The introduction of optical storage systems produced a problem: original documents were being routinely destroyed after scanning, and there was no way, short of examining each electronic image, to determine whether the electronic images were legible. This problem was recognized by vendors and by users in both the commercial and government arenas. These groups requested that the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM) produce a standard. This review covers the content of that standard, MS44, and the process of writing it.
The principal aim of MS44 is to explain to the unsophisticated end user the need to implement quality control procedures, and to provide simple, usable procedures and tools. This was done by providing test targets with instructions for their use. The targets allow the user to test the scanner’s image resolution, linearity, reproduction of various type sizes and halftone screens, and color blindness.
MS44 was produced within two years, which is very fast for a national standard. This review suggests ways in which the progress of other standards might be accelerated.
