COLLECTIONS · PRACTICAL GUIDE
How to digitise an art collection, step by step
Start by deciding what the catalogue should help you do. Then give objects stable identifiers, organise images and descriptions, and decide which information can be public. This creates documentation that can grow with your collection.
1. Define the goal and an initial scope
A private inventory, an online gallery and a catalogue for a museum team have different requirements. Write down the goal, intended users and existing material. Choose a small, representative part of the collection to check the data structure before processing everything.
Digitisation may include photographs, document scans and organised metadata. 3D scanning, specialist photography and expert appraisal need a separately agreed scope. Choose tools around the collection’s needs.
2. Give each object a stable identifier
The identifier connects the object to its description, images and documents. Use an existing inventory reference or a consistent numbering system. Do not change it simply because you have corrected a title or attribution.
An illustrative working record might read: OB-001; title: “Landscape”; artist: unknown; description source: owner’s note. This is a fictional example. It shows why recording uncertainty is more useful than filling a gap with a guess.
3. Prepare images and consistent metadata
For an artwork, consider attribution, title, date, medium, dimensions, overall and detail photographs, and a condition observation with its date. Record the photographer and establish publication rights. Adapt the photography method to the object’s material and condition.
Keep source files separate from copies intended for the web. Use filenames connected to the object identifier. A digital catalogue needs images and context: Smithsonian documentation describes linking digitised material with metadata as part of the digitisation process.
4. Connect documents to information sources
A purchase receipt, correspondence, an appraisal and an exhibition catalogue are different kinds of evidence. For each provenance statement, identify its supporting document or informant. Distinguish documented facts from an owner’s account and a hypothesis.
A digital record helps preserve this documentation. Putting information into a system does not itself establish authorship or a complete provenance history. A disputed attribution may require specialist assessment.
5. Plan access, copies and updates
Decide what remains private: owner details, valuations, purchase documents and storage locations need not appear in a public gallery. Before selecting a service, ask about data export, copies and team access.
Define who can edit a description and how you will record corrections. An NFC check can provide another route to an object’s digital record; it does not replace a well-maintained catalogue.
What should you prepare for Authify?
Bring an approximate object count, sample photographs, an example description and a list of available documents. Explain whether you need collection organisation, certificates, optional NFC or online presentation. This provides a basis for agreeing the scope and identifying missing material.