1. Aperture Card Scanners in
Ontario
Facilitating the Move to Digital
Archiving

2. • Aperture card scanners in Ontario can
streamline the digital transformation process.
Digital formats eliminate physical storage
requirements and enhance access to
information. In addition, digitizing eliminates
the wear and tear on an aperture card. The
information contained in the aperture card’s
microfilm is better protected for many years to
come.

3. • When first introduced, aperture cards were a
welcome innovation. All types of
organizations routinely stored their technical
and engineering drawings on microfilm
aperture cards. But, digital methods soon
highlighted how cumbersome aperture cards
could be. As a result, aperture card scanners
in Ontario offered a more efficient and
productive digital solution.

4. • What is an aperture card?
• Aperture cards are used to archive large
documents such as engineering drawings. They
look like a punch card and have a 35mm sized
microfilm chip mounted on them. The hole
punches represent machine-readable metadata
associated with the microfilmed image. And, the
microfilm houses a reduced version of the stored
image.

5. • With the world going digital, do aperture cards
still serve a purpose? In some instances, they
provide a means of archiving important
documents. For example, the U.S.
Department of Defense used aperture cards
extensively. However, they, along with other
government agencies and private sector
companies are moving to digital formats by
using aperture card scanners in Ontario.

6. • Although the trend to digital archiving is apparent,
aperture cards do offer some advantages. Primarily,
they last a very long time. In fact, many sources cite a
lifespan of 100 years or more.
• In addition, aperture cards can be read by a human
instead of solely relying on a computer. Technological
obsolescence is not an issue either. As computer
hardware and software evolve rapidly, aperture cards
remain the same and require no equipment upgrades.

7. • The Inherent Issues with Analog Technology
• Although aperture cards have some advantages,
they also have several limitations. For example,
you can’t search efficiently for analog
information. Instead you need to physically
manage the cards and use proprietary machinery.
This process takes more time and effort.
• It’s also easy to mis-file aperture cards. Finding a
lost aperture card may be a futile effort.

8. • Aperture cards are also more fragile. If the
card isn’t handled with care, the film can come
loose or the mounting glue leaks onto other
cards. In either case, the cards will not run
through machinery properly.

9. • Using Aperture Card Scanners in Ontario
• To overcome the obvious limitations with analog
aperture cards, scanners can digitize the
documents and create the desired efficiencies.
Special aperture cards scanners in Ontario can
produce a digital version quickly and
economically. They transform legacy documents
into a digital format for easy retrieval.

10. • Aperture card scanners in Ontario allow you to
automate the digitizing process. Depending on the
scanner, you can automatically scan hundreds of cards.
After scanning, you can store the files digitally or print
them directly to a printer with minimal effort.
• Aperture card scanners in Ontario create a time-saving
process for archiving your critical engineering
documents. By converting aperture cards into digital
images, you can streamline document access, retrieval
and management. You don’t have to wait to retrieve
microfilm drawings or search for missing aperture
cards.

11. • With the efficiency benefits of aperture card
scanners in Ontario, you can eliminate labor-
and time-intensive tasks. Instead, you can
focus your efforts on more strategic and
revenue-generating projects.

12. • Kevin D'Arcy is VP of Sales and Marketing for
MES Hybrid Document Systems, Ontario's
leading document scanning and document
management supplier. For more information
about Aperture Card Scanners, visit
http://www.mesltd.ca/service.html?id=183