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VDT Photo Index Processing Guide

This guide documents the step-by-step workflow for processing photographs in the Valdosta Daily Times Photo Index. It covers scanning, file handling, metadata standards, and preparation for online access. Following these procedures ensures consistency, preservation integrity, and reliable discovery across systems.

VDT Photo Index

The Valdosta Daily Times Photo Index is part of the Valdosta Daily Times Collection at Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections.

These photographs originate from the newspaper's original photo morgue and, in many cases, have not been viewed since they were filed decades ago. Careful handling and accurate description ensure their preservation and public access for the first time in a generation.

Overview

Goal: Digitize VDT negatives, embed metadata, create JPG access copies, edit in Photoshop, apply watermark, and move completed work to storage.

  1. Create envelope folder + README.
  2. Scan negatives on Epson V850 at 3200 DPI, TIFF, correct orientation.
  3. Label notched photos by appending n to filename.
  4. Embed metadata in TIFFs using the VDT Photo Index template in Adobe Bridge.
  5. Export JPG access copies (“online” folder) via Bridge workflow.
  6. Photoshop edit JPGs: rotate/straighten, crop, auto‑tone, spot‑heal, watermark, save.
  7. Post-processing: red sticker on envelope, reshelve, move files to dplab_storage.

Example of Completed Envelope

Desktop Setup

  1. In Windows, pick a local directory you can quickly access as your main processing folder. E.g. Pictures, or Desktop.
  2. For each envelope to be scanned, create a new folder using the Envelope ID number.
    1. E.g. /mc-02-d15-d-0201
  3. Inside each envelope folder, create a "README.txt" text file.
    1. 🆕 Create New Text file: In windows, right click on empty folder ➡️ New ➡️ Text Document

README.txt

  1. The README should contain:
    1. Top line: ID Number
    2. 2nd Line: Envelope Description.
      1. Put the whole description on one line.
      2. Convert date to YYYY-MM-DD format
      3. Save

Scanning

VDT negatives are scanned on Epson v850 Pro machines at high resolution.

📐Scanner Settings

  • Resolution: 3200 DPI
  • Bit depth:
    • 16-bit grayscale (B&W)
    • Film Type: B&W Negative Film
    • 48-bit RGB (color negatives)
    • Film Type: Color Negative Film
  • Format: Uncompressed TIFF
  • Sharpening: OFF
  • Target Size: Original

🎞️ Scanner Setup (Film Orientation – Epson V850)

Proper film orientation is critical to prevent inverted or mirrored scans.

  1. Place the film in the Epson film holder with the matte (emulsion) side facing downward inside the holder.
  2. The shiny side with the edge printing (e.g., "Kodak") should face up toward you when the holder is open on the table.
  3. The edge text should be legible (not mirrored).
  4. If visible, the small arrow on the film edge should point to the right.

In short:

When looking at the film in the holder before closing it, you should see the shiny side with readable text.

⚠️ Dust & Fingerprints

At 3200 dpi, dust and fingerprints are highly visible and difficult to correct later.

  • After each scan, use a hand blower to remove loose dust from the film and holder.
  • Gently wipe fingerprints with a clean microfiber cloth if necessary.
  • Keep the scanner glass and film holders clean and dust-free at all times.

Handling Guidelines

  • 🎞️ Always handle film by the edges only.
  • 👇 Avoid touching the image surface.
  • 🧤Wear gloves if you must touch the film surface to reposition it.

Careful handling reduces retouching time and preserves image quality.

💾 Save

In the Epson Scan software, click the folder icon in the bottom right corner to set the save settings. This needs to be done for each envelope.

  • 📂 Create new envelope folder in Windows
  • Use the full envelope id string with dashes
  • All lowercase
  • Example: 📂mf-02-d15-a-0008
  • 💾 Save Location
  • Other ➡️ Browse ➡️ select 📂[envelope folder].
  • 📝 File Name (Prefix + 3-digit number)
  • Prefix: File ID String
  • Append a dash - to end of the ID string. Like mf-02-d15-a-0008-
  • Start Number: 001

This will generate files like this:

  1. mf-02-d15-a-0008-001.tif
  2. mf-02-d15-a-0008-002.tif
  3. mf-02-d15-a-0008-003.tif

These filenames also serve as the unique photo_id or each photo, minus the extension.

Scan Images on the Epson v850

Note: scanning at this resolution is slow.

🔔Label Notched Photos

When reviewing the physical film, check for any "notches" or small triangular cuts along the edge. These notches were used by the Valdosta Daily Times to mark which photographs were selected for publication.

For any photo with a notch, append n to the filename.

Example: mf-02-d15-a-0008-001.tif becomes mf-02-d15-a-0008-001n.tif

🔨 Embed Metadata

All digitized Valdosta Daily Times Photograph Index photographs must have embedded metadata based on the template below.

Metadata must be embedded in the master TIF files before any derivatives are created or files are uploaded.

Applying Metadata in Adobe Bridge

  1. Select all relevant photographs.
  2. Go to Tools → Append Metadata.
  3. Select the "VDT Photo Index" template.
  4. Click Append to apply the template to the selected files.

Verify that the metadata has been applied before proceeding with further processing or export.

VDT Photo Index Bridge Template

Field Notes
Creator Valdosta Daily Times
Creator: Job Title Not used.
Creator: Address 201 North Troup Street
Creator: City Valdosta
Creator: State/Province Georgia
Creator: Postal Code 31601
Creator: Country United States
Creator: Phone(s) Not used.
Creator: Email(s) Not used.
Creator: Website(s) https://valdostadailytimes.com/
Headline (Only use if related newspaper headline to the photos is known.)
Description Use Description to restate the envelope note in plain language. "Envelope note: X. Date."
Alt Text (Accessibility) (a visual description of the photograph for the blind)
Extended Description Can be used for additional details like bio notes, or transcriptions of text in photos.
Keywords Defaults: Valdosta Daily Times; Valdosta (Ga.);

3-6 maximum. Names, Location, Topic/Subject. See keyword list.
IPTC Subject Code Not used.
Description Writer Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections
Date Created MM-DD-YYYY. Use "01" as placeholder date. If only year known: 01-01-YYYY. If day unknown: 10-01-YYYY. See below.
Intellectual Genre archival materials
IPTC Scene Code Not used.
Sublocation If known. e.g. Valdosta State University; Altamaha River, First Baptist Church, etc…
City If known
State/Province If known
Country United States
ISO Country Code US
Title Normalized Envelope Subject
Job Identifier Auto
Instructions Digitized from original photograph negatives donated by the Valdosta Daily Times
Credit Line Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections. Valdosta Daily Times Collection
Source The Valdosta Daily Times Photograph Index is part of the Valdosta Daily Times Collection (MS/119) at Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections.
Copyright Notice Valdosta Daily Times
Copyright Status Copyrighted
Rights Usage Terms For permissions and reuse information, contact Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections (archives@valdosta.edu).
Other Fields Automated (admin)
Supplier's Image ID Filename/ID. Used for linking images between database, local storage, and Flickr.
EXIF Date Time Original The date Flickr uses for "Date Taken" property on photos.

Metadata Guidelines

Description

For each envelope, start with a baseline default description using the information we have. Keep it to one sentence unless you truly need a second sentence to clarify something visible.

"Envelope note: [transcribed subject]. Envelope dated: [YYYY-MM-DD]

Do not put "Created by Valdosta Daily Times in Valdosta, Georgia" on every item.

📅 Date Entry (Using Placeholders)

Adobe Bridge requires dates in MM-DD-YYYY format.

When the envelope does not provide a complete date, use "01" as a placeholder for any missing month or day. This keeps the date valid and sortable while also indicating that the exact date is unknown.

Rules
  • If only the year is known: Enter 01-01-YYYY (Example: 1969 → 01-01-1969)
  • If only the month and year are known: Enter MM-01-YYYY (Example: July 1969 → 07-01-1969)
  • If the full date is known: Enter the actual date in MM-DD-YYYY format.

Important

Using "01" does not mean the photo was created on January 1.

It is simply a required system placeholder so the date remains structured and sortable.

Only use what is supported by the envelope information.

🗺️ Location

If the envelope doesn't specify a place, and the photo doesn't clearly show it (e.g., a sign), leave Location blank. Add state, city, and sublocation accordingly.

✍️ Keywords

Use only the keywords that are clearly supported by the envelope note or the image.

Most photographs will have 3–6 keywords, but fewer, or more, is acceptable when appropriate.

Always prioritize: - Full names - Specific locations - Named institutions - Clearly identifiable events or subjects

If a photograph only supports a name, that is sufficient.

Do not overthink it. If a keyword would not help someone find the photo, do not include it.

A keyword must represent something a researcher would realistically search for.

Avoid generic terms (e.g., building, people, workers, event). Be specific.

What to Tag

Include when clearly supported by the envelope note or visible in the image:

  • People (full names as given).
  • Specific locations (city, county, institution, named building)
  • Named institutions or organizations
  • Specific activities or events (e.g., Football; Graduation; Parade; Fire;)
  • Newspaper Beat keyword (see below) — only when obvious

Do not guess or infer beyond the available information.

Format Rules

  • Separate keywords with semicolons: Football; Valdosta (Ga.); Bob Smith;
  • Use consistent name formats (as provided in envelope notes or clearly supported context): Bob Smith; Kate Johnson; Dr. T.J. Jones; Mrs. Jake Sullivan;
  • Use consistent location formats (when known): Valdosta (Ga.); Lowndes County (Ga.); Georgia; United States;
  • Use official or commonly recognized names when possible (e.g., Valdosta State University; not abbreviations unless documented).

📰 Newspaper Beat Keywords (Optional)

Apply one of the following only when clearly supported by the subject matter:

  • Sports
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Crime
  • Religion
  • Agriculture

If the photo does not clearly fit one of these, do not assign a beat keyword.

Do not force a classification.

🖼️Generate JPG Access Copies

Once the metadata entry is fully complete, we will generate our jpeg access copies. Access copies are what we put online and share with the public. Access copies are resized from 3200 DPI ~1 inch negatives to 300 DPI full size photos (8x10 inches).

  1. In Adobe Bridge, select all TIF photos
  2. In the file menu ➡️ Workflow ➡️ Process Negatives

Once the export is completed, there will be a new 📂online folder inside the envelope directory that contains all the jpg copies. We will edit the jpgs in photoshop.

Workflow Setup (Admin)
  1. In Adobe Bridge, select all TIF photos
  2. In the file menu select: Export to ➡️ Custom Export
  3. Adjust the following settings:
  4. Saving Options ➡️ Save To: Original File Location
  5. ✅check: Save to subfolder named 📂online
  6. Image Format ➡️ Format: ➡️ JPEG ➡️ Extension: .jpg (3 digits)
  7. ⬆ Image Quality: 8 High
  8. 📷 Image Resize Resize To: ➡️ Fit ➡️ Long Edge
  9. 📏 Dimensions: 10.0000 inches
  10. Resolution: 300 Pixels/Inch
  11. ☑️ Un-check Don't Enlarge
  12. Metadata ✅Check Include Original Metadata
  13. 🚦Start Export

Photoshop Processing

Open each new JPG photo in Photoshop and apply the following processing steps to each photo. Because each photo is unique we have to manually edit each one individually. The goal is to make high-quality 300dpi 8x10 photographs of each negative with the archives watermark.

💀 DANGER! Be careful not to accidentally edit your TIF files because the only way to recover them is to rescan.

Photoshop Hotkeys & Navigation

Hotkey Description
[Alt] + [Mouse Wheel] Zoom In/Out
[CTRL] + [Mouse Wheel] Pan Left/Right
[CTRL] + [R] Rotate Image Clockwise
[CTRL] + [SHFT] + [R] Rotate image counter-clockwise
[B] Brush tool. For Watermark
[X] Brush tool - change color Black/White
[J] Healing Brush Tool
[CTRL] + [S] Save
[CTRL] + [SHFT] + [S] Save as… (opens save options)
[CTRL] + [SHFT] + [L] Auto-levels (Contrast/Colors)

Straighten/Rotate Photos

  1. Open JPG file in Photoshop
  2. Rotate the image (if needed)
  3. In menu ➡️Image ➡️ Image Rotation
  4. To rotate left/right select 90° degree rotate
  5. If upside down, select 180°
  6. If the photo is inverted/mirrored
  7. Menu ➡️Image ➡️ Image Rotation ➡️ Flip Canvas Horizontal
  8. If the photos need straightening:
  9. Use the crop tool [Hotkey: C] to fix
  10. Grab the corners of the grid and straighten the photo manually.
    1. ⚠️ Caution: Remove any size or resolution settings from Crop tool before using.
    2. ⛔ Important!: Do NOT crop the photo completely. We need about 1/4 inch empty borders around each TIF file to demonstrate its the complete photograph. Note: this does NOT include the photo's own borders.

ℹ️Tip: Set [CTRL-R] and [CTRL-SHFT-R] as rotation hotkeys in Photoshop

Crop Photos

Remove borders from each photo.

  1. Use the Crop Tool (Hotkey: C) and adjust each side so only the photograph is visible in the center, without any border showing.
  2. Double Click or press ENTER to crop the photo

Adjust Levels

Use Photoshop's auto adjustment feature to quickly improve contrast and visual clarity.

  1. In the menu ➡️ Image ➡️ Auto-tone (Hotkey: CTRL-SHFT-L)

Spot Healing Tool

Use Photoshop's Spot Healing Brush Tool to quickly fix blemishes on photographs.

  1. Select the Spot Healing Brush (Hotkey: J)
  2. Adjust circle diameter as needed
  3. Remove any distracting blemishes that are visible at normal zoom levels.

Archives Watermark

All access photos should have the Archives watermark in the bottom left or right corner. It should be small and not distracting. The purpose isn't to prevent reuse but to simply to show where the photo came from.

  1. Select the Brush Tool (Hotkey: B)
  2. Adjust Size:
  3. Default at 300 DPI is about 130.
  4. Abt. 1/10th height of photo.
  5. Adjust Opacity:
  6. Default: 65% opacity
  7. Adjust as needed
  8. Select Black or White for best contrast (Hotkey: x)
  9. Toggle between black and white watermarks with the "x" button.
  10. Use white on dark backgrounds, dark on light backgrounds
  11. Place the watermark in the bottom left or right corner of each photo. Avoid putting it on people. Use whichever side is least intrusive.

🖼️ Save Processed JPGs

Once all processing steps are completed, save the jpg.

  1. 💾 Save JPG (Hotkey: CTRL-S)
  2. Image Options
    1. Quality: 10 (default)
    2. Format Options: Baseline ("Standard")
  3. ✅Color: ICC Profile: sRGB
    1. In the Windows popup save window, verify the sRGB profile is being embedded.

✅ Post Scanning

  • ✅ Add a red dot 🔴sticker to the top/front of envelope to signify it has been digitized.
  • ✅ Return the envelope to it's original location
  • ✅ Move completed files to dplab_storage at V:\librarydata\archives_store\dplab_storage\VDT-Photo-Index_Inbox

INCOMPLETE BELOW THIS POINT

Exiftool Script (Admin)

Exiftool script should be run on all photos before uploading them to Flickr and importing them into the database.

  • Add "Job Identifier" - using filename
  • Add "Supplier's Image ID" - using filename
  • Add "EXIF Date Time Original" - copy Date Created

Flickr

[WIP]

VDT Photo Index

[WIP]

Film Types

35mm

Epson scan will crop 35mm negatives into separate photos automatically if loaded correctly. You may need to reposition the film if it's cropping off part of the photos.

35mm (135 format) film is a small-format roll film measuring 35mm wide, producing 24 × 36 mm images with sprocket holes along both edges. It became the dominant format for amateur and professional still photography from the 1930s through the early 2000s, before being largely replaced by digital cameras. It remains in limited production today for archival and enthusiast use.

  • Equipment: 35mm adapter
  • Document Type: Film (with Film Holder)

4x5 Sheet Film - Additional Instructions

4x5 is a type of film that was used in large-format cameras that were common for newspapers.

  • Equipment: 4x5 film adapter
  • Max: 3 photos
  • Document Type: Film (with Area Guide).
  • Manual Cropping: Epson scanner is unreliable at cropping 4x5's, so this must be done manually.
  • Preview Scan first
  • Draw crop box around photograph content so it only scans the negatives.
    • Adjust the Start Number as needed in save settings
  • After scanning, open in Photoshop
  • Manually crop each photo down to size (with small border around it).
    • Carefully save each photo as separate TIFs
    • Use the "save as" command and a temporary filename so you don't overwrite the original scan. (Use undo button)
    • Once all photographs split, delete the large duplicate Tif.

About TIFF Format & "Masters"

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is used for archival master files because it is a non-proprietary, widely supported, and stable format capable of storing high-resolution images without lossy compression. TIFF supports high bit depth (e.g., 16-bit grayscale, 48-bit RGB), embedded metadata, and long-term preservation workflows, making it a trusted standard in cultural heritage institutions.

"Master" files are the highest-quality, unaltered digital versions created directly from the original source. They serve as the authoritative preservation copy from which all derivative access files are generated.