Alchemy:

Alchemy is a suite of proprietary database management software for electronic archiving, search and retrieval. Works on stand-alone PC, network drive or server, and web-based archiving. Supplied licence free for stand-alone/single user applications.

Aperture Card:

Aperture Card is a mount for a single 35mm microfilm frame, usually carrying a typed description of the microfilm image. Based on a hollerith punched card, can carry punched data allowing for automatic retrieval in a suitable punched card reader.

Colour Scanning:

Colour Scanning digitises colour hard copy, namely photographs and prints. Most widely used image formats are tiff, jpeg, bmp and pdf.

Database:

Database is a term given to a logical assembly of electronic images within the context of suitable document management software, allowing users to browse and search for documents or files within the database.

Digitising:

Digitising is the generic term used to describe the process of converting hard copy into an electronic file format for use in an electronic database.

Duplicard:

Duplicard is a diazo copy of a 35mm aperture card.

Electronic Files:

Electronic Files exist in a large number of different formats, each suited to a different range of applications. Widely used examples are Tiff, Jpeg, Pdf, Bmp, Doc, Txt, Dwg, Dxf.

Electronic Imaging:

Electronic Imaging is the process by which documents are digitised.

Fiche Duplication:

Fiche Duplication is the means of copying silver halide master microfiche onto diazo film, so producing hard wearing working copies and allowing the masters to be retained in safe storage.

Free Text Searching:

Free Text Searching is the process of searching the body of a text document (eg WORD) for a specific character string. (See OCR).

Grey Scale:

Grey Scale is a monochrome electronic image format which reproduces all the shades of the original document from white to black are reproduced. Useful for scanning black & white photographs.

Indexing:

Indexing is the means of assigning an identity to electronic documents or files, enabling them to be retrieved from within the electronic archive.

Microfiche:

Microfiche is a microform, usually 105mm x 148mm, containing a number of individual photographic images, generally representing a single file or record. Jacket Microfiche usually hold five strips of 16mm roll film in a transparent plastic wallet in a 12 x 5 frame matrix. Combination fiche have a pocket for up to three 35mm frames plus up to thirty-six 16mm frames. Step-and-Repeat Fiche are shhets of silver halide film with up to 96 document images filmed directly onto the film sub-strate.

Microfilm:

Microfilm is 16mm or 35mm silver halide photographic file on (nominally) 30 metre spools, used to record docments and drawings respectively. 16mm film holds around 2,500 document images filmed at 24 – 32x reduction: 35mm film can record around 450 images at reductions from 21 – 30x (depending on the size of the originals).

Microfilm Scanning:

Microfilm Scanning converts 16mm or 35mm roll film, microfiche or aperture cards into electronic images.

OCR:

OCR (optical character recognition) is the means of producing a text document from an electronic image. The text document can then be edited in a suitable text editor (eg Microsoft WORD). In a suitable database, the text document will sit behind the corresponding image to give free text as well as key field searching.

Resolution:

Resolution typically expressed as dots per inch or d.p.i. is a measure of the quality of an electronic image, a higher d.p.i. indicating a better quality of image, but also a larger file size. In general, the chosen resolution is a trade-off between acceptable quality and available drive space.

Scanning/Document Scanning:

Scanning/Document Scanning produces electronic images from hard copy documentation. Most commonly used image formats for monochrome images are tiff and pdf. See also colour scanning above.

Windream:

Windream document management software is a versatile electronic archiving product based on Microsoft SQL Server. It integrates well with other systems such as workflow.

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