What we've worked on in April
Throughout April, we'd been digitising very similar materials, such as loose papers and bound volume books. I've been scanning visitor books for one of our larger, ongoing clients, Unilever. I've created some exciting content for this project.
Project Spotlight
This new batch from Unilever includes bound volume books, loose papers, and posters. The most interesting items I have come across in this project are a series of colourful hair care posters and newspaper articles.
Dating from 1960 to 1980, these materials offer a fascinating insight into the types of hair products used at the time. The posters are particularly engaging as they also reflect international perspectives, with examples from countries such as Australia and Argentina.
These books include reports from individuals visiting offices and sites from overseas. Many of these reports are from sites in Japan, including the book featured in the video below. They cover a range of information, including financial performance, as well as environmental and social impact.
Challenges and how we solved them
While scanning bound volume books for Unilever, I encountered a challenge with a particularly large book. Typically, large format materials are scanned using a larger format scanner, but this book was able to fit on our standard Vanguard scanner, so I used that instead. As it was the largest book I have scanned on the Vanguard, I had to experiment with different techniques to ensure everything was in frame with a clear border. This was eventually successful after adjusting the setup, including using a larger black cloth in the background and changing the shooting angles.
I also experienced the opposite issue when scanning smaller A5 bound volumes for a different project, which included 36 books. During this work, I noticed very visible shadows in the spine of the books. By rotating the books 90 degrees on the Vanguard, I was able to eliminate these shadows, significantly improving the overall scan quality.
New Services and improvements
In April, we replaced our old mouse pads with new ones, which include wrist support. The quality of IT equipment is really important for us, as we use it throughout the workday, so this can significantly improve both our wellbeing and the quality of our work.
We have also introduced lint rollers into the digitisation studio. When handling older books and materials, debris can often be left on the desk or Vanguard, so having lint rollers makes it easy to remove this and maintain a clean workspace.
In addition, we have restocked everyday essentials such as paper clips and glass cleaning spray. We use paper clips almost daily, depending on the project, as we replace staples with paper clips to ensure that no material is separated when it shouldn’t be.
New and upcoming projects
We have several exciting projects coming up in May, including work for Dartington Hall Trust, CrossReach, the Museum of Scottish Railways, and The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
I find the material from Dartington Hall Trust particularly interesting, as it includes artwork from the 1940s and photo albums featuring Christmas cards from 1930 to 1935.
I will also be continuing onto the next batch from the Museum of Scottish Railways in May. The materials we have from them include letters, photographs, and a wedding gift book, which I am excited to scan.
CrossReach is another interesting project that we will be starting in May. We have a range of materials, including letters, diaries, and photographs from the 1800s relating to the James McBride family!
If you have materials that need digitising, then please reach out to our team for a friendly chat.
Plus, don't forget to apply for our 2026 TWA Digitisation Grant, with 10 x £3,000 funding grants available.
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