Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for ViewMate
In this
section we attempt to answer the most frequently asked questions about
using the JewishGen ViewMate site.
I have a document I need help with
- what can I do?
Here is
an example from Daniel Kazez:
- I found
the death certificate for my gr gr grandfather, Josek Hersz ENGLENDER.
It is from the city of Przyrow, dated 1886. In fact, it appears twice.
- The
document is in Russian. On both copies, I found it difficult to read
the names of his parents
So, I:
- Scanned
the document (any scanning software will do).
- Saved
it at 72 dpi, so it would look good on the web.
- Underlined
the names of Josek Hersz ENGLENDER's parents (Adobe Photoshop does
this easily)
- Uploaded
it to ViewMate, to share with others.
Here is
the result:
I don't have a scanner - what
can I do?
With the
price of scanners dropping - they are becoming more readily available.
If after checking with family, relatives and friends and you are still
unable to gain access to one - you can check one of the locally available
business centers or copy centers. Many of the business/copy centers
have scanners and their time rental is reasonable priced.
Remember
to save the scanned image(s) in the JPEG format ("*.jpg" or "*.jpeg").
Mac users should be sure to name the file with the .jpg or .jpeg filename
extension. Then follow the directions on the To Submit page to upload the images to the ViewMate
site.
I need help with some translations
- do I need to scan them to use ViewMate
ViewMate
only accepts files that are in JPEG format ( .jpg or .jpeg).
The most reasonable way to get your file(s) into this format is to
scan them and then save the file in the acceptable format.
Other
option is to work with a professional translator or translating services,
or to find an acquaintance that has the necessary language skills.
Are there recommendations
for scanning documents?
There
are two things you need to be concerned with when you e-mail photos
or display them on the Web: file quality and file size.
You want the highest possible file quality at the lowest possible file
size. Remember, ViewMate will only accept files that are smaller
than 500K.
Generally
speaking, there are three ways to do this for photos:
- Scan
the photo at 72 dpi.
- Crop
the photo, include only what is important.
- Keep
the dimensions to a maximum of 700 pixels W x 500 pixels H for a
landscape format photo and 500 pixels W x 700 pixels H for a portrait
format photo.
- Save
the photo as a JPG (JPEG).
For images
of written documents:
- Scan
at 72 dpi as if for a color photo and 100% of the original size.
Our volunteer translators usually print out documents to work with.
If you enlarge a document, they often have difficulties printing
it. You might want to print out your document as a test before uploading
it to ViewMate.
- If
you only need a portion of a document translated, highlight that
section in some fashion or crop out what you do not need.
- Save
in JPEG format.
- Compare
legibility of image and original, start over if necessary.
For scanning
tips, see this site:
http://www.scantips.com
Are there additional
translation resources available via JewishGen?
If
you do not receive help with the translating of your document(s)
on ViewMate - additional JewishGen translation resources can be found
at the Yizkor Book SIG Translator List at: http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/yiztran.html
Where can I find
information on translating Jewish tombstones?
For
help in translating the inscriptions on Jewish tombstones - you can
look at the information on these sites: http://www.jewishgen.org/InfoFiles/Tombstones.html
http://www.jewfaq.org/death.htm#Tombstones
Is there material
that will allow me to introduce ViewMate to others?
There
is an announcement that can be used to inform others about ViewMate.
Click here to see a printer friendly copy of the ViewMate
announcement.
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