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With the pace of technology at breakneck speed, the quality of digital imaging equipment is better today than it was even a year ago. In addition, prices are no longer so prohibitive that most conservation labs cannot afford at least a simple digital camera or scanner. Choosing the right equipment for conservation documentation depends on the ways in which the lab chooses to use digital images in the context of reports. The Nikon CoolPix line of cameras seems to be favored in the conservation community for its good quality detail shots and rotatable lens. In addition to hardware, image software will allow for color correction and saving in different file formats. The initial images should be taken at the highest resolution possible and saved without changes. Then various images can be generated from the original with color corrections, text overlay or in compressed file formats. As with the written reports, several labs have chosen to use printouts of their digital images as archival copies.

The amount of memory needed to store digital images is a subject any lab choosing to use digital imaging systems must confront. A large number of image files can overload a general server causing other programs to run more slowly. A number of institutions have alleviated this problem by designating a specific server for images only. In addition, all equipment used during the process of creating, viewing and printing images needs to be calibrated on a regular basis. This will ensure that the colors on a monitor will be as close as possible to the resulting printout. Another issue about which there is little information, is the longevity of inks used to print color digital images. Part of the problem lies in the frequency with which new products are being introduced. Printing technology once lagged behind imaging technology but is now starting to approach the same level of quality. In doing so, there have been rapid changes in the types of printers and inks available making it difficult to determine just how long certain dyes or pigments will last. Therefore, some labs still take traditional photographs or slides of objects in addition to digital images. In this case, the digital images tend to be used more for quick reference or presentations rather than the final visual treatment documentation.