Skip to content

Bookeye Scanner Workflow

!!! info "Capture Specs" Resolution: 400 ppi Format: PNG (lossless) Access: JPG / PDF Color: sRGB, 48-bit

Bookeye Scanner

Follow these steps on the Bookeye scanner to produce preservation-quality images (PNG) and PDFs.

Steps

  1. Insert USB drive.
  2. Select Material. Default is Document. If you run into issues, try One Photo.
  3. Set resolution to 400 DPI (Preservation Quality).
  4. Scan materials. Delete unclear or distorted images and adjust settings as needed.
  5. Set file names. Under Send Your Scans, click MoreFile Name (Press to Change).
  6. Export PNG to USB. Under Send Your Scans, choose Export Option: USB and File Format: PNG. PNG is our preferred master capture format—see rationale below.
  7. Export Searchable PDF to USB. Continue outputting and choose File Format: Searchable PDF (for access/use).
  8. End Session and delete all images on the device.

!!! tip "Why end the session?" Ending the session creates a new folder on the USB drive containing all scanned items—useful for keeping each batch organized.

!!! warning "Don’t forget to reset DPI" Ending the session resets settings. For the next batch, set DPI back to 400.


Why PNG (Preservation Rationale)

  • Scanner limitation: The Bookeye does not support scanning to TIFF; PNG is the highest-quality lossless option available at capture.
  • Lossless compression: No irreversible artifacts; safe for repeated edits/derivatives.
  • Stable for capture masters: Good for text, line art, and photographs; preserves edges and fine detail.
  • Predictable re-saving: Re-exports don’t accumulate quality loss (unlike JPEG).
  • Interoperable: Broad tool support for validation, checksums, and scripted processing.

!!! note "Long-term master format" TIFF (uncompressed or lossless) is traditionally the archival gold standard. Since Bookeye cannot output TIFF at capture, we capture as PNG and convert to JPEG 2000 (JP2) for long-term preservation.


Post-Processing & Preservation Package

  • Convert PNG → JPEG 2000 (JP2) for long-term preservation storage.
  • Prefer lossless JP2 settings to retain original fidelity.
  • Embed/retain technical and descriptive metadata in the bag/package.
  • Access copies: Generate JPEG or PDF derivatives from the PNG/JP2 masters for web and daily use.
  • Color & metadata:
  • Keep embedded color profiles where present (sRGB or appropriate ICC).
  • Maintain consistent file naming and capture device metadata in logs.
  • Fixity: Generate checksums (e.g., SHA-256) for all masters and derivatives.

File-naming Guidelines

For full details, see the File/Folder Naming Guidelines.

  • Avoid special characters in filenames. Use underscores and dashes instead of spaces.
  • Note: The first image scanned does not include a number in its filename; the second image will end with 1.