Address:
Unit 1, 10 Surrey street
PO Box 51248, Tawa
Wellington 5249
P:+64 4 232 9396
F:+64 4 232 9399
E:info@micrographics.co.nz
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Welcome to Heritage Materials Imaging Facility

We are located in the 1st floor of the National Archives of New Zealand building, within the restricted area of the archives stacks, inside a secure, climate controlled and colour balanced environment.

We bring together 15 years of experience handling rare and fragile heritage materials and 20 years experience with colour retouching and scanning work with the latest in electronic scanning equipment to produce the highest quality images available in New Zealand enabling archival and reproduction quality scanning from a huge variety of materials.

After much research HMIF was established in 2003 in the National Library building, in conjunction with the NZETC of the Victoria University of Wellington. In August 2009 we moved to the National Archives of New Zealand. The Cruse scanner fills a void in the digitising services available in New Zealand through its ability to scan large format or bound material to a high resolution without having to make contact with the original. While today's digital camera backs are capable of capturing large amounts of image data, as an integrated system the Cruse scanner offers many significant advantages:

  • Even illumination of any subject using portable lighting is extremely difficult. As a result, camera scans must often be digitally retouched, adding to both production time and labour costs. When using a digital camera back, focus can only be set visually on the camera's ground glass. Focus may look good in the viewfinder, but still not be optimised for the camera back's CCD sensors.

  • The Cruse scanner relies on a complex software algorithm to achieve extremely accurate focus for all scanner setups. While rarely required, focus can be optimised by the scanner operator for any particular job. Since the Cruse scanner does not utilise a focus knob or ground glass, no element of human error is introduced, ensuring maximum sharpness on all scans.Pixels on most digital camera backs are 8 microns apart, and most standard lenses will not resolve an image this small. As a result, data are not accurately placed on each pixel, lowering the actual resolution of the scan. Lenses used in Cruse scanners are ultra high resolution, and are specially modified to address their unique needs. - In specialised environments, the Cruse scanner has been used to scan circuit boards, maps, forensic evidence (fingerprints), rare documents and books, memorabilia, and even has been used to create original pieces of art.

  • The Synchron Light scanners feature Cruse's patented Synchron™ lighting system. This innovative design moves a high frequency cold-cathode light source (4 x 55 watts) across the original in synchronisation with the scanner, which provides even illumination across the surface of the original. This method subjects an original to far less light exposure than most other methods of ilumination, as only the portion being scanned is illuminated.

  • We can capture the fine detail of oversize maps, plans, paintings, panoramas, textiles etc. We can scan flat and framed items up to A0+ (1.5 x 1.0 metres) at an exceptional quality. Items are scanned flat and there is no contact with the scan head (essential for fragile and vulnerable materials).The copy board can handle three-dimensional objects with a depth of up to 100mm, making it particularly suitable for scanning artwork that cannot be removed from frames.Our Cruse CS 185SL450 Synchron Light scanner is designed to be as non-invasive as is possible. The CS 185SL450 Synchron Light scanner has a 450MB head, which enables a scan of 10,000 x 15,000 pixels to be performed. A wide variety of accessories are available to meet any scanning needs, from postage stamp size through to large format. With options including both 180 degree and 90-180 degree book cradles and a large copyboard which can handle three-dimensional objects with a depth of up to 100mm, making it particularly suitable for scanning artwork that cannot be removed from frames, we are able to digitise everything from the most delicate to extremely robust articles, at original sizes never before possible in Australasia.

Cruse scanners can be found in many locations such as the Beethoven Museum in Bonn, Germany; The Vatican's Secret Archives; NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and in many industry-leading photographic and repro studios across Europe and the United States of America.

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