ARA-8.14 – Scanning Standards for Agency

A. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish minimum quality standards for scanned images of paper documents, when those images constitute official City records. The standards are intended to ensure the ongoing legibility, authenticity, and accessibility of the scanned images.

B. Policies

1. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) will be applied to all scanned text documents.
2. Use all available accessibility features (i.e. Actions Wizard in Adobe Acrobat or Accessibility Checker in Microsoft Office) from scanning software and apply suggested changes to maximize access for individuals with disabilities. If the records are subject to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act Title II Web and Mobile Application Accessibility Rule, agencies are responsible for ensuring compliance.
3. All scanned documents with a retention period of longer than 10 years will be made PDF/A compliant – part of ISO 19005-1 and 19005-2 standards for longevity.
4. System calibration and performance
   1. The records will be scanned to render an exact duplication of the original at the time of digitization.
   2. The following Original Page Size Specifications will be followed:
      1. Pages that are 11" x 17" or smaller will be scanned at their original size, front and back, excluding blank pages.
      2. For pages that are larger than 11"x17" consult Archives & Records Management.
5. The following default standards will be applied when scanning records:
   1. Standard word processing and spreadsheet documents, invoices, PowerPoint presentations etc. containing fronts ten-point or larger, containing no signatures – 200 ppi PDF/A
   2. Standard word processing and spreadsheet documents, invoices, PowerPoint presentations etc. containing fonts smaller than ten point OR signatures – 300 ppi PDF/A
   3. Photographs – 600 ppi TIFF
   4. Architectural drawings and maps – 600 ppi TIFF or PDF/A
   5. Negatives (35mm – 4x5) – 3000 ppi TIFF
   6. Negatives (4x5 and larger) – 1000 ppi TIFF
   7. Slide transparencies (35mm) – 2000 ppiTIFF
   8. Audio recordings – MPEG Layer III Audio Encoding, Sample Rate: 44.1 kHz, Bit Rate: 128 kb/s, Channels: Same as source.
   9. Video recordings – MPEG 4 File Format, Version 2, Resolution: Same as source, Bit Rate: 800 kb/s (target), Bitrate Mode: VBR, Frame Rate: Same as source, Field Order: Same as source, Bit Depth: 8 bit.

C. Responsibilities

1. Agencies will ensure that scanner and software settings are set to comply with this policy for any scanned images that constitute official City records.
2. Archives & Records Management will provide information and training to help agencies meet the conditions established in this policy. 

Auditor’s Office Administrative Rule Information

Questions about this administrative rule may be directed to the Archives & Records Management Division.