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How FADGI Compliance in Document Scanners can benefit you
One topic has been a hot conversation in our industry lately: FADGI compliance. And with the changes rolled out in 2024, it’s become an even bigger deal—not just for archivists and cultural institutions, but for anyone who is digitizing.
Let’s break it down: what is FADGI, why does it matter, and how are the 2024 updates shaking things up? And most importantly, why should you care, whether you’re running a museum or digitizing your business records?
What is FADGI
If you’ve never heard of FADGI, here’s the short version. It stands for the Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative, a set of standards created to ensure high-quality digital imaging. Think of it as a scorecard for how well your digitization efforts preserve the details, colors, and overall fidelity of the original material. FADGI uses a star system, from 1-star (basic quality) to 4-star (top-notch, museum-grade quality).
Back when FADGI launched in 2007, it was primarily targeted at federal agencies digitizing cultural heritage—things like historic documents, maps, and photographs. But over the years, its relevance has grown far beyond museums and libraries.
2024: The Year Everything Changed
Fast forward to earlier this year, and FADGI has become even more important than before. This year, compliance isn’t just a recommendation for federal agencies; it’s mandatory. Thanks to the federal mandate M-23-07, any permanent records sent to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) after June 30, 2024, must meet at least a FADGI 3-star rating.
What does this mean in practice? For starters, digitization projects now need to meet stricter standards for image quality, metadata, and file formats. Specific 2024 updates include:
- Revised Image Quality Metrics: The criteria for color accuracy, resolution, and tonal range have become even more precise. For example, capturing fine details in historical texts or artworks now demands cutting-edge technology.
- Embedded Metadata Requirements: Every digital file must include robust metadata for better accessibility and future-proofing. Metadata compliance is no longer an optional extra; it’s a must.
- Expanded Guidelines for Media: The updated FADGI guidelines now cover a broader range of media types, including imaged audio systems and time-based media.
These changes aren’t just technical adjustments. They’re setting the bar for how we preserve and access digital materials long-term. And that’s huge.
Why FADGI Matters for Cultural Heritage
Let’s talk about the obvious: cultural heritage institutions like museums, libraries, archives or companies that deal with federal agencies for cultural digitization, have a lot riding on FADGI compliance. If you’re digitizing rare manuscripts, fragile photographs, or historic maps, you want to capture every nuance. A FADGI 3- or 4-star rating ensures your digital files stay close to the original and will stand the test of time.
For example, let's say you would like to digitize a collection of century-old maps. Not only do you have to think about potential FADGI compliance, but also for example the quality of the colors, the resolution or the size/fragility of the document that might require a specific scanner. Here is where FADGI-compliant production scanners could make the difference.
Why FADGI Isn’t Just for Archivists
Here’s the thing—FADGI isn’t just for museums and libraries anymore. Businesses, law firms, and even healthcare providers can benefit from FADGI-compliant digitization. Why? Because FADGI-compliant scanners deliver unparalleled quality.
Imagine you’re a law firm digitizing decades of case files or discovery. A FADGI-compliant scanner ensures every document is captured in crystal-clear detail, from tiny handwritten notes to faint watermarks. Or think about a hospital archiving patient records. High-quality scans mean fewer errors, better readability, and stronger compliance with data preservation laws. Additionally, higher quality scans can also help with any post scanning workflow or for example OCR or AI Recognition tools.
The Role of Document Scanners in FADGI Compliance
Here’s where I put on my interScan hat. If you want to achieve FADGI compliance, you need the right tools. Not all scanners are FADGI compliant and even between the FADGI compliant scanners there can be a big difference in for example speed. To hit that 3- or 4-star rating, your scanner needs to deliver exceptional resolution, color fidelity, and consistency. And depending on your needs and volume you will need a high volume production scanner.
At interScan LLC, we’ve made it our mission to offer the best FADGI-compliant scanners on the market. Our lineup includes production-grade scanners that excel in image quality while being user-friendly and efficient. From more compact Desktop scanners to a full fledged production scanner.
Part of our process is that we don’t just sell the hardware; we provide training, support, and expertise to help our clients navigate the FADGI landscape. Additionally we have capture software and AI powered software that can help with recognition, classification and extraction.
Why It All Matters
At the end of the day, FADGI compliance is about more than meeting a mandate or earning a star rating. It’s about preserving the integrity of information, whether it’s a centuries-old manuscript or a critical business document. It’s about ensuring that future generations can access and trust digital records. And it’s about using technology to its fullest potential.
As someone who’s spent a career in the world of scanners, I’m thrilled to see FADGI raising the bar. And I’m proud that interScan LLC is helping organizations meet these new standards with scanners that deliver exceptional quality, reliability, and value.
If you’re wondering how FADGI compliance fits into your digitization efforts, let’s talk. Whether you’re digitizing a historic document or your company’s filing cabinet, we’ve got the tools and expertise to make it happen. Here’s to a future where every scan tells the full story.
About the Author: Michael Metteling, CEO of interScan LLC. “As the CEO of interScan LLC, I’ve spent years immersed in the world of document scanners and digitzation.”