Speaker Slides from Chris Gallagher from The Art Institute of Chicago for Speed the Plow: Rapid Capture Digital Workflow, MCN 2009

1. Rapid Imaging Project
Art Institute of Chicago
July 2007 - July 2009
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2. Goals for the R.I.P. project included:
•Gaining maximum access to the collection
•Develop a workflow to facilitate the uploading of tif.
image files to our CMS and there by to our web site
•Process 150 files a day from 3 workstations
•Capture files at a quality that could be used for 8 x 10
prints, published as medium size reproductions and
used on the web. Not to overlap with studio
production.
•Create aesthetically pleasing images
•Use off the shelf software and equipment
•Archive both tif. and DNG files using Extensis
Portfolio (tif. files were balanced to the reference
target and cropped. Files used for publications would
be created from the DNG an proofed against the art.)
Right: An image of the image file record and the
Information we keep track of.
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3. Documentation
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4. Workflow: (Image Capture) Technicians
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5. Workflow: Image Archive
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6. 2D workstations
Photography
Asian Prints
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7. PD Oversize Photography Station
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8. 3-D workstation
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9. Prints and Drawings:
26,446 images linked to 23,390 records in CITI
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10. Photography Dept.
20,282 images linked to 16,115 records in CITI
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11. Japanese Woodblock Prints
14,427 images linked to 12,286 object records in CITI
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12. Coin Photography
Approx. 3000 coins photographed
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13. Asian Dept
.
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14. Ancient Collection
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15. Arms and Armor
Miniature portraits and medallions
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16. •What made it work;
a mandate that fit with organizational mission
attainable daily numbers, based on experience
realistic timetable, expected downtime
closed ended with endgame strategy
synergy, part of an organizational project to update CMS to port to web
•Understood the culture of the organization and the participating departments
•Hired staff specifically for project;
1 manager and 3 technicians
had experience with department collections and CMS
curatorial departments part of hiring process
trained by curatorial department staff
were not photographers, used studio photographers for aesthetic decisions
were ultimately responsible to the Imaging Department
overall manager who was responsible for working with curatorial departments
•Documentation
workflow procedures
progress reports
•Know your budget
plan you equipment around your purpose, use and start time
keep to the plan
no regrets
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17. Final numbers: Special Thanks to:
68,693 new images in two IMLS
years, across the curatorial Sam Quigley
departments, averaging just
Karin Patzke
under 148 images per day.
Greg Harris
98.6% of goal Susan Carlson
Joyce Kuechler
Jennifer Anderson
Janine Nock
Rapid Imaging Project
not
Rest In Peace
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