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  • 1.  Image Files

    Posted 04-20-2024 10:03 AM

    Dear Colleagues,

    I am working with Lowe Art Museum team members to clean up our One Drive database and in turn our TMS files related to collections management. Does anyone have a template they could share for basic image conventions and file and folder naming conventions they have used for doing this? What are your parameters for what constitutes "hi-res" images and do you have any guidelines you follow for uploading images into TMS? Any other information or resource recommendations would be welcomed.



    ------------------------------
    Natasha Zabala
    Museum Registrar
    Lowe Art Museum University of Miami
    Coral Gables FL
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Image Files

    Posted 04-23-2024 12:06 PM

    Hi Natasha. We maintain 3 levels of photography: an uncorrected master image, usually a DNG file; a TIF that we consider to be publication size, 300 ppi, and then a JPG, 1000 pixels on the longer side, that we attach to our website and database (we're on Embark, TMS's cousin). These are all named with the accession number and then a suffix: _M1 for master photo, _P1 for print photo, and _A1 for access. That way if you have multiple versions you can go to _A2, _A3, etc. We process photos in Lightroom, and have export routines set up to derive the appropriate formats and file sizes. We also have lots of what we consider "inventory shots," shot in the galleries or in storage without color correction or anything, for condition checking, as we unpack new arrivals, etc., and those get an _I1 suffix so we know they are not for public use.



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    Kerry Schauber
    Research Assistant
    Memorial Art Gallery of Rochester
    Rochester NY
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  • 3.  RE: Image Files

    Posted 04-23-2024 02:27 PM
    Hi,
    The go to organisation for what you are asking for is the Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative (FADGI).  They offer standards to aim for even though our resources might not allow us to reach complete compliance.  They offer very good advice such as file types and resolutions for particular uses.  Some of the technical aspects may be tougher to read but most of it is well explained.  The main document to look at is  Technical Guidelines for the Still Image Digitization of Cultural Heritage Materials (3rd Edition).
    You may also be interested in an inventory tool developed by CHIN: Digital preservation inventory template for cultural heritage institutions.
    If you are looking for a tool to estimate how much disk space your files will take, there is a new tool which I helped to co-author with Ern Bieman based on FADGI, called the Still Image File Size Estimator Tool.  Look for the last item in the list under Digitization to download it and change to your liking.
    There are many other good free resources on the internet for digital preservation for cultural organisations and standards, some being from Europe.
    When it comes to file naming, there is good advice with different points of view but there is no one correct way to do things.  Many factors come into play.  I usually recommend not having more than one file with the same name and I usually recommend staying away from cryptic abbreviations that are difficult to figure out.  The various operation systems and servers have their own rules too, such as for unallowed characters and spaces.  The files being in directories or ingested into databases or both may also change the conventions required.  Leading zeros in your file names may be required to help sorting or automation.  You also have possible "conventions" built into the file naming for identifying some aspects, such as the creation date at the end or an intended use abbreviation (master, preservation copy, full working copy, Web version, and so on);  FADGI has advice on that in Chapter 9.
    'Bye and good luck...

    --

    Jean-Luc Vincent


    Administrateur du SIA
    Direction, Archéologie, Collections et Conservation
    Direction générale des affaires autochtones et du patrimoine culturel
    Parcs Canada, Gouvernement du Canada
    2630, chemin Sheffield, Ottawa, Ontario, K1B 3V7
    Messages: jeanluc.vincent.parcsparks@gmail.com / Cell. non fiable 613-720-4418 / Fax 613-990-6627

    Je travail dans le territoire non cédé et non rendu du peuple Anishinaabe ou Algonquin.

    AIS Administrator
    Archaeology, Collections and Curatorial Branch
    Indigenous Affairs and Cultural Heritage Directorate
    Parks Canada, Government of Canada
    2630 Sheffield Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1B 3V7
    Messages: jeanluc.vincent.parcsparks@gmail.com / Cell. unreliable 613-720-4418 / Fax 613-990-6627

    I work in the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Anishinaabe or Algonquin people.


    450 000 km2 d'histoires / 450 000 km2 of stories






  • 4.  RE: Image Files

    Posted 05-31-2024 03:13 PM

    Thank you all for the help!!



    ------------------------------
    Natasha Zabala
    Museum Registrar
    Lowe Art Museum University of Miami
    Coral Gables FL
    ------------------------------



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