Facilitating the Move to Digital Archiving

Aperture Card Scanners in Aperture Card Scanners in OntarioOntario

• Aperture card scanners in Ontario can streamline the digital transformation process. Digital formats eliminate physical storage requirements and enhance access to information. In addition, digitizing eliminates the wear and tear on an aperture card. The information contained in the aperture card’s microfilm is better protected for many years to come.

• When first introduced, aperture cards were a welcome innovation. All types of organizations routinely stored their technical and engineering drawings on microfilm aperture cards. But, digital methods soon highlighted how cumbersome aperture cards could be. As a result, aperture card scanners in Ontario offered a more efficient and productive digital solution.

• What is an aperture card?

• Aperture cards are used to archive large documents such as engineering drawings. They look like a punch card and have a 35mm sized microfilm chip mounted on them. The hole punches represent machine-readable metadata associated with the microfilmed image. And, the microfilm houses a reduced version of the stored image.

• With the world going digital, do aperture cards still serve a purpose? In some instances, they provide a means of archiving important documents. For example, the U.S. Department of Defense used aperture cards extensively. However, they, along with other government agencies and private sector companies are moving to digital formats by using aperture card scanners in Ontario.

• Although the trend to digital archiving is apparent, aperture cards do offer some advantages. Primarily, they last a very long time. In fact, many sources cite a lifespan of 100 years or more.

• In addition, aperture cards can be read by a human instead of solely relying on a computer. Technological obsolescence is not an issue either. As computer hardware and software evolve rapidly, aperture cards remain the same and require no equipment upgrades.

• The Inherent Issues with Analog Technology

• Although aperture cards have some advantages, they also have several limitations. For example, you can’t search efficiently for analog information. Instead you need to physically manage the cards and use proprietary machinery. This process takes more time and effort.

• It’s also easy to mis-file aperture cards. Finding a lost aperture card may be a futile effort.

• Aperture cards are also more fragile. If the card isn’t handled with care, the film can come loose or the mounting glue leaks onto other cards. In either case, the cards will not run through machinery properly.

• Using Aperture Card Scanners in Ontario

• To overcome the obvious limitations with analog aperture cards, scanners can digitize the documents and create the desired efficiencies. Special aperture cards scanners in Ontario can produce a digital version quickly and economically. They transform legacy documents into a digital format for easy retrieval.

• Aperture card scanners in Ontario allow you to automate the digitizing process. Depending on the scanner, you can automatically scan hundreds of cards. After scanning, you can store the files digitally or print them directly to a printer with minimal effort.

• Aperture card scanners in Ontario create a time-saving process for archiving your critical engineering documents. By converting aperture cards into digital images, you can streamline document access, retrieval and management. You don’t have to wait to retrieve microfilm drawings or search for missing aperture cards.

• With the efficiency benefits of aperture card scanners in Ontario, you can eliminate labor- and time-intensive tasks. Instead, you can focus your efforts on more strategic and revenue-generating projects.

• Kevin D'Arcy is VP of Sales and Marketing for MES Hybrid Document Systems, Ontario's leading document scanning and document management supplier. For more information about Aperture Card Scanners, visit http://www.mesltd.ca/service.html?id=183