Years of experience in photography, the last decennium of which as pioneer in the world of digital photography, have made Pictura Imaginis the company it is today: a company of professionals with the first-rate equipment that goes with it.

Our studios are designed to avoid the dangers of false lighting. Aside from the necessary photography equipment, creating a reproduction requires first-rate display screens. These screens have true color displays, to ensure that the digital copy has the exact same palette as the original. The photography equipment and scanners ensure a clean pixel image: the digital image can be enlarged up to four times without loss of quality. We also have plotters and printers to create excellent reproductions.

Systems
When digitizing, we only use the most specialized and qualified multi platform systems (Mac OS, Linux or Windows, depending on the application) in a high availability network and storage environment. Within the graphics world, the systems we use are among the best in speed and reliability. For a maximum throughput of the data Pictura has a direct fiber optic connection to the internet backbone in Amsterdam. Originals can be processed horizontally as well as vertically in different sets, as is detailed below.

Robot scanner
In 2006, a fully automated robot scanner was put into use. It is the biggest set in the Netherlands, the camera can be positioned up to a height of 550 cm. (216.5 in.) The system also has a manual setting, which enables it to scan large open books. The maximum book size is 100 x 260 cm. (39.4 x 102.4 in.)

Horizontally on a table
The original is placed on a table of 125 x 220 cm. (49.2 x 86.6 in.) Next, a glass plate is pressed against the original with a motorized lifting system to flatten its surface. Naturally flattening an original with the glass plate is only done if the original cannot be damaged and in accordance with the client.

Vertically on a vacuum board
The 200 x 200 cm (78.7 x 78.7 in.) vacuum board can be moved over 5 meters (16.4 ft.) on a vibration free rail to create images that can be seamlessly assembled into one large picture. The recording system is a scanner camera. This enables us to process originals of 300 x 200 cm. (118.1 x 78.7 in.) Using both the horizontal and vertical sets creates a so-called X-Y situation which enables us to make very high resolution images of large objects.

A horizontal X-Y setup
A camera is placed on a heavy, bearinged, studio boom for stepless positioning along the Y-axis. A trolley on a vibration free rail on the floor moves the original along the X-axis. This creates a clear stich potential and allows us to record originals of a size up to 500 by 1000 cm. (196.8 x 393.7 in.)

A vertical X-Y setup
A camera is placed on a heavy, bearinged, studio boom for stepless positioning along the Y-axis. Along the X-axis the vacuum board can be moved vibration free. Both can be set up either in our studios in Heiloo or on site. By adjusting the light for the different shots within the same setup, a completely uniform and shadow and reflection free scan can be made. Because the images fit seamlessly together, they can be combined into a single large scan with hardly any effort.

Addition to the vacuum board
In certain cases we can make use of a system, which is comparable to a large easel, to hold a picture in a frame or on a stretcher. This allows us to move the subject towards or away from the camera.

Printers
The Pictura studios house 2 large-size printers. These printers, or plotters, can print files on various surfaces. Among these are vinyl, heavy papers, photo paper and even canvas. The printers use so-called UV inks. Because of their resistance to ultraviolet radiation, prints made with these inks can retain their color for over 200 years. This means that the color on these prints will not fade for 200 years. In comparison: a normal analog photo has faded visibly within 60 years.