Microfilming & Digital-to-Microfilm Services

In short: Micrographics Data films paper records onto ISO-standard 16mm/35mm archival microfilm rated for a 500-year lifespan, and converts digital files directly onto first-generation microfilm using our MD AW3 digital archive writer. We are the GovTech-approved microfilming vendor for the Singapore Government and follow Singapore Standards SS 520–523:2006 for technical drawings and newspapers.

What Is Microfilm?

Microfilm is a high-resolution photographic film — typically 16mm or 35mm — used to store miniaturised images of documents, drawings, newspapers and books for very long-term archival preservation. Unlike digital storage, microfilm is human-readable with nothing more than a light source and magnification: no software, no file format, no server, and no risk of the media becoming unreadable because a device or format is discontinued. Under proper storage conditions, ISO-standard archival microfilm carries a documented life expectancy of up to 500 years, which is why national archives, libraries and government agencies worldwide still specify microfilm for their most critical long-term records.

Micrographics Data uses only ISO-standard archival quality microfilm because no other media offers such long-time storage capabilities. With our microfilm services, you have the reassurance that the image on the film will be legible far into the future.

Microfilm is your ideal medium for storage if you are looking for:

  • a potential life of 500 years, way beyond any other comparable format
  • a robust, reliable, cost-effective storage solution that provides a solid foundation for scanning to other media
  • a medium that does not require sophisticated equipment for reading and access

Paper to Microfilm Conversion

Micrographics Data leads the industry in microfilming standards in Singapore and follows the following Codes of Practice for microfilming 16mm/35mm technical drawings and newspapers:

  • SS 520:2006 (CP69: 1998)
  • SS 521:2006 (CP70: 1998)
  • SS 522:2006 (CP71: 1998)
  • SS 523:2006 (CP72: 1998)

We offer the following services:

  1. Roll films
    16mm, 35mm (bitonal & colour) & 105mm filming, processing and duplication services
  2. Microfiche
    Filming, processing and duplication services

Paper to microfilm conversion

Digital to Microfilm Conversion

Micrographics Data's MD AW3 digital archive writer converts digital information directly onto 16mm/35mm (bitonal & colour) first generation microfilm — the ideal solution to digital preservation.

Simply upload your digital files to our FTP from anywhere in the world. We will download, film and convert the files, and send you the microfilm rolls via courier.

Digital to microfilm conversion

Microfilm vs Digital Storage: Why Hybrid Wins for Long-Term Records

Digital storage is faster to search and easier to distribute, but it depends on hardware, software and file formats that all eventually become obsolete, and on active migration to newer media every few years. Microfilm needs none of that — it can sit in a climate-controlled store for decades and still be read directly. Archives with the strictest retention requirements typically use both: digital copies for day-to-day access and search, and microfilm as the durable, format-independent master that survives regardless of what happens to the digital environment around it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Microfilm

How long does microfilm actually last?

ISO-standard silver-gelatin archival microfilm, stored under proper temperature and humidity conditions, carries a documented life expectancy (LE) rating of up to 500 years — far beyond any digital storage medium, which typically needs to be refreshed or migrated within 5–10 years.

Do I need special equipment to read microfilm?

No. Microfilm can be read with a simple light source and magnification (a microfilm reader), with no software, file format or device compatibility to worry about. This is one of microfilm's core advantages over any digital archive format.

Can you convert our existing paper records to microfilm?

Yes. We film 16mm, 35mm and 105mm roll film and microfiche to Singapore Standards SS 520–523:2006, covering technical drawings, newspapers and general documents, with processing and duplication services.

Can you convert digital files directly to microfilm?

Yes. Our MD AW3 digital archive writer converts digital files directly onto first-generation 16mm/35mm microfilm (bitonal or colour) — simply upload your files via FTP and we return finished microfilm rolls by courier.

Is Micrographics Data an approved microfilming vendor for government projects?

Yes. Micrographics Data is the GovTech-approved microfilming vendor for the Singapore Government — see our awarded projects.

Should we use microfilm or digital scanning for our archive?

Most organisations use both. Digital scans (see our microfilm scanning services for converting existing film to digital) give you fast day-to-day search and access; archival microfilm gives you a durable, format-independent master copy that will still be readable in a century, regardless of what happens to file formats or storage hardware in between.

Micrographics Data is the GovTech-approved microfilming vendor for the Singapore Government — see our awarded projects. Contact us for a quotation.