Standards Development

Scope

This document describes a method for analysing imaging systems quality in the area of cultural heritage imaging. The method describes the analysis of multiple imaging systems quality characteristics from images of a set of specified test targets. The specification states which characteristics are measured, how they are measured, and how the results of the analysis need to be presented.

This standard applies to scanners and digital cameras used for digitization of transmissive cultural heritage material. It does not cover materials that contain copies of cultural heritage like microfilm and specific materials that are typically not used for cultural heritage like x-ray film.

Purpose

When cultural heritage institutions decide to preserve and make their originals accessible by digitising them they themselves or the service provider that digitises the originals for them require guidelines on how to do that and how to ensure the quality of the digital representations. Like ISO 19264-1 the proposed project provides this information specifically for transmissive originals like slides and negatives. The standards is needed by the industry to produce devices and setups that deliver the quality expected by the cultural heritage institutions like museums, archives, and libraries. Those institutions need it to determine whether or not the provided equipment fulfils their needs and in case they work with service providers to agree on quality standards for their work. The community using the digital replicas of the originals for scientific or artistic purposes relies e.g. on the accuracy of colours and the provided level of details.