Drawing Scanning

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Move Your Engineering Drawings Into the Electronic Age!

Take Advantage of the Latest Technologies

Graphic Sciences specializes in the scanning of engineering drawings, maps, paper documents and film. Our people, our processes and our emphasis on quality control set us apart from other scanning services. We adapt our scanning services to your needs: a single drawing or thousands... large drawings or small... whatever your requirements demand.

You can move from an environment that consists of thousands of paper drawings in dozens of cabinets that all have to be accessed manually to one of only a few CDs that give you a multitude of benefits. We can give you CDs that contain not only your scanned documents but also the search, view and print software you can use to access the drawings.

The process begins with scanning the drawings, and when you add electronic archiving, distribution, management and updating, it saves you and your company tremendous time and resources.

Depending on your needs, you can:

  • Get faster retrievals
  • Improve revision cycles
  • Edit electronically
  • Images can be supported by existing data backup procedures.
  • Save expensive space by eliminating drawing cabinets – typically 2,500 drawings (24”x26”) can be stored on just one CD
  • Combine drawing with document scans to get a complete electronic record for applications such as Building Files and Planning

Scanned information can be supplied in many formats including:

  • TIFF – the most standard raster format
  • PDF – a simple raster scan or can include OCR information that can be cut and pasted to other applications
  • GIF – generally used for Internet applications
  • JPEG – for color images

Frequently Asked Questions

You've got questions, we've got answers.

  • How much does it cost to convert microfiche to digital images?

    Since there are several factors to be considered, we need to know more about your particular requirements. A brief discussion or e-mail exchange can produce cost pricing estimates. The factors considered in determining pricing include the average number of images per microfiche, how the images will be identified to provide easy and economical retrieval, images quality of the microfiche and volume.

  • Does Graphic Sciences have the experience to meet my requirements?

    Graphic Sciences has been providing imaging services for business and government since 1987. We have an excellent reputation for quality work at affordable pricing and have an impressive list of satisfied customers. When we know more about your particular requirements, we can match you with references that match your profile.

  • How will I know you can meet my quality expectations?

    Our job is to produce readable images that can be retrieved on demand. To produce high quality images at an affordable price, we must apply automation to the process. However, no two projects are alike. In some cases image quality can vary from image to image. All test images (and production images) are processed through our quality control process to be sure that “poor” images are re-scanned at a more appropriate setting. There is no charge for the test and we send the images to you for your approval. Once that process is complete, you have a set of images that serves as a “benchmark” for the actual work performed.

  • Is a formal contract required?

    For smaller projects, no. Our customers range from individuals that have as few as one microfiche to projects consisting of millions of images. Larger projects are formalized by either a contract drafted by the client or documented by a Statement of Work that we produce that simply outlines buyer and seller responsibilities.

  • Is microfilm considered archival – how long will it last?

    Microfilm is considered an archival media meaning that it is expected to last 500 Years if properly produced and stored. However, microfilm aperture cards consist of multiple film types and often will not provide secure long term storage. In some cases, the microfilm contained in the cards may consist of an Acetate base. If that is the case, that base material is expected to deteriorate over time rendering the images unreadable. Once the deterioration process has begun, a vinegar like odor is emitted from the film and will be noticeable. Another symptom of deterioration will be a “curling” of the film which is also quite noticeable. Today, digital imaging has replaced most microfilm information systems. However, digital media is not considered “archival”. To satisfy long term or permanent retention, we routinely convert digital images to microfilm for long term storage. Graphic Sciences is a Kodak Document Conversion Center and employs procedures and testing to assure compliance to archival film processing standards.

  • How do I get the microfiche to you?

    We receive work from all over the country. We provide pickup and delivery and we also receive work via UPS, FedEx, and U.S. Mail. If you do choose to have us produce sample images, and wish to send them via a delivery or mail service, please let us know when to expect them. We track all shipments and will contact you when it arrives.