subject: Document Imaging in Business Part 1: Documents vs. Images [print this page] Images An image is a digital object of a graphical nature that is stored electronically. Photographs, charts, maps, and diagrams are all images. One distinct caveat, however, is that images are static; a video clip, audio clip, or slideshow is not an image (though a slideshow is generally made up of images, and a single frame from a video clip can be treated as an image.) One essential purpose of a paperless office is to use electronic devices to turn documents into images and store them in a way that makes them easy to retrieve when they're needed. The goal is to identify the first possible stage in an input document's lifecycle in which it can become an image, and make the conversion efficiently as a normal part of workflow. On the other end, output documents are created and distributed electronically, making the transition into 'hard copy' only when it is absolutely necessary. This way, document imaging can create a paperless or nearly paperless office.
Document Imaging in Business Part 1: Documents vs. Images
