The future of document management is here. With today's imaging technology, you can easily and cost effectively turn mountains of paper into digital images that are easy to store and retrieve.

Whether you have 10 or 10,000 documents, Digital Archiving is an excellent way to manage and protect legacy information. From letter size to full size engineering and architectural plans, we can convert your paper originals to a viewable / printable file format that can be shared throughout your organization.

Paper does not last forever, but digital images do. Protect your one of a kind and fragile documents. Digital Archiving is an excellent Disaster Recovery option for companies that need to protect mission critical paper based information.

Using powerful imaging software, Print Graphics can scan and convert your paper drawings to an editable vector format for use in AutoCAD and many other CAD applications.

For more detailed information about our scanning services, please consult the FAQ below. For pricing and other information, please call 1-800-752-5839.

Scanning FAQ

Scanning to a raster data format:
Scanners generate raster data when a document is scanned. The contents of the document are represented as a matrix of black and white dots. The individual dots are not logically related as such. The dots represent the contents of the document as a kind of digital photo based on computer data.

The number of dots (pixels) per unit of length is set as a resolution value specified in dpi (dots per inch); the arrangement of the pixels in the matrix is described with different raster formats (TIFF, RCL, JPG, BMP, etc.). The file format generated is based on the end use of the digital image.

Our equipment scans at 200dpi and 400dpi. A 200dpi scan is best suited for viewing on a computer screen, but it may not print at an acceptable quality. A 400dpi scan is a good resolution for printing, but it also generates a larger file. If you are unsure what dpi your documents should be scanned at, then please give us a call and we will discuss in more detail what your expected results are.

Raster to vector conversion:
Vector data represents geometric elements such as lines, circles, arcs, text, etc. These are the basic elements used to create all other types of elements in CADD drawings. In addition, vector elements can also be picked, moved, scaled, deleted or copied easily.

In short, a raster image is picture of your desk; whereas a vector file is your desk.

With the use of scanner technology, manually created drawings are easily rendered as digital data, but the raster files created are only of real use in CADD programs once they have been converted to vector data.

Raster-to-vector conversion (vectorization) involves a process of interpretation in which the raster image is described with, and replaced by, vector elements. If the original document contains clear and unambiguous structures, then the process will be successful. However, unclear areas in the original produced by the effects of age, weathering and imperfect manual preparation will lead to raster structures that can only be converted inaccurately. By using comparison and approximations, though, it is still possible to generate the most probable vector representation. Once the vectorization is complete, the contents of the raster file are available in vector form. These contents are exported to a standard data exchange format (DXF) and can be read into almost any CADD program.

Technical Specifications:
Minimum scan size (document): 4.25" x 4.25"
Maximum scan size (document): 36" x 240"
Minimum scan resolution: 200dpi
Maximum scan resolution: 400dpi
Standard raster format: TIFF (Group 4 Compression)
Standard vector format: DXF (Drawing Exchange Format)