By Paulette Mason


Microfiche or which is commonly known as microphotographs is a type of microform which is a term used to define a miniature copy of a file or a document. A microfiche is made of film, which is thin and small in size. Because of this attribute, microfiches are commonly used in large establishments to preserve documents without needing to expand their space. Today, there are several ways for you to digitalize it. One way, is by using microfiche scanners.

Today, even though more of our documents are now digitalized there are some advantage a fiche can do compared to the digital one. This includes, a potentially longer life span which is essential in storing important information that needs to be stored in a longer amount of time. Some libraries are still using this because of that characteristic.

Unlike digital formatted files, fiches cannot be observed by just looking at it with your eyes. You would not see anything if you do it that way. There are specific machines that need to be used for you to be able to see the content of a microfiche. This makes it a lot safer.

Today, there are different ways to convert a fiche to a digital version. This can be done by using optical scanners. This scanner will scan over the fiche and convert it to a digital version that can be read through a computer.

The most popular conversion format is PDF. There are also some who used to convert it using TIFF which an image type format. Some said, printing out one fiche will create multiple pages of PDF or TIFF on the computer.

The good thing about using microphotograph is that it has a specialized machine. This machine is not very complicated and does not require for you to install certain software or wait for updates. This means, that the equipment is always there and can be used whenever you want to.

Most microforms are made up of a polyester material which images are printed on. This material is stable enough that if kept in a well managed temperature can last up to five hundred years or so. That is way too far off from CD ROMS that we have nowadays, which can only last for a hundred years maximum.

Some organizations, like those organizations that has valuable documents that need to be preserved uses fiche to prevent loss or damage. This kind of data storage can be beneficial for the safeness of your data because of the special machines that it needs to have before it can be of use. In fact, this format can be a little interest of some thieves.

There are a lot of ways you can store your valuable documents, but ensuring that it is safe is the most important factor. If you consider using a digital format, then make sure it is all backed up and scanned thoroughly. Either way, if you prefer microfiches, then keep in a controlled environment, to ensure it will last.




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