours

• Preparation: Unframed or framed works, set without strain on a reproduction table, with no contact with the painted surface.
• Capture: Phase One IQ4 or Fujifilm GFX100 II studio under polarised light, to remove reflections on varnish; colour chart and ICC profile.
• Quality control: Hues, glazes and details compared with the original, on a calibrated screen and under standard lighting.

Large formats

• Preparation: Two operators unpack the document and position it on the tables arranged around the scanner.
• Capture: A0 scanner up to 130 × 91 cm in a single capture; beyond that, several captures stitched manually with 20% overlap.
• Quality control: Every stitch is checked, seam by seam; any misalignment is redone.

In every case

• Calibration and test: Target at every session, test on a sample you approve before production.
• Independent quality control: A team separate from production checks every image.
• Free rework: Any anomaly is reworked at no extra cost before delivery.
• Returned as received: Originals are returned in their original packaging.

La sécurité des originaux, avant tout.

Large formats that travel without a crease.

Documents travel in airtight padded crates, held in place by foam supports, under the supervision of two staff members and with wall-to-wall insurance. Large formats stay flat in low crates; rolls stay in their tubes.

At the workshop, they are stored in windowless rooms kept between 18 and 22 °C and between 40 and 55% relative humidity. A condition report is signed on the way out and on the way back.

Difficult cases are part of the job.

Brittle paper, tears, items mounted on wood, paint layers, metallic or silver inks: every precious document is examined before any capture, and the method is adapted to its condition.

No intervention is made on the document: no glue, no removal from frames without written authorisation. If in doubt, we contact you and agree together on how to proceed.

Des fichiers prêts à l’usage.

The image is only one step. We deliver files ready to join your collections database, photo library or access portal.

• Recto-verso: Printed, annotated or stamped versos digitised on request.
• Master and access: Uncompressed TIFF for preservation, JPEG 2000 or JPEG for use.
• Naming and inventory: Files named according to your references, inventory file completed.
• Secure delivery: Encrypted drives, integrity check of every file, copy report.

Museums, ministries, local authorities and archive services entrust us with their large formats.

• Musée national de la Marine: Digitisation of large-format naval architecture plans.
• French Navy Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service: Digitisation of large-format hydrographic survey plans.
• City of Paris: Digitisation of plans, including large-format tracings.
• Musée de la Grande Guerre du pays de Meaux: Digitisation of illustrated posters, from A2 to 2 × A0.
• City of Marseille: Maps and plans from the 17th to 20th centuries, posters, drawings and prints.
• Ministry of the Armed Forces – Defence Historical Service: Very large-format plans, albums, maps and tracings.

Frequently asked questions

What is large-format digitisation, and which documents does it cover?

It is the faithful digital reproduction of documents too large for a standard scanner: plans, maps, posters, tracings, drawings, prints or paintings. It requires suitable equipment, controlled lighting and careful handling, to render geometry, colours and details without touching the original.

How can posters, even glossy or metallic ones, be digitised without reflections or scratches?

Lighting and angle are adjusted to limit reflections on coated or glossy paper and metallic inks, often under glass for better flatness. Posters are handled with gloves, by two operators if needed, and scanned recto-verso when the back is not blank.

How can tracings, rolled plans and fragile documents be digitised without damaging them?

Gloved operators slowly unroll the tracing on a clean surface; a light weight flattens it for a few hours if needed, never forcing it. Depending on the test, scanning is done on or under the glass; weights and fastenings are removed in post-production.

Which resolution, which file formats, and what to do beyond A0?

300 to 400 dpi for plans and maps, up to 1,000 dpi in A2 on our A0 scanner, which captures up to 130 × 91 cm. Beyond that, several captures are stitched manually, with every seam checked. Files are delivered as TIFF, JPEG 2000 or JPEG, with their metadata.

How does a large-format digitisation project work, and how is its cost estimated?

We sort the documents by format and condition, test a sample you approve, then scan with independent quality control and free rework of anomalies. Originals are returned exactly as received. The cost depends on the number of documents, their formats and their condition: describe your collection in our quote tool.