AIMM MS1: Recommended Practice for Alphanumeric Computer-Output Microforms--Operational Practices for Inspection and Quality Control

29 Pages·1996·2.9 MB·English

by  Association for Information and Image Management

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THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Legally Binding Document
By the Authority Vested By Part 5 of the United States Code § 552(a) and
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INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE and shall be considered legally
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HEED THIS NOTICE: Criminal penalties may apply for noncompliance.
e
Document Name:
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Official Incorporator:
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OFFICE OF THE FEDERAL REGISTER
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ANSI/AIIM MS1-1996
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Standard Recommended
Practice for Alphanumeric
Computer-Output
Microforms-operational
Practices for Inspection
and Quality Control
Approved As
American National
Standards Institute (ANSI)
Standard
August 8,1996
1100 Wayne Avenue ~ ASSOCIATION
Suite 1100 FOR INFORMATION
Silver Spring, AIIM AND IMAGE
Moryland 20910 MANAGEMENT
301-587-8202 INTERNATIONAL
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ANSI/AIIM
© by Association for Information and Image Management International
1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1100
Silver Spring, MD 20910-5603
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
ISBN 0-89258-129-8
Printed in the United States of America
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ANSIIAIIM MS1-1996
Standard for Information
and Image Management -
Standard Recommended Practice for
Alphanumeric Computer-Output
Microforms - Operational Practices for
Inspection and Quality Control
Association for Information and Image Management International
Abstract:
This standard provides guidelines and recommended practices for the quality control of Computer
Output Microfilm (COM) produced on recorders using fixed "Hard" form slides. Quality control
procedures, recommended criteria, and corrective guidance are provided.
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ANSIJ AIIM MS 1-1996 Alphanumeric Computer-Output Microforms - Operational Practices for Inspection and Quality Control
Contents In order to maintain a historic perspective, much of the
information published in the foreword of the original
Foreword ........................................................................... i standard, ANSIIA IIM MS t -198 t, is reprinted here.
1 Scope ............................................................................. 1
2 References ...................................................................... I
As the use of computer-output microfilm continued to
3 Definition ....................................................................... 2
grow in the 1970s and as the applications became more
4 Microfilm types .............................................................. 2
sophisticated, it became obvious the community needed to
5 Film processing .............................................................. 3
establish useful methods for prescribing film and image
6 Permanence of microforms ..................... ,. ..................... 8
quality for achieving consistent, acceptable results. Also it
7 Alphanumeric COM quality test form slide ................... 8
was recognized that the requirements for COM recorders
8 Legibility test ............................................................... 12
functioning principally as computer line printer
9 Microfilm density ......................................................... 13
equivalents (alphanumeric) were significantly different in
10 Density of distribution copies .................................... 16
several aspects from the requirements for graphic COM
11 Resolution and quality index ...................................... 16
recorders (such as those used in generating engineering
12 Reproducibility ............................................................ 18
drawings and graphic arts output). Although both types of
13 Printability test ........................................................... 18
14 Standards for storing microfilm ................................. 18 recorders have certain characteristics in common, graphic
15 Guidelines for preparing form slides .......................... 18 recorders must accurately produce geometric shapes,
graphs, and three-dimensional views along with
Figures
dimensions and multiple size characters. The principal
concerns with alphanumeric recorders, however, are
Figure 1 COM-generation terminology ............................. 2
legibility and the duplication characteristics of printed
Figure 2 Film processor control log .................................. 5
text.
Figure 3 Artwork for alphanumeric COM
quality test slide ........................................... 10
Figure 4 Form-slide layout... ........................................... 11 After evaluating user requirements, the COM Quality
Figure 5 Quality index graph .......................................... 17 Standards Committee concluded that a quality standard
for alphanumeric COM was not feasible and that a
Table
recommended practice would fully satisfy user needs.
This recommended practice addresses equipment,
Table 1 Summary of acceptable density limits ............... 15
supplies, and operational procedures related to
Foreword (This foreword is not part of American alphanumeric COM used for business and government
National Standard for Information and Image records. Included are recommendations related to
Management - Recommended practice for alphanumeric legibility ,
computer-output microforms - Operational practices for first-generation camera films and subsequent
inspection and quality control, ANSUAIIM MSI-I996). generation duplicating films,
film processing,
This standard is a revision of ANSIIAIIM MSl-1988. The form slide quality (including original artwork),
revision is necessary because new standards have been image density,
issued and referenced standards have been changed since film stability,
the previous edition of MS 1. In addition, other changes film storage.
have been made to improve the presentation of
A test method for use in establishing and maintaining
information. No major technical changes have been made.
consistent image quality is included. Specifications for the
The clauses on image life have been revised to reflect
form slide used to test for image quality are given in
changes to the expected life of different media, including
ANSUAlIM MS28, Alphanumeric COM quality test slide.
a new life expectancy for thermally processed silver film.
The method for quality control remains the same. Use of
the method described in this document has proven to be This recommended practice is not intended to be an all
effective in establishing and controlling quality limits. inclusive quality control document. Its purpose is to
supply information useful in maintaining the quality of
Further, the method has been relatively easy to institute
and use. alphanumeric COM. For general and more inclusive
quality control information covering first-generation and
duplicate microforms, the user should refer to ANS/IAlIM
This standard is a companion to ANSI!A IIM MS39.
MS23, Practice for operational procedures/inspection and
Whereas ANSI!AIIM MS39 covers standards for graphic
quality control offirst generation, silver-gelatin microfilm
computer-output microfilm (COM) quality, this standard'
of documents and ANSUAIIM MS43, Recommended
covers alphanumeric COM quality.
practice for operational procedures/inspection and
i
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ANSIIAIIM MS 1-1996 Alphanumeric Computer-Output Microforms - Operational Practices for Inspection and Quality Control
quality control of duplicate microforms of documents and The COM quality test form slide used in this
from COM. recommended practice contains density squares large
enough to allow measurement of the film density using an
This recommended practice is confined to effective ordinary densitometer equipped with a 1 mm aperture.
reduction ratios up to and including I :48. Because Although measurement of the large area density does not
reduction ratios higher than 1: 48 have not yet been determine character line density, it is very useful in
standardized, this recommended practice does not address maintaining consistent exposure from the form slide. The
quality considerations for such image sizes. form slide exposure can then be compared to the exposure
from the image generator to maintain proper exposure of
Of singular importance in alphanumeric COM filming is the alphanumeric characters.
the legibility of the information supplied to users.
Obviously, if the information is not legible, it has no This recommended practice also includes guidelines for
value. So, the most important guidelines to establish are the preparation of the various form slides used to record
for legibility, with less emphasis on other characteristics. fixed data. These guidelines should be followed if
Because consideration of all possible COM systems and satisfactory results are expected. The most common cause
system configurations is virtually impossible, this of unsatisfactory COM output, and the most frequent
recommended practice attempts to create general image-quality complaint of users, is the use of improperly
guidelines that can significantly increase the probability designed form slides.
of consistently acceptable results.
Any suggestions for improving this recommended
When microfilming hardcopy documents, planetary and practice are welcome and should be sent to the Chair,
rotary camera test targets are used to monitor resolution AIIM Standards Board, Association for Information and
and density. In COM recorders that use a form slide Image Management International, 1100 Wayne Avenue,
containing fixed data, resolution targets are used in the Suite 1100, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-5603.
form slide to establish optimum focus, but they do not
provide a measure of character resolution or legibility At the time this revised recommended practice was
obtained from the image generator. Although character approved, the AIIM Standards Board had the following
quality from the image generator cannot be measured members:
using resolution targets, the characters can be compared to
Name of Representative Organization Represented
an image of a reference form slide in the same frame to
establish a relative quality level. After evaluating several Marilyn Wright, Chair Association for Information
methods for establishing quality limits for COM images, and Image Management,
it was concluded that the use of the sans serif characters E International
and H provided the easiest means for establishing and Jewel M. Drass Bell & Howell
maintaining quality. The characters E and H were chosen
JohnC. Gale Information Workstation
because they contain both horizontal and vertical lines
Group
common to most fonts used in COM regardless of the
Bruce A. Holroyd Eastman Kodak Company
method of character generation. Although there may be
James Meyer Saros Corporation
differences in aspect ratio (character height to width ratio)
and the location of the central horizontal lines in various Roy Pierce Xerox Corporation
COM recorders, the similarities are adequate for Fernando L. Podio National Institute of Standards
benchmark comparisons. The letters E and H represent and Technology
simple shapes that are very easy to compare; however, the Shahzad S. Qazi Eastman Kodak Company
more complex and similar symbols such as % and @, B Michael L. Thomas MSTC, Inc.
and 8, S and 5, Z and 7, and M and W need to be
Stephen Urban Delta Information Systems,
examined and proper records kept to assure adequate
Inc.
legibility.
Committee C23, Micrographics Technology, had the
Proper COM performance requires controlling both following members at the time it approved this revised
character and background optical density to ensure recommended practice:
satisfactory duplication of the camera film. This
Name of Representative Organization Represented
recommended practice gives values covering line and
background densities for both first generation camera film Don M. A vedon, Chair A vedon Associates, Inc.
and subsequent generation duplicate film.
Carl J. Anderson 3M
Michael J. Badal Badal Associates
ii
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ANSIIA IIM MS 1-1996 Alphanumeric Computer-Output Microforms - Operational Practices for Inspection and Quality Control
Name of Re~resentative Organization Rel!resented Name of Re~resentative Organization Re~resented
Bob Brasier Anacomp Theresa Maultsby DATAbank, Inc.
Robert Breslawski Eastman Kodak Company Tucker Merritt Merritt Imaging Company
Scott E. Case Boeing Computer Services Inc.
Larry Cruse University of California William Neale First Image Management
Company
Harold H. Dorfman Dorfman Associates
WayneNye Anacomp, Inc.
Eric Erickson Genealogical Society of
Utah Walter A. Orlof Department of the Army
Henry C. Frey AT&T Bell Labs James J. Quinn Agfa
Tony Fujinuma Canon USA Wayne Raasch Canon U.S.A., Inc.
W. Camden Gass Deere & Company Mark C. Robinson National Life of Vermont
Ray Gayle Microfilm Products Edward W. Rummel BlipChip Products Company
Richard Gershbock Information International James E. Snyder AT&T
Virginia A. Jones V A Jones Associates Paul 1. Stock IGI
Masanobu Kurokawa Fuji Photo Film USA Steve M. Stucki Genealogical Society of
Utah
iii
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ANSUA IIM MS 1-1996 AJphanumeric Computer-Output Microforms - Operational Practices for Inspection and Quality Control
American National Standard for ANSI 119.5:1992, Imaging media (film) - Ammonia
processed diazo films - Specifications for stability.
Information and Image
ANSI IT9.6:1993, Imaging media - Photographic films
Management
- Specification for safety film.
Recommended Practice for
ANSlINAPM IT9.11:1993, Imaging media - Processed
Alphanumeric Computer-Output safety photographic film - Storage.
Microforms Operational Practices for
ANSIINAPM IT9.J2:1995, Imaging material-Processed
Inspection and Quality Control,
photographic vesicular film - Specifications for stability.
ANSII AIIM MS 1-1996
ANSI/ISO 417:1993 (ANSIINAPM 179.17:1993),
Photography - Determination of residual thiosulfate and
1 Scope other related chemicals in processed photographic
materials - Methods of using iodine-amylose, methylene
This recommended practice describes operational and
blue and silver sulfide.
quality control guidelines for alphanumeric computer
output microfilm (COM) recorders and microforms using
ANSIIlSO 5-2:1991, Photography Density
black-and-white film as well as duplicates made from
measurements - Part 2: Geometric conditions for
such films. The scope of this recommended practice is
transmission density.
limited to images of line printer equivalent output only,
such as those used for business and government records.
ANSUISO 5-3:1984, Photography Density
The scope is further limited to COM recorders using a
measurements - Part 3: Spectral conditions.
form slide for recording fixed data As such, it does not
cover COM recorders using so-called software forms.
ANSUISO 3334:1989 (ANSUAllM MS51:1991),
Micrographics - ISO resolution test chart No. 2 -
This recommended practice covers microforms containing
Description and use in photographic documentary
data generated by dynamic energy sources, such as
reproduction.
cathode ray tubes, lasers, and light emitting diodes; and
fixed data, such as that contained on a form slide, with
ANSI/AllM MS23:1991, Information and image
effective reduction ratios up to and including 1:48. The
management - Microfilm of documents - Operational
subjects covered include a method for comparing the
procedures/inspection and quality control of first
legibility of the dynamic information to that contained in
generation, silver-gelatin microfilm of documents.
an image of the alphanumeric COM quality test form slide
when exposed on the same frame and duplicated onto
ANSUAIIM MS28:1996, Information and image
silver, diazo, or vesicular films. The films, film
management - Micrographics - Alphanumeric COM
processing, film storage, film density practices and
quality test slide.
guidelines for preparing form slide artwork and form
slides are also discussed.
ANSUAllM MS43:1988 (AI99l), Information and image
management - Recommended practice for operational
This standard does not cover COM recorders generating
procedures/inspection and quality control of duplicate
images from bitmaps or data streams incorporating
microforms ofd ocuments andfrom COM.
images, variable fonts, graphics, or imbedded objects.
2.2 Related publications
2 Normative references
ANSUAIIM TR2: I 992, Technical Report for the
Association for Information and Image Management -
2.1 Referenced American national standards Glossary of imaging technology.
ANSI IT9.1:1992, Imaging media (film) - Silver-gelatin
type - Specifications for stability. AllM TR3: 198/, Technical Report for the Association for
Information and Image Management - Thermally
ANSI IT9.2:1991, Imaging media Processed
processed silver microfilm.
photographic films, plates, and papers - Filing
enclosures and containers for storage.
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