Imaging herbarium specimens

Images of herbarium specimens can serve many purposes, depending primarily on their file size and resolution. For imaging all the specimens in a collection, the equipment chosen must enable rapid recording of high, quality images. This page is about how to choose equipment rather than what to buy because what is available is changing rapidly. With the right equipment, rates of more than 75 specimens/hr are achievable. This considers only imaging, not image-processing and data entry, nor operator fatigue.

Overview

The equipment for imaging specimens consists of five basic components:

The image is of a Smith Victor 402183 pro 42 copy stand. I have never used such equipment. The image shows the features that need to be considered in developing an equipment list.