Misic, Vladimir, Kari Kraus, Morris Eaves, Kevin J. Parker, and Rob Buckley. 2002. MRC for Compression of Blake Archive Images. In Applications of digital image processing, ed. A. G. Tescher:479-490. Seattle, WA: SPIE; 2002.
This article describes usage of JPEG2000 capabilities to reformat and enhance access to colored engravings. In particular, the JPEG2000 feature to separate the engraving layer of the source from the color layer of the source provides a new way for scholars to study the works.
Author Abstract
The William Blake Archive is part of an emerging class of electronic projects in the humanities that may be described as hypermedia archives. It provides structured access to high-quality electronic reproductions of rare and often unique primary source materials, in this case the work of poet and painter William Blake. Due to the extensive high frequency content of Blakeâs paintings (namely, colored engravings), they are not suitable for very efficient compression that meets both rate and distortion criteria at the same time. Resolving that problem, the authors utilized modified Mixed Raster Content (MRC) compression scheme -- originally developed for compression of compound documents -- for the compression of colored engravings. In this paper, for the first time, we have been able to demonstrate the successful use of the MRC compression approach for the compression of colored, engraved images. Additional, but not less important benefits of the MRC image representation for Blake scholars are presented: because the applied segmentation method can essentially lift the color overlay of an impression, it provides the student of Blake the unique opportunity to recreate the underlying copperplate image, model the artistâs coloring process, and study them separately.
Politou, Eugenia, George P. Pavlidis, and Christodoulos Chamzas. 2004. JPEG2000 and Dissemination of Cultural Heritage over the Internet. IEEE Transactions on Image Processing 13, no. 3: 293-301.
The authors describe a project under the auspices of EUREKA to provide access to preservation-quality reproductions of artwork using a web browser-based plug-in in a client-server model to deliver content to the user over what might be potentially slow Internet connections.
Author Abstract
By applying the latest technologies in image compression for managing the storage of massive image data within cultural heritage databases and by exploiting the universality of the Internet we are now able not only to effectively digitize, record and preserve, but also to promote the dissemination of cultural heritage. In this work we present an application of the latest image compression standard JPEG2000 in managing and browsing image databases, focusing on the image transmission aspect rather than database management and indexing. We combine the technologies of JPEG2000 image compression with client-server socket connections and client browser plug-in, as to provide with an all-in-one package for remote browsing of JPEG2000 compressed image databases, suitable for the effective dissemination of cultural heritage.