Digitising at Home

Best for: Flat materials such as photographs, letters, documents, postcards, and drawings.

• Use a flatbed scanner to create high-resolution digital copies
• Set the resolution to at least 300dpi (600dpi for text or fine detail)
• Save master copies in TIFF format for preservation, and JPEG copies for sharing
• Clean both the scanner glass and the item gently before scanning

Advantages:

• Consistent lighting and sharp detail
• Ideal for paper-based items

Considerations:

• Not suitable for bulky or fragile materials
• Avoid pressing down on delicate items to prevent damage

Best for: Large, delicate, or three-dimensional materials that cannot be scanned safely (e.g. scrapbooks, framed photos, textiles, artefacts, memorabilia, or artwork.)

• Use a good-quality digital camera or smartphone with a high-resolution setting
• Place the item on a flat, neutral background with even, natural lighting
• Hold the camera steady (use a tripod stand if possible)
• Take several shots to ensure focus and exposure are correct

Advantages:

• Flexible, fast, and accessible
• Reduces handling of fragile originals unnecessarily

Considerations:

• Watch for shadows, glare, avoid flash, which can create reflections
• Be careful when handling delicate or historic items

Best for: Capturing oral histories, personal stories, performances, community events, or soundscapes.

• Choose a quiet location with minimal background noise and good lighting (for video)
• Use a reliable digital recorder, smartphone, or camera with a quality microphone
• Test your equipment and sound levels before starting
• Begin each recording by stating the date, place, and names of participants

Advantages:

• Captures personal voices, emotions, and experiences in their own words
• Provides valuable historical and cultural context
• Can be easily shared or archived for long-term preservation

Considerations:

• Always obtain written consent from participants before recording or sharing
• Respect privacy and cultural sensitivities — avoid including personal or confidential information
• Keep unedited master copies safe and create access copies for editing or publication
• Ensure participants understand how their recordings will be used and stored

Some items may have been created orginally in a digital format and don't need to be digitised in the same way as physical material. These items might include:

• photographs taken on a digital camera
• video taken on a digital camera
• audio recorded on a digital recorder
• digital animation
• text documents created on a computer

These items may only need to be converted into a new format or compressed into web-ready files before being published. Further information about these specifications is at the bottom of the page.

This is your best-quality version for long-term keeping. this is usually the file as it is saved on the equipment used.

• Scan or photograph at the highest resolution your equipment allows (e.g. 600dpi for text, 300dpi for photos).
• Save in high-quality formats like TIFF (images), WAV (audio), or MP4 (video).
• Keep this version safe and unchanged – it’s your digital original.

This is a compressed (smaller file size) copy of the archival copy. Is has usually gone through basic editing such as cropping, straightening (if needed) and reduced dimensions.

• Save in easy-to-use formats such as JPEG, MP3, or MP4.
• Reduce the file size so it loads quickly, but make sure it still looks and sounds good.

Proper naming, organisation, and storage of your digital files is essential for long-term preservation and easy access. It ensures recordings can be found, shared, and understood in the future..

Best practice:

• Use clear, consistent names that describe the content, date, and version.
• Include key details such as the subject, location, or creator.
• Separate elements with underscores or dashes (avoid spaces or special characters).

Example:
Jones_album 1_001.tiff (master copy)
Jones_album 1_001.jpg (web-ready)
 

Organising Files

Best practice:

• Group files into folders by project, topic, or date.
• Keep master copies separate from web-ready copies.
• Maintain a simple folder hierarchy to make it easy to locate files later.

Resolution refers to how much detail a digital image contains. It’s usually measured in dots per inch (dpi) or pixels per inch (ppi) — the higher the number, the more detail is captured.

• A low-resolution image (e.g. 72–150 dpi) is suitable for quick web use but may appear blurry when printed or enlarged.
• A high-resolution image (e.g. 300–600 dpi) captures fine detail and is best for preservation or archival purposes.

When digitising, always aim for the highest quality your equipment and storage allow, as you can create smaller versions later for online sharing — but not the other way around.

Digital file dimensions refer to the width and height of an image, usually measured in pixels. They determine the size of the image on screen and the level of detail it contains.

• Small dimensions (e.g. 1200 pixel on longest edge) are suitable for quick online viewing but may look blurry or pixelated if enlarged.
• Large dimensions (e.g. 4000 pixels or more pixel on longest edge) capture finer detail and are better for printing, preservation, or detailed study.

When digitising, aim for dimensions that balance quality and usability: create large, detailed files for preservation, and smaller copies for online sharing. This ensures your digital materials remain clear and useful in the future.

When you create a digital image, the file format determines how the information is stored, the image quality, and how easily it can be shared or edited. Choosing the right format helps balance preservation, usability, and file size.

When uploading to People's collection, only the following file formats are accepted: .jpg, .png, .pdf, .mp3, and .mp4

Below are the most common formats used in digitisation and what to consider for each:

Image file formats:

TIFF (.tif or .tiff)

Best for: Archiving and preservation

• A high-quality, uncompressed format that keeps all image detail
• Ideal for long-term storage and master copies
• Large file size, so not usually used for sharing online

Tip: Always keep a TIFF version of your image as your original digital master.
 

JPEG (.jpg or .jpeg)

Best for: Everyday use, sharing online, or uploading to archives

• A compressed format that reduces file size for easier storage and sharing
• Slight loss of image quality each time it’s saved or edited, but suitable for most public display uses
• Works with all devices and websites

Tip: Create a JPEG from your master TIFF file for uploading or sharing.

RAW (.raw, .nef, .cr2, etc.)

Best for: Professional photography or detailed editing

• Captures all the data from a digital camera sensor before processing
• Offers maximum flexibility for colour correction and editing
• Needs special software to open and convert to more common formats

Tip: If using a digital camera, save both RAW and JPEG files when possible.

PNG (.png)

Best for: Graphics, illustrations, or images needing transparent backgrounds

• Produces clear, sharp images with lossless compression (no quality loss)
• Excellent for digital artwork, maps, or text-heavy images
• Larger file sizes than JPEG but smaller than TIFF

Tip: Use PNG if your image includes text, diagrams, or line drawings.

Digital document formats:

PDF (.pdf)

Best for: Digital documents or multi-page materials.

• Combines text and images in a single file
• Easy to read, print, or share
• Some PDF files are compressed, which can reduce image quality — check your settings before saving

Tip: For archival quality, save images separately as TIFFs in addition to creating a PDF version.

Audio file formats

WAV (.wav)

Best for: Archiving and preservation of audio recordings

• A high-quality, uncompressed audio format that keeps all sound detail
• Ideal for long-term storage and master copies of oral histories, music, or field recordings
• Large file size, so not usually used for online sharing

Tip: Always keep a WAV version as your original digital master.

MP3 (.mp3)

Best for: Everyday use, sharing online, or uploading to archives

• A compressed audio format that reduces file size for easier storage and sharing
• Slight loss of audio quality compared to WAV, but suitable for most online or public use
• Works with all devices and platforms

Tip: Create an MP3 from your master WAV file for sharing or online access.

Video file formats

MP4 (.mp4)

Best for: Video recordings, including oral histories, events, or performances

• A widely used format for video with good compression and quality
• Can include audio and video in a single file, making it easy to play on most devices
• Smaller file size than uncompressed video formats, making it suitable for online sharing

Tip: Keep a high-quality MP4 master and create smaller copies for web or public use

MOV (.mov)

Best for: High-quality video preservation

• Often used by cameras and professional recording equipment
• Maintains higher video quality than MP4 but results in larger files
• Can be converted to MP4 or other formats for easier sharing

Tip: Use MOV for your master copy if your equipment supports it.