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Recommended Formats Statement


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Main | Table of Contents | Introduction | Textual Works and Musical Compositions | Still Image Works | Audio Works | Moving Image Works | Software and Electronic Gaming and Learning | Datasets/Databases | Websites

II. Still Image Works

  1. Photographs - Print
  2. Preferred:

    1. Faithful representation of the work, as published
      1. Equal in quality to the publication version or master copy
    2. Permanence and appearance
      1. Unmounted
      2. Pigmented inks (if digitally printed)
      3. Fixed, well-washed (if wet chemistry method)
    3. Size
      1. Min: 8 x10”
      2. Max: 28 x 36”
      3. If multiple sizes, largest available
    4. Metadata
      1. As supported by format
        1. Title
        2. Creator
        3. Creation Date
        4. Place of publication
        5. Publisher/producer/distributor
        6. Contact information
      1. Include if available:
        1. Language of work
        2. Other relevant identifiers (e.g., DOI, LCCN, etc.)
        3. Subject descriptors
        4. Abstracts
        5. Key or reference to each data field and technical production information (type of paper, how processed, publisher internal tracking numbers)

    Acceptable:

    See Preferred

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  3. Photographs - Digital
  4. Preferred:

    1. Faithful representation of the work
      1. Equal in quality to the published version or master copy
      2. In the same format as the master copy
    2. Technical characteristics
      1. Highest resolution available, not rescaled or interpolated
      2. Highest bit depth available, 16 bits per channel if available
      3. Embedded color profile or specified color space used in published version
      4. Uncompressed
      5. Unlayered
    3. Formats, in order of preference
      1. TIFF (*.tif)
      2. JPEG2000 (*.jp2)
      3. PNG (*.png)
      4. JPEG/JFIF (*.jpg)
      5. Digital Negative DNG (*.dng)
      6. BMP (*.bmp)
      7. GIF (*.gif)
    4. Metadata
      1. As supported by format:
        1. Title
        2. Creator
        3. Creation Date
        4. Place of publication
        5. Publisher/producer/distributor
        6. Contact information
      2. Include if available:
        1. Common embedded schema (e.g., IPTC, FGDC, ISO 19115 )
        2. Language of work
        3. Other relevant identifiers (e.g., PLUS ID, DOI, LCCN, etc.)
        4. Subject descriptors
        5. Abstracts
        6. Key or reference to each data field and technical production information (e.g. EXIF metadata from digital camera)
    5. Technological measures
      1. Files must contain no measures (such as digital rights management or encryption) that control access to or prevent use of the digital work.

    Acceptable:

    1. Faithful representation of the work
      1. See Preferred
    2. Technical characteristics
      1. Lossless compression or lower compression ratios
      2. Discrete wavelet transform (DWT) preferred to discrete cosine transform (DCT)
      3. Layered, if supported by preferred or acceptable format
    3. Formats, in order of preference
      1. Photoshop (*.psd, *.psb)
      2. JPEG2000 Part 2 (*.jpf, *.jpx)
      3. Proprietary Camera Raw formats (*.nef, *.crw)
    4. Metadata
      1. Metadata provided separately in external text of xml-based file
    5. Technological measures
      1. See Preferred

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  5. Other Graphic Images - Print (e.g., posters, architectural drawings, postcards, maps, fine prints)
  6. Preferred:

    1. Faithful representation of the work
      1. Equal in quality to the published version or master copy
    2. Permanence and appearance
      1. Packaging materials equivalent to published form (e.g., binding, box/packaging materials)
      2. If multiple versions available, provide the most widely distributed edition.
      3. If limited edition, provide an unnumbered but otherwise identical copy.
      4. For large items, provide rolled, unfolded.
      5. Prefer edition with protective coatings.
      6. Faithful representation of the work as published. Equal quality to publication version.
    3. Cartographic materials, in order of preference
      1. Most complete data (all layers, appendices)
      2. Largest size
      3. Most widely distributed
    4. Related Materials
      1. Includes indexes, study guides or other matter if available
      2. Also includes annotations, accompanying tabular or textual matter or other interpretive aids
    5. Metadata
      1. As supported by format:
        1. Title
        2. Creator
        3. Creation Date
        4. Place of publication
        5. Publisher/producer/distributor
        6. Contact information
      2. Include if available:
        1. Language of work
        2. Other relevant identifiers (e.g., DOI, LCCN, etc.)
        3. Subject descriptors
        4. Abstracts
        5. Key or reference to each data field and technical production information (type of paper, how processed, publisher internal tracking numbers)

    Acceptable:

    See Preferred

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  7. Other Graphic Images - Digital
  8. Preferred:

    1. Faithful representation of the work
      1. Equal in quality to the published version or master copy
      2. In the same format as the master copy
    2. Technical characteristics
      1. Highest resolution available, not rescaled or interpolated
      2. Highest bit depth available, 16 bits per channel if available
      3. Specified color space used in published version
      4. Uncompressed
      5. Unlayered
    3. Formats (raster)
      1. TIFF (*.tif)
      2. JPEG2000 (*.jp2)
      3. PNG (*.png)
      4. JPEG/JFIF (*.jpg)
      5. Digital Negative DNG (*.dng)
      6. BMP (*.bmp)
      7. GIF (*.gif)
    4. Formats (vector)
      1. Scalable vector graphics (*.svg)
      2. AutoCAD Drawing Interchange Format (*.dxf)
      3. Encapsulated Postscript (*.eps)
      4. Shapefile
    5. Cartographic materials, in order of preference (for geospatial data, see Section VI.ii)
      1. Most complete data (all layers, appendices), even if proprietary
      2. GeoTIFF
      3. GeoPDF
      4. GeoJPEG2000
      5. Shapefile
    6. Related Materials
      1. Includes indexes, study guides or other matter if available
      2. Also includes annotations, accompanying tabular or textual matter or other interpretive aids
    7. Metadata
      1. As supported by format:
        1. Title
        2. Creator
        3. Creation Date
        4. Place of publication
        5. Publisher/producer/distributor
        6. Contact information
      2. Include if available:
        1. Common embedded schema (e.g., FGDC, ISO 19115)
        2. Language of work
        3. Other relevant identifiers (e.g., DOI, LCCN, etc.)
        4. Subject descriptors
        5. Abstracts
        6. Key or reference to each data field and technical production information (e.g. EXIF metadata from digital camera)
    8. Technological measures
      1. Files must contain no measures (such as digital rights management or encryption) that control access to or prevent use of the digital work.

    Acceptable:

    1. Faithful representation of the work
      1. See Preferred
    2. Technical characteristics
      1. Lower compression ratios
      2. Discrete wavelet transform (DWT) preferred to discrete cosine transform (DCT)
      3. Layered, if supported by preferred or acceptable format
    3. Formats (raster)
      1. Photoshop (*.psd, *.psb)
      2. JPEG2000 Part 2 (*.jpf, *.jpx)
      3. MrSID (*.sid)
      4. Encapsulated Postscript (*.eps)
      5. Proprietary Camera Raw formats
    4. Formats (vector)
      1. Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM, WebCGM)
      2. Non-proprietary formats endorsed as standards by a professional community or government agency, e.g. IFC, STEP
      3. Page-layout formats, e.g. PDF/UA (ISO 14289-1-compliant), PDF/A (ISO 19005-compliant), PDF (highest quality available, with features such as searchable text, embedded fonts, lossless compression, high resolution images; includes document formats such as PDF/X)
      4. Proprietary vector formats
    5. Cartographic materials
      1. See Preferred
    6. Related Materials
      1. See Preferred
    7. Metadata
      1. Metadata provided separately in external text or XML-based file
    8. Technological measures
      1. See Preferred

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  9. Microforms
  10. Preferred:

    1. Faithful representation of the work
      1. Equal in quality to the publication version or master copy
    2. Permanence and appearance
      1. Silver halide
      2. Positive polarity
      3. Color (when available)
      4. Polyester film base
    3. Format (newspapers and newspaper-formatted serials)
      1. Roll microfilm
    4. Format (all other materials), in order of preference
      1. Microfiche
      2. Roll microfilm
      3. Microfilm cassettes
      4. Micro-opaque prints
    5. Size
      1. 35mm, if roll film
    6. Related Measures
      1. Include indexes, study guides, or other printed matter if available
    7. Metadata
      1. As supported by format
        1. Title
        2. Creator
        3. Creation Date
        4. Place of Publication
        5. Publisher/producer/distributor
        6. Contact Information
      2. Include if available:
        1. Language of work
        2. Other relevant identifiers (e.g., DOI, LCCN, etc.)
        3. Subject descriptors
        4. Abstracts
        5. Key or reference to each data field and technical production information (type of paper, how processed, publisher internal tracking numbers)

      Acceptable:

      1. Faithful representation of the work
        1. See Preferred
      2. Permanence and appearance
        1. See Preferred
      3. Format (newspapers and newspaper-formatted serials)
        1. See Preferred
      4. Format (all other materials), in order of preference
        1. See Preferred
      5. Size
        1. Other sizes that match the primary production master
      6. Related Measures
        1. See Preferred
      7. Metadata
        1. See Preferred

       

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