Books Remain Intact
Non-destructive scanning keeps the binding intact rather than guillotining the volume.
Specialist Non-Destructive Book Scanning Up to A1
Our professional book scanning service supports corporate, heritage and consumer clients with the digitisation of rare, precious and valuable bound volumes. Using BookEye overhead scanners, reprographic camera systems and contactless scanning technology, we aim to create a high-quality once-only digital scan while minimising unnecessary handling of the original.
Up to A1
Specialist equipment supports bound volumes and large-format books up to A1 in size.
Archival & Access Files
TIFF/RAW, JPEG, PDF/A, searchable PDF, Word and eBook outputs can be prepared to suit the project.
Non-Destructive Book Scanning Calculator
Use the calculator below to obtain an indicative scanning cost based on book size, output format and page count. All prices are per page and exclude VAT.
Choose whether pages are captured individually or as open-book spreads.
Enter the total number of physical book pages.
Double-page spreads: if your book is A4, an open spread is approximately A3. The calculator therefore uses the A3 rate and halves it because one scan captures two A4 pages. For example, an A3 TIFF 600dpi / TIFF 300dpi / PDF / JPEG rate of £1.00 per page becomes £0.50 per A4 page when scanning double-page spreads.
Indicative scanning cost
£500.00
250 pages × £2.00 per page. Minimum order £40.00. VAT at 20% is additional.
Pricing bands: 1–250 pages, 251–999 pages and 1,000+ pages. Complex, fragile or unusually constructed books may require a technical assessment and additional service charge, which will be agreed before work begins. The calculator provides an estimate only; your final quotation will be confirmed after reviewing the material.
Archival TIFF
High-quality 600dpi or 300dpi image files. TIFF 300dpi is supplied at the same price as TIFF 600dpi.
PDF 600dpi / PDF 300dpi
Convenient multipage digital books for access, distribution and preservation workflows.
Searchable OCR
OCR can be applied to create searchable digital books and Word-compatible content where required.
See the Work Behind the Service
Book scanning is not simply a matter of placing pages on a scanner. Our workflow combines specialist equipment, experienced handling, image capture, processing and quality checking to create a usable digital record of the original collection.
Our Book Scanning Expertise
We support a broad range of collection types and can discuss the condition, size, construction and intended use of the material before preparing an estimate.
Rare & Heritage Books
Digitisation for historic books and collections where careful handling and preservation of the original are important.
Registers & Ledgers
Large or heavily used bound volumes can be digitised for easier access while retaining the physical original.
Diaries & Minute Books
Careful page-by-page capture for handwritten and printed records, supporting long-term preservation and research.
Laboratory Books
Specialist handling for working notebooks containing inserts, attachments, pull-outs and other features requiring attention.
Journals & Newspapers
Digitisation for publication archives and collections requiring searchable or online-access versions.
Published Books
Professional capture for books intended for online viewing, reprinting, reference or digital preservation.
Designed for Books That Need to Stay Intact
Non-destructive scanning is particularly suited to rare, valuable, historic or fragile books where preserving the physical original is important.
Our archive book-scanning workflow supports single-page or page-spread capture and can be configured for preservation, online access, searching or reproduction.
- Archival books and rare publications
- Diaries, minute books and registers
- Laboratory notebooks and technical volumes
- Journals, magazines and newspapers
- Photograph albums, scrapbooks and specialist books
- Parchment, manuscripts and other fragile bound material
From Physical Book to Digital Archive
Every project can be planned around the physical material and the final use of the digital files.
01
Assess
Review size, binding, condition, quantity and requirements.
02
Prepare
Plan the safest appropriate scanning workflow.
03
Capture
Digitise pages or spreads using specialist equipment.
04
Quality Check
Check completeness, sequence, orientation and agreed specifications.
05
Deliver
Supply organised digital files in the agreed format and method.
Digital Outputs
Choose outputs according to preservation, online access, searching, reproduction or everyday reference requirements.
TIFF / RAW
Archival master image files for long-term preservation.
PDF / PDF/A
Convenient multipage digital books and preservation-ready PDFs.
JPEG
Flexible access images for online and general-purpose use.
OCR / Word / eBook
Searchable and converted outputs where required.
Collections We Support
Our book digitisation service is used across corporate, heritage and consumer collections.
ArchivistsUniversitiesLibrariesMuseumsPublishersHistorical SocietiesLocal AuthoritiesBusinessesPrivate CollectionsHeritage Organisations
Selected Book Digitisation Work
Our published service information records work with collections including the Oxfordshire Record Society, NHS laboratory books, naval history publications, Fritillary journal material and complex newspaper archives.
Laboratory Book Scanning
Specialist scanning of laboratory notebooks, including attention to important details, inserts, attachments and working pages.
Published & Historical Books
Digitisation for preservation, online publication, reference and reproduction across a wide range of bound collections.
Large-Format Bound Volumes
Specialist planetary scanning for oversized books, registers, newspapers and other bound material up to A1.
Have a Book That Must Not Be Damaged?
Send us details of the books, approximate page count, size and required output. We can discuss the safest scanning approach and prepare a clear quotation before work begins.
Request a Non-Destructive Book Scanning Quote →