These standards apply to the production of master microfilm from records digitally created (born digital) or imaged (scanned) from paper.

1. A. State agencies shall utilize a COM system capable of recording faithfully onto microfilm all of the information contained in the digital image. Agencies utilizing a service provider for writing digital images to COM shall have a written agreement in place to provide for compliance with this standard.

2. B. The following standards for production, testing, and inspection of COM shall be met:

   (1) ANSI/AIIM MS1;

   (2) ANSI/AIIM MS5;

   (3) ANSI/AIIM MS28;

   (4) ANSI/AIIM MS39;

   (5) ANSI/AIIM MS43; and

   (6) ANSI/NAPM IT9.17.

3. C. Record grouping. Before converting images to COM records shall be properly organized and grouped.

   (1) Records shall be carefully inspected for completeness and the description and retention period of the record verified.

   (2) The proper order of the materials shall be determined before conversion to COM.

   (3) Active records shall not be filmed with inactive records.

   (4) Documents from different record series may be filmed on a single roll provided retention periods are the same.

4. D. Film writer quality control. State agencies shall ensure that the film writer has the correct density/contrast level by using a reference white target file with a range of 0.9 to 1.1.
5. E. Quality monitoring of images. Quality monitoring of images is controlled at the time of document scanning. See 1.14.2.14 NMAC, standard for imaging.
6. F. Resolution standard: A system used to create microfilm from digital images shall have a self-test process to ensure that all of the available pixels are consistently available for recording purposes. The COM unit shall be tested regularly to ensure optimal functionality.

7. G. Density:

   (1) Density of master negative COM shall measure between 0.80 to 1.20.

   (2) Required base plus fog density (relative Dmin) for unexposed processed microfilms shall not exceed 0.10.

   (3) Background density on positive appearing silver masters shall be no greater than 0.30.

8. H. Reduction ratios: The selection of a reduction ration is application specific. An agency shall take into account the characteristics of the record, the task the system is designed to perform, and the user requirements to be satisfied when selecting a reduction ratio.
9. I. Image resolution: Resolution shall be adequate to duplicate all details of the document in order that the COM qualify as a true copy of the original record. Image resolution shall meet standards specified in Subsection G of 1.14.2.14 NMAC.
10. J. Image formats. Digital images shall be in a standard image format such as Group IV TIFF, BMP or PDF.
11. K. Blip coding. To effectively organize a roll of COM the use of a multi-level blip coding strategy may be used. Blips are rectangular marks exposed by the film recorder under each page as they are written on the film. These marks can be programmed to appear in different sizes to identify file level, document level, page level, etc. images. Applying this sequence to recorded documents, a large blip designates the first page of a document while small blips indicate supporting pages within the document.
12. L. Page orientation. Pages can be recorded on microfilm in two ways. In “cine mode” where the text on a page runs perpendicular to the length of the film and in “comic mode” where the text on a page runs parallel to the length of the film. Unless a lower reduction ratio is needed for acceptable image quality, recording letter and legal sized pages in comic mode is preferable. This is accomplished by rotating the images 90º prior to recording or feeding the page “sideways” through the scanner. The advantage of comic mode recording is that more pages can be written on each roll of film saving storage space and promoting more efficient scanning in the event that the film needs to be used to recover lost image data.
13. M. Page spacing. Pages need to have sufficient separation to allow a film scanner to reliably differentiate adjacent pages on the film. There should be a minimum separation of 0.06” (1.5mm) between adjacent pages. Pages that touch each other at any point may preclude them from being captured separately by a microfilm scanner. Although maximizing packing density improves scanning efficiency, documents recorded on film should not span rolls.

14. N. COM targets. All microfilm shall have the following targets to be in compliance with this rule:

    (1) Statement of intent and purpose. A statement of intent and purpose shall be filmed at the beginning and end of each roll of film and shall contain the following information:

    (a) authority under which microfilming is being done;

    (b) name of the agency for which the microfilming is being done;

    (c) statement indicating the records microfilmed are in the legal custody of the agency, and that the records were created as part of the normal course of business;

    (d) statement certifying the agency is microfilming in accordance with an approved microphotography plan on file with the SRCA;

    (e) statement certifying that it is the policy of the agency to microfilm the specified records and that the microfilm is an accurate representation of the original copy which will be maintained as the legal copy of record in lieu of paper, and that the paper records are destroyed after microfilming in accordance with all requirements of the Public Records Act; and

    (f) name, title, and signature of records custodian or microphotography program manager.

    (2) Resolution test targets. COM produced from either scanned or born digital images shall include manufacturer's self-test targets specified in Subsection F of 1.14.2.12 NMAC.

    (3) Density targets. See Subsection G of 1.14.2.12 NMAC.

    (4) Start of roll target. Start of roll target shall contain the following information:

    (a) roll number;

    (b) name of agency and office to which the records belong;

    (c) record(s) or file(s) being microfilmed;

    (d) date of filming;

    (e) name of camera operator; and

    (f) description of first record image on the roll of film.

    (5) End of roll target. End of roll target shall contain the following information:

    (a) roll number;

    (b) name of agency and office to which the records belong;

    (c) record(s) or file(s) being microfilmed;

    (d) date of filming and name of camera operator; and

    (e) description of last record image on the roll of film.

15. O. Microfilm image sequence and spacing. The following image sequence and spacing shall be used:

    (1) Start of roll:

    (a) film leader;

    (b) a single statement of intent and purpose;

    (c) a single resolution target;

    (d) a single density target;

    (e) a single start of roll target; and

    (f) four spaces.

    (2) Digital or scanned images.

    (3) End of roll:

    (a) four spaces;

    (b) a single end of roll target;

    (c) a single density target;

    (d) a single resolution target;

    (e) a single statement of intent and purpose; and

    (f) film trailer.

16. P. Microfilm qualifications: Agencies shall produce a master negative microfilm and a working copy. An agency shall have a re-inspection program and process in place for all master microfilm produced.

    (1) Master microfilm shall:

    (a) be of a wet silver gelatin composition;

    (b) meet the minimum standards for the production of master microfilm specified in this section for density, resolution, targeting and spacing;

    (c) shall be re-mastered if it fails inspection;

    (d) be stored off-site (for security purposes) for the full period prescribed by the agency’s records retention and disposition schedule.

    (2) Working copy microfilm is designated for reference or everyday use in an office and may be of silver halide, diazo, or of a vesicular composition. An agency shall produce a minimum of one working copy of microfilm.

    (3) If multiple working copies of security or preservation microfilm are needed, it is recommended that the production of such microfilm conform to a three-generation system as noted in section 7.1 of ANSI/AIIM MS48-1990. Such a system consists of master negative; a second-generation copy of the master negative that serves as a duplicate negative to be used for producing additional copies; and one or more third-generation working copies produced from the second-generation film.

    (4) Agencies using COM systems that do not produce an original silver gelatin film shall make a silver gelatin duplicate negative that meets this standard before depositing such film for storage at the SRCA.

17. Q. Master COM shall be inspected by state agencies or by vendors filming for agencies. Inspection shall consist of verification of the following:

    (1) targets;

    (2) indexing;

    (3) labeling;

    (4) document accountability;

    (5) density;

    (6) resolution; and

    (7) visual observation of major defects and errors.

18. R. Master COM stored at the SRCA are subject to audit by the SRCA staff at any time and shall comply with the standards set out in Subsection Q of 1.14.2.12 NMAC.

19. S. Microfilm container identification.

    (1) All master microfilm roll containers shall contain the following minimum information:

    (a) name and address of the custodial agency;

    (b) date converted to COM;

    (c) identification of the first and last document on the roll of film;

    (d) identification of the inclusive dates of the oldest and the most recent document by month, date and year;

    (e) records series names and corresponding records retention and disposition schedule item number;

    (f) disposition trigger date (i.e., date file closed, date contract terminated, etc.);

    (g) name and address of the entity producing the roll of film; and

    (h) roll number.

    (2) Master microfilm rolls that do not contain the required information on the label shall be returned to the agency for re-labeling. If SRCA is required to ship the master microfilm rolls back to the agency, the custodial agency shall be responsible for the shipping costs.

20. T. Indexing requirements. The agency shall maintain an index for the purpose of tracking all microphotography records. The index shall include the following:

    (1) agency code;

    (2) record series title and corresponding records retention and disposition schedule item number;

    (3) retention period;

    (4) inclusive dates;

    (5) trigger date;

    (6) date filmed; and

    (7) access restrictions.

21. U. Destruction of original copy.

    (1) Prior to the final destruction of any scanned paper records, all requirements of this rule shall be met.

    (2) Agencies shall submit a request for destruction which includes the following information:

    (a) a statement that the records for destruction have been scanned and converted to COM;

    (b) that the microfilm has been filmed in accordance to 1.14.2. NMAC microphotography standards;

    (c) roll numbers;

    (d) record series; and

    (e) shall be signed by the records custodian for destruction approval.

22. V. Expungement. An agency required to perform expungement of COM shall create and maintain an expungement certificate that details the reason for the expungement, the authority to expunge, the date of the original filming and the date of the expungement. The expungement certification shall indicate that the original and all known copies have been expunged.

    [11-16-82, 12-20-88, 1-19-89, 3-29-92, 7-29-92, 8-24-96; 1.14.2.12 NMAC - Rn, 1 NMAC 3.2.60.1.10 & A, 12-29-00; A, 04-30-02; A, 07-15-03; A, 06-01-06; A, 06-30-09; A, 07-15-10]