Archival Project

[dgs]

I've undertaken a public service project and could use some input.

The local community museum has a scrapbook collection of newspaper clippings from the 30's, 40's and 50's. The clippings were simply pasted into scrapbooks and are (duh) decaying rapidly. I've undertaken imaging the pages by way of conserving them while leaving them accessible to those wishing to use them. Hopefully the originals will receive proper storage.

The first volume has been shot as a test. It was shot using a handy piano as a copy stand under ambient room light. The results were actually better than I'd feared they'd be. I think the next step is building a proper copystand and rigging some sort of softbox lighting setup. I'm hoping better light and boosting contrast/sharpness a bit in camera will avoid the need for post processing . . . which would really get to be a time nightmare.

Anyone pulled this kind of silly stunt? I'd be interested in hearing alternatives both in capturing the images and software solutions for putting them on CD in a usable fashion. (usable, aka practical, pretty well eliminates buying Acrobat for this project)

Thanks

 

[RacePhoto]

Sure, here's one that I hope you like. PDF995 which is actually free for a fully functional version, and about $10 for the licensed version so you don't get the pop up add for each time you create a PDF. Now That's Cheap!

Pdf995 makes it easy and affordable to create professional-quality documents in the popular PDF file format. Its easy-to-use interface helps you to create PDF files by simply selecting the "print" command from any application, creating documents which can be viewed on any computer with a PDF viewer. Pdf995 supports network file saving, fast user switching on XP, Citrix/Terminal Server, custom page sizes and large format printing. Pdf995 is a printer driver that works with any Postscript to PDF converter. The pdf995 printer driver and a free Converter are available for easy download.

http://www.pdf995.com/

Download and install the Driver and then the Converter. You are done. It's installed.

All you do is hit "Print", from whatever your viewer is, and select PDF995 as the printer. It makes the file and you save it to your computer.

I own Adobe Acrobat 7 full version for one of my desktops. I still have PDF995 installed on my laptops, because it works, it's easy and it's small. Oh yes, and because it's FREE. :thumbup:

I've undertaken a public service project and could use some input.

The local community museum has a scrapbook collection of newspaper clippings from the 30's, 40's and 50's. The clippings were simply pasted into scrapbooks and are (duh) decaying rapidly. I've undertaken imaging the pages by way of conserving them while leaving them accessible to those wishing to use them. Hopefully the originals will receive proper storage.

The first volume has been shot as a test. It was shot using a handy piano as a copy stand under ambient room light. The results were actually better than I'd feared they'd be. I think the next step is building a proper copystand and rigging some sort of softbox lighting setup. I'm hoping better light and boosting contrast/sharpness a bit in camera will avoid the need for post processing . . . which would really get to be a time nightmare.

Anyone pulled this kind of silly stunt? I'd be interested in hearing alternatives both in capturing the images and software solutions for putting them on CD in a usable fashion. (usable, aka practical, pretty well eliminates buying Acrobat for this project)

Thanks