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Digital Asset Management

Reprinted with permission from the Association of Graphic Communications

Suggested Industry Guidelines and Business Practices for Digital Media Asset Management

This document and the Media Asset Management Implementation Roadmap are intended to identify, define and clarify various issues related to typical industry practices and workflow considerations for digital media management. The information contained is the result of work produced by a special Task Force of dedicated industry professionals representing a cross-section of the graphic communications sector (advertising, graphic design/ prepress, printing, new media, publishing, telecommunications and high technology manufacturers). The Task Force also had a representative balance from both clients and suppliers of digital media. (Roster below)

The information provided is intended to assist all professionals who use any form of digital media by providing a set of guidelines and examples of digital media use. The report is divided into four primary areas è Industry Definitions; Digital Asset Management Guidelines; Production and Technical Issues; and Operational Issues.

The itemized business practices outlined are not intended to be legal or binding, and should not be considered part of the Printing Industry Trade Customs. Rather, they are offered for reference in client/ supplier communications and possible inclusion in the “terms and conditions” of a business agreement. Each of the points or practices highlights known issues that may involve time, costs, or responsibility on the part of clients, suppliers or both. Also identified are a number of technical issues that should be understood by all digital media users. The world of digital media is changing daily. It is anticipated that the information contained herein will be updated on a periodic basis by the Association of Graphic Communications and/or other affiliated national industry trade organizations, to reflect ongoing changes in technology and/or laws impacting the conduct of business in the graphic communications sector.

Part 1: Industry Definitions

What are Digital Files?

A digital file is any file that is created by a computer and stored by a computer related device. It can be as simple as a text file or as complex as an entire animated video including sound and computer generated visuals. It can be a small file Ð stored or saved on a simple floppy disk or a complex graphic and sound file stored on a server, digital tape or other storage media.

What is a “Digital Asset”?

A digital asset is a digital file or form of digital media that has some commercial value, production value, “intellectual property” value, or identification value.

Who is a client and who is a supplier?

A client is the end user of digital assets and buys or receives these digital files for personal use, or for the ultimate use of the organization the client represents. The supplier creates and manipulates, provides, or sells these files to the client. A client may work for the same organization or company as a supplier, may be a purchaser of the supplier’s materials, or may have a “virtual relationship.” The client and supplier may have an informal or a formal working relationship.

Part 2: Digital Asset Management Guidelines and Practices

  1. Formal purchase agreements, use or rights agreements, or archive agreements should accompany any digital file. A sample of what is requested or hard copy proof of that file should also accompany the file. The agreement should note the costs for the use of the file, the period of time the file should be saved or archived, and the ownership of the file in its original or final form. If a formal written agreement is not customary in your business then some informal understanding of expectations should be communicated.
  2. Archiving: Practices for archiving should be contracted or negotiated. Certain files may need to be archived for shorter or longer periods of time. Archiving should be defined for materials such as general office files, working files, final commercial value files, and identity value files. Some suppliers will archive files for a fee as an amendment to their usual business agreements. In those cases the period of time is dictated by the terms of the contract between supplier and client.
  3. Versions: All files should be clearly named or clearly dated with relation to their use. All old versions or unnecessary files should be deleted or erased from any storage or transportable media intended for use by a commercial supplier. Properly sized and marked hard copies or laser proofs of those files should accompany the project. Costs resulting from the mistaken use of outdated files should be the responsibility of the provider of those files.
    • If a poorly labeled or named file provided by a client is mistaken for a live file and used by a supplier, the costs to recreate the work should be borne by the client.
    • The supplier should check the supplied file against any supplied proof for accuracy.
  4. If a client has contracted with a supplier to archive their files for a defined period of time, that supplier is responsible to recreate or supply those files if they are lost or damaged. If the original material is no longer available for use, the supplier may be liable for some form of financial restitution to the client for the value of that work. An advance determination of the value of that work and a commitment for payment should be contracted.
    • If a client’s archived file that has been contracted to be, or understood to be saved for a definite period of time is lost or deemed unusable, the supplier should recreate those files or reimburse the client for the commercial value of that work. A supplier may also be liable for hardware obsolescence if not originally contracted.
  5. The setting of copyright guidelines and usage guidelines for an original image or a file are the responsibility of a client. An indemnification clause may be necessary to be written into an original contract.
  6. A supplier may be liable for copyright infringement if they print or post on the internet an image or file that does not have the proper copyright. They may become “just as liable “ as the creator or originator of the file.
  7. The final creative graphics file of a project belongs to the creator or designer of that file unless otherwise negotiated. The product of that file, whether it be a print product, an electronic product or a virtual product belongs to the client.
    • The design files along with their embedded photographic or illustrative images used to produce a project belong to the designer. Any additional uses, reuses of parts of the file, or changes to the file must be done with the agreement, negotiated rights, or payment to the supplier (designer). The client in effect buys the end product of the design. The tools of production, or means to produce the product remain the property of the supplier unless otherwise negotiated.
  8. The original file given by a client to a supplier remains the property of the client. The end result or product is the property of the client. The original file should be returned to the client at the same time as the project.
    • If a supplier misplaces a client’s original file, that supplier should provide the file to the client and any original transportable media used. A client should not provide to a supplier the “only” copy of a file. A final and corrected version of an original file may be also given to a client if negotiated beforehand.
  9. The “working” file created by a supplier to achieve an end result or product remains the property of the supplier. Those “final files” may in certain circumstances not be usable by a client.
    • Working files may need to be recreated in sophisticated programs such as Scitex for final project use and may not be transformable into a common reusable format for the client.

Part 3: Production or Technical Issues

  1. Some files created on different operating platforms may be mutually incompatible. Some files created by different versions of the same software may be unusable.
    • An Adobe Illustrator file created on a Mac may not be able to be opened on a PC.
    • An MS Word document created in Word 6 will not open on a computer loaded with WORD 5.1 or may not be recognized properly as an e-mail attachment. Macintosh computers can, however save files in PC format.
  2. Large image files may take hours to transmit through commercially available access lines.
    • A 150 MB image file might take several hours to successfully transmit through an electronic communications line. The time needed to receive and access an unusually large transmitted file may be billable to a project. The time needed to transmit an excessively large file may be billable to a project. These potential costs should be contracted on a time/cost basis as a project begins.
  3. Some images created by illustration programs may take an excessive amount of time to output or transmit.
    • An illustration file with many repetitive blends, although appearing to be a small file, may take many hours above the normal processing times to output or to transmit. The time needed to transmit or output an excessively large file may be billable to a project.
  4. Software: Files used by clients for production work may be created and saved in the latest accepted industry version.
    • Many clients or suppliers may be using older or outdated working versions of software.
    • A supplier may only want to use the latest updated version of a working program. If that supplier uses that version to correct or edit a client supplied older version original, that document may take on the characteristics of the newer version and may only be opened by the latest version of the program. If a client uses a brand new or beta version of a program, it is wise to check with suppliers and clients if they have that latest version before sending them files.
  5. “High end prepress computer equipment” may not arbitrarily be able to improve the quality of low resolution original images.
    • Sophisticated image manipulation software and hardware have limited abilities to sharpen, correct, or reasonably correct poor or low resolution images. The time spent to correct or improve these images, including proofs, may be billable to a project.
  6. Corrupt files: A corrupted file, or a file that can’t be read or laser printed by a client may not be able to be used or accessed by a supplier.
    • Sophisticated image manipulation software and hardware may have limited abilities to correct and utilize corrupted files. The time spent by a supplier to correct these files may be billable to a client if they can be corrected.
  7. Use of photographs or illustrations is dictated by some form of a rights agreement or negotiated ownership agreement. Subtle changes to those images using computer generated techniques or changes in their final format may infringe on the artist’s rights and contractual agreements.
    • If you scan a photo from a magazine, colorize it, flop it, and use it for a commercial venture you may be liable for infringement of usage rights. If a photo is contracted for use in a publication but is also used for a national ad or on an internet site, you may be liable for infringement of usage rights.
  8. An image or file, if downloaded from the web and used or repurposed for a commercial application, may infringe on the rights of the creator or originator of that image or file.
    • Several map publishers have legal teams searching print documents and internet sites for illegal copyright infringement of their product for commercial uses.
  9. Time spent and media used by a supplier to recreate an original file into a usable file for production or for a client’s use may be billable.
    • A supplier may recreate art or transfer graphics into other programs in order to use the file. This additional time may in certain circumstances be billable to a project. If a client needs a “working file” for other uses or projects, the supplier may have to spend additional time or resources to recreate it. This time may also be billable to a project.
  10. On-line storage or archiving of images or files by a supplier may be billable.
    • Charges for these services should be contracted at the beginning of a project. Some suppliers charge on an hourly basis, a per page or image basis, or on a contracted monthly or yearly fee basis.
  11. Special digital retouching or image manipulation to photographic or illustrative images may be billable to a client.
    • The supplier’s responsibility is to match the color, as close as commercially possible, of an original piece of art for reproduction. Any time spent, or proofs pulled, to change colors or manipulate the image away from its original form, if not originally negotiated, may be billable to a project.
  12. There may be a charge from a supplier to a client for uploading or copying a file to transportable or transmittable media.
    • Those costs may include the time needed to find the archived file, the time to copy the file, the storage media if any, and a delivery fee, if any.
  13. Transmission of some digital files through commercial email or Internet service providers may be limited. Attachments to those files may also be limited in quality to text or to small image files.
    • An attached and compressed transmission through America Online or other commercial Internet providers often times may be limited in size.
  14. Media: Popular storage media can get quickly outdated. Keep track of where archived files are stored and copy them to the newer form of media you may use. Suppliers may be responsible for this if they have been contracted by a client for archiving services.
    • Ten years ago the 5 1/2” floppy was the common storage media for PC’s. Few PC’s have capabilities to read those discs today. In 1995 the 44 - 88 MB SyQuest was the preferred storage media for Macintosh. SyQuest is now out of business and few industries are using those formats for storage or archiving. Apple Computer is no longer designing floppy drives in their computers, and the ZIP is slowly being outmoded as the costs for CD writers have come down.
    • It would be difficult to retrieve an important document such as a will if it was archived in an outdated storage format.

Part 4: Operational Issues

  1. Some transportable media, if dropped or passed through certain magnetic fields, may become corrupted or unusable.
    • These files may have to be copied or recreated by the client in order to be usable.
  2. Some graphic or business software applications should only be used for desktop or low resolution creative or design work. A written specification of the programs intended to be used for a project should be agreed upon.
    • Programs such as Powerpoint are difficult to use for high end creative work. Additional time and resources may be needed to repurpose these programs for other than their specific use. This additional time spent on behalf of the supplier may be billable to a project.
    • Programs such as MS Word, WordPerfect or Excel are essentially word processing or spreadsheet programs and should not be used for sophisticated design or high resolution printing or output work. They are not readily able to be used for printing impositions and their font and image management tools are limited. The additional time needed to recreate these files in more sophisticated design software may be billable to a project.
  3. Storage Media: Different “storage media” have different cost bases.
    • A floppy disk may be $1.00, a CD may be $10.00, a zip disk may be $10.00, a Jaz disc may be $100. 2 large photographic images of 9” x 12” may be 50 - 60 MB each and may need to be stored or transmitted on a more expensive disk.
  4. Resolution: Different image file resolutions are needed for proper use with different media. All participants in the production workflow should be aware of file sizes as delivered and expected with regards to anticipated use.
    • A 72 dpi photographic image will be acceptable for use on a video monitor or internet uses.
    • A 150-dpi image will be acceptable for use in a newspaper ad.
    • A 250-dpi image may be acceptable for a magazine ad.
    • A 300 - 600 dpi image may be acceptable for use in a traditional printed brochure or outdoor billboard.
  5. Enlargements: A “high resolution file” remains high resolution only if it is used at close to the same size in which it was created.
    • A 600 dpi scanned image at 4” x 5” becomes 300 dpi if used at 8” x 10”. This image would “look better” if it had been scanned at 300 dpi for 8” x 10”.
  6. Some graphic files, if not compressed properly for transmission, may output only as text files. Some graphic files if compressed using the latest version of a compression program may not expand or open if that latest version is not used by the recipient of that file. Some compressions may also lose data.
  7. Designs or illustrations created electronically can only be proofed properly by using some form of high-resolution output and proof devices.

Illustrations created by Adobe Illustrator and similar programs can only be proved for color accuracy and fidelity by outputting the file and creating a high-resolution digital or analog proof. Desktop or low resolution proof or laser devices may not show accurate colors and details.