6. Dong-Hwan Har: Scanner Certification Tool for the Standardization of Digitized Documents: Focusing on Target Factors and Measurement Programs 25 International Journal of Contents, Vol.6, No.3, Sep 2010 Scanner Certification Tool for the Standardization of Digitized Documents: Focusing on Target Factors and Measurement Programs Hyung-Ju Park Digital Scientific Imaging Laboratory Graduate School of Advanced Imaging and Multimedia Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea Dong-Hwan Har Digital Scientific Imaging Laboratory Graduate School of Advanced Imaging and Multimedia Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea ABSTRACT Scanners play an important role in digitally reproducing the color and imaging of original documents used in public offices; however, the current system lacks a standard for digitized documents created by scanners, complicating efforts to create a digitized system. In particular, macrography cannot guarantee the accuracy and reliability of digitalized color documents, pictures, and photographs created by scanners. To this end, we develop a standardized evaluation tool and test target to certify digitalized documents created by a scanner in the domestic environment. In this study, we enhance the accuracy and reliability of scanned data to create an advanced standard evaluation tool for scanners. Moreover, to produce a scanner certification standard, we overcome existing problems related to the growing market. We anticipate that this new standard will see a high degree of application in the current environment. Keywords: scanner, standardization, target, documentation. 1. INTRODUCTION Scanners are used to digitize documents and photographs by public agencies, a process in which it is important to record the exact original color and imaging. The current standard applied to digitalized documents produced by the National Archives of Korea is based on Japanese and American standards. According to the current policy of scanner evaluation method by the National Archives of Korea, we need to develop an adequate system for scanner certification. Therefore, we research an automatic comprehensive scanner quality evaluation program. And also, it consists of a standard target and a program to measure Macrography, automation test, and TWAIN test; however, in practice, this may not be the best way to measure the performance and quality of scanners. In addition, this standard uses macrography to measure and evaluate digitalized documents, and thus lacks accuracy and reliability due to variation among inspectors. In current system, we do not have a standard for verifying a scanner performance; therefore, we This is an excellent paper selected from the papers presented at ICCC 2009. * Corresponding author. E-mail : dhhar@cau.ac.kr Manuscript received Mar. 22, 2010 ; accepted Jul. 30, 2010 focused on scanner certification tool for domestic standard. The accuracy and reliability of scanner certification program are not only for macrography but also for automation test and TWAIN test. In the previous system, there was not automation and TWAIN test so that we propose a new evaluation test for the accuracy and reliability. We have developed a standard certification tool for digitalized documents created by scanner. This tool consists of a program that evaluates image-quality factors and compares them against a reference target. 2. METHOD OF SCANNER QUALITY EVALUATION Current Macrography based on America and Japan international standard is carried out by inspectors so that the results can be differed and dropped their reliabilities and objectivity. Most of all, we need to develop a standard which follows the international standard and objectivity. Therefore, we can confirm our research reliability and novelty in process of developing a new standard target and a program. The proposed evaluation factors for scanners are subjected to a macrography test, an automation test, and a TWAIN (Technology Without An Interesting Name) test. These factors DOI:10.5392/IJoC.2010.6.3.025 26 Dong-Hwan Har: Scanner Certification Tool for the Standardization of Digitized Documents: Focusing on Target Factors and Measurement Programs International Journal of Contents, Vol.6, No.3, Sep 2010 are based on an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard and are designed as a target (Scanner Certification Target Ver.1.0.). The measurement program (Scanner Certification Program Ver.1.0.) evaluates these factors. 2.1. Macrography test A macrography test based on the ISO standard examines all factors of reproduced information, such as photographs, pictures, letters, dotted lines, and etc [1],[2],[3]. Table 1 details the measurement factors of macrography: picture, letter size, and thickness of dotted line. Table 1. Details of Macrography Item Picture Letter size Thickness of dotted line Image Measuring factor Photograph, picture, image reproduction (color, B/W) Diverse letter size of Korean, Chinese, special characters, English capital/small letters Dotted line, thickness of line Related standard JIS X6933, ISO/IEC 15775 JIS X6933, ISO/IEC 15775 JIS X6933, ISO/IEC 15775, ISO 11698-1 Evaluation Grade on a 1– 10 scale for photography gradation and color reproduction Readability of the minimum letter size distinguished by the normal naked eye Record the first distinguishable dotted line 2.2. Automation test The automation test addresses the following measurement factors: color reproduction ability based on color difference, one- and two-dimension bar code recognition, evaluation of corner-color reproduction ability, and graduated ruler test for extended paper when using ADF (Automatic Document Feeding) [4],[5]. Each factor is based on the ISO standard, and we suggest a new factor and measurement method for practical purposes [6].[7].[8]. Each factor is measured 10 times and the results are compared to the original, with the measurement factors being graded as either pass or fail. Table 2 shows the details of the automation test. Table 2. Details of automation test Item Color Corner color Bar code Graduated ruler Image Measu -ring factor Scanner color reproductio n Identity of four-corner color reproductio n ability One- dimensional (code 128) and two- dimensional (QR) bar code recognition Extended paper test when using ADF Re- lated standa rd KS X ISO 12641 Color Checker SG KS X ISO 12641 ISO/IEC 18004:2006, ISO/IEC 15417:2007 Newly proposed Evalu -ation Select color target and automaticall y calculate Select 4- corner color target and automatic calculate Select bar code and automaticall y recognize Select graduated ruler on both right and left side 2.3. TWAIN test This test evaluates whether a scanner has the standard interface, TWAIN. Since 1992, manufacturers (Adobe, Eastman Kodak, Hewlett-Packard, Epson, Logitech) of graphic or imaging input devices have produced a software standard interface to connect device and software. After installing the scanner driver on a PC, the TWAIN interface is examined. Table 3 shows the details of the TWAIN test. Table 3. Details of TWAIN test Item Contents Auto Feed ADF function test Duplex Both-sided scan function test Brightness Brightness control function test Contrast Contrast control function test Image File Format Supported image storage type test Pixel Type Supported paper size test Supported Sizes Supported pixel type test (BW, GRAY, RGB) Dong-Hwan Har: Scanner Certification Tool for the Standardization of Digitized Documents: Focusing on Target Factors and Measurement Programs 27 International Journal of Contents, Vol.6, No.3, Sep 2010 X Resolution Supported X axis resolution test Y Resolution Supported Y axis resolution test Enabled UI Only Supported user interface setting test Customs Data Profile creation or application support 3. DEVELOPMENT OF SCANNER CERTIFICATION TOOL We have developed a newly designed target (Scanner Certification Target Ver.1.0.) and a program (Scanner Certification Program Ver.1.0.) for the standardization of digitized documents. Figure 1 is the process of study. Fig.1. Process of scanner certification tool 3.1. Macrography test In Fig.2, we present a test target (Scanner Certification Target Ver.1.0.) in our program, which consists of a macrography test and an automation test. We incorporated the tests into a single target for reasons of convenience, ease of use, practicality, and economy. The target specifications are shown in Table 4. Table 4. Specification of test target Printer Epson R 2880 Calibration device Gretag Macbeth Eye-One Paper Epson premium semi-gross paper Storage Temperature 23±2 ℃, relative humidity 50±20 % (ISO 16067-1:2005) Limitation Disuse a target based on each factor test 10 times average value, if it is over error range 1.0. Fig.2. Scanner Certification Target Ver.1.0. 3.2. Development of program We have developed software to certify scanners for use in digitizing documents. The software features 3 tests: a macrography test, an automation test, and a TWAIN test. Fig.3. shows the program’s interface. 28 Dong-Hwan Har: Scanner Certification Tool for the Standardization of Digitized Documents: Focusing on Target Factors and Measurement Programs International Journal of Contents, Vol.6, No.3, Sep 2010 Fig.3. Scanner Certification Program Ver.1.0.interface 3.3. Program report Once the scanner certification program is installed on a PC, it is used to scan a target set at paper size A4, resolution 300dpi, and image mode 24 bit. The program reports the results of the macrography, automation, and TWAIN tests. 3.3.1. Macrography test result: In the macrography test, the scanned target is compared with the original at 100% size using the naked eye. The inspector grades macrography items and records the values in the program (refer Fig.4.) Fig.4. Macrography interface 3.3.2. Automation test result: For preventing the error from many different monitors, we made a controlled test environment. We calibrated a monitor to make a standard color using by X-rite's 1Xtreme. Gretag Macbeth's Digital Color Checker SG target is based on color target and it can measure XYZ, CIELAB, and RGB. To convert RGB values to CIELAB values, we follow CIE 1976 standard and use standard light source D50. When the inspector clicks and drags the Region Of Interest (ROI), the program automatically calculates and reports the automation test items: one- and two-dimensional bar code, color, four-corner color, and graduated ruler for ADF (refer Fig.5.). Fig.5. Color Automation test interface 3.3.3. TWAIN test result: The TWAIN test determines whether the selected scanner complies with the standard interface and compares the selected scanner’s capabilities with those of the standard interface (refer Fig.6.). . Fig.6. TWAIN test interface 3.4. Program considerations In this research, we made a scanner certification target and a program to evaluate scanner’s performance. In the previous system, inspectors wrote down its macrography test results manually, therefore its efficiency and speed of scanner certification test have been insufficient to verify scanner’s performance. However, we proposed a new tool for a scanner which can record and save test results automatically so that we can enhance the speed, accuracy and reliability of test results. Especially, automation test by using color differences value can be an objective tool for measuring color reproduction in case of different devices. Automation test can show its result as a number to record, therefore we can expect the high reliability of program. Moreover, there are one and two dimension bar code, ADF paper extension measurement, and TWAIN standard interface. Those are the automatic measuring system Dong-Hwan Har: Scanner Certification Tool for the Standardization of Digitized Documents: Focusing on Target Factors and Measurement Programs 29 International Journal of Contents, Vol.6, No.3, Sep 2010 for acquiring objectivity. 4. RESULT Throughout this study, we measured Delta E for color testing, which was difficult to define in previous macrography systems. This allowed us to measure the accuracy of scanner color reproduction with the objectivity of a scanner certification program. In addition, we designed a synthesized target that contains a variety of items, such as letters, dotted lines, photographs, bar codes, and graduated rulers. This target, which is based on ISO standards, works for our program and evaluates the scanner’s performance. The program makes the test process faster and improves its objectivity. We hope that this research will provide a solution to the problem of scanner certification for digitized documents, which is due to a lack of a specific scanner standard, and will improve the conservation of original documents in a digitized form. REFERENCES [1] ISO Std., ISO 11698-1 - Micrographics - Methods of measuring image quality produced by aperture card scanners - Part 1: Characteristics of the test images, Geneva, Switzerland, 2002. [2] ISO Std., ISO/IEC 15775 - Information technology - Office machines - Method of specifying image reproduction of colour copying machines by analog test charts - Realisation and application, Geneva, Switzerland, 1998. [3] JIS Std., JIS X6933 – Color Test Chart for Copying Machines, Tokyo, Japan ,2003. [4] ISO Std., ISO 11664-4 - Colorimetry - Part 4: CIE 1976 L*a*b* Colour space, ISO, Geneva, Switzerland, 2008. [5] ISO Std., ISO 21550 Photography - Electronic scanners for photographic images - Dynamic range measurements, Geneva, Switzerland, 2004. [6] ISO Std., ISO 12641 Graphic technology - Displays for colour proofing - Characteristics and viewing conditions, Geneva, Switzerland, 2004. [7] ISO Std., ISO/IEC 18004 - Information technology - Automatic identification and data capture techniques - QR Code 2005 bar code symbology specification, Geneva, Switzerland, 2006. [8] ISO Std., ISO/IEC 15417 - Information technology - Automatic identification and data capture techniques - Bar code symbology specification - Code 1282007, Geneva, Switzerland, 2007. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This work was supported by the second phase of the Brain Korea 21 Program in 2010. Also, this research was supported by Seoul Future Contents Convergence (SFCC) Cluster established by Seoul R&BD Program (10570). Hyung-Ju Park Hyung Ju Park has been working as a chief researcher at Digital Scientific Imaging Lab at Chung-Ang Univ. in S.Korea from August 1st, 2006, right after finishing her master study at Brooks Institute of Photography (Santa Barbara, CA, USA), till now. Her major areas include photography, digital imaging, image quality and standardization, and academic Industrial cooperation with Samsung Inc., Epson, InZi soft Inc., Korea foundation for the advancement of science and creativity, and Supreme prosecutors’ office in Korea. Dong-Hwan Har He received the B.S., M.A., in industrial photography from Brooks Institute of Photography, and Ohio University, U.S.A., respectively and also, received Ph.D in educational technology from Han-Yang University, Korea. He is a professor in digital scientific imaging lab, Graduate school of advanced imaging and multimedia, at Chung-Ang University. His main research interests include forensic, scientific, forgery, medical, and digital photography.