A Novel Scanning Technique For Imaging Of Gold And Silver Foils Used In Art Works

Digital archiving has seen rapid growth in the recent years, accompanied by ever-increasing demands for high resolution and high-color definition color images. Despite the advances in imaging techniques, gold leaves and golden objects remain as some of the most difficult-to-image materials due to their highly reflective surfaces. Oversaturation commonly occurs when direct reflection is captured by an imaging element.To solve this problem, we have developed a new scanner-type image acquisition method which can acquire high-resolution digital image and high-definition color information. In this paper, we outline the strategy employed in the new system to image gold, i.e., adjustment of light sources with respect to the sensor and use of polarizing filters to separate specular and diffuse reflection components.