Protecting investment in photography and artwork

Not so long ago artwork was stored on film and photography as transparencies, while for even quite large marketing departments a 4-draw filing cabinet would suffice for storage and indexing. Then gradually images came on CDs and DVDs and for a while artwork on optical discs. Then digital cameras were churning out 100 shots instead of one or two before and suddenly managing all this material became a problem. Enter the Image LIbrary.

An Image Library or Image Bank is created to protect the company’s investment in photography and design work by providing an online resource for the storage, search and retrieval of images and finished artwork. 

• Image storage: We found that clients did not often have a systematic process for storing images and artwork. As company personnel change, the details of the subject or purpose of an image maybe lost with their departure. There may also be copyright restrictions that limit or restrict how and where the image can be used. It may be a requirement that a credit should be given to the photographer, or a particular caption has been authorised. 
  
• Search: With the advent of digital photography the volume of available images has increased dramatically. Consequently there is a need to search through a library to find a particular image. The search works by using text notes and keywords, date etc attached to each image file at the time it is archived. The system also allows a client to store images at different sizes and resolutions such as thumbnails or index size through to high resolution. It also allows company marketing teams in other countries, dealers and agents to find suitable images for their local promotional material and for a corporate marketing department to control access.
  
• Retrieval: Once identified and selected, images can be downloaded by any authorised person with Internet access and authorised level of access. Corporate marketing may wish to control access e.g for reasons of copyright and only show a thumbnail image requiring that high resolution images are only supplied on request for restricted purpose.
  

The Image Library is a web server based system to store, manage, document and access a company's collections of digital images and artwork. It works like a Library index system that provides information about each image and includes links to where the images are stored online.To store images it is usual to first create the different standard levels of resolution that the company wishes to have available and post these images to a server. Images may for example be for press use, use on a web site, in a brochure and can be in most standard formats including high resolution PDF.

A filing 'card' is completed for each image. Categories can include:-

• Section - e.g. product, project, press release, artwork, logo etc.
• Date - last updated
• Image title
• Where used - e.g. press release, web site, data sheet, advertisement etc.
• Details about the image
• Caption and photo credit
• Notes
•  Keywords for search purposes
• Image file name - e.g. photo777.jpg
• Server host
• Image type - e.g  - .jpg, .bmp, .png, .pdf
• Full path link
• Guide for use - e.g. copyright   

There are two levels of access for the Image Library:

1. Viewing

This is the normal route for browsers to search, view and download images. Access can be given to authorised staff to view at a url.

 

2. Viewing and editing

This access route provides control of the data shown for each image (title, location, filename, captions etc). Access is intended for Marketing department only and is at a different url.

 Authorised staff can view and search the Image Library database and download images for company approved use.

 Where use of an image is restricted, or subject to owner approval to publish, an automatic option offers a request email to be sent to the person or department e.g. Marketing Manager/Marketing Department, managing the Image Library.

 Marketing additionally has access to edit and publish descriptive content associated with images.

 Marketing also has access to add new images (thumbnail, low resolution index & high resolution), or this can be outsourced.

If you think an Image Library would be useful for your company, then contact Technical Marketing Ltd with an initial indication of how many images you have.