ref.continuing research

[Virginia Tech]

Dear L.Finch: Prof.Allison gave you in his report of June 17, an 
excellent summary on all your questions. In addition,and returning to 
your original inquire, I would like to make some coplementary remarks:
-Watermarks on colorpaper are mostly weak, uncomplete or 
nonexisting.Hence,contactprocedures or scanning will probabily not 
provide the best results.
-Watermark recording procedures are still in a developing stage. To tie 
your research to one method, and consqeuently spend your resources in 
the corresponding equipment, might be inconvenient.(Almost everybody has 
changed or improved the recording procedures several times during the 
past five years).
-I suggest that you begin with simple methods, e.g. combining a small 
digital camera with computer storage and prints( which is not in the IPH 
publication of 1992, because it was still developing),and the 
rubbing,which is under 4.4 in the IPH.
That will give fairly good images, which you can store together with 
other data about the documents(paper, printing or handwriting, ink, 
authors, etc.) None of so recollected information about watermarks will 
get useless, since it will be exact in shape. Meanwhile, recording 
techniques will improve and get less expensive. You then, if necessary, 
will be able to convert your information into a largely accepted data 
file. Tomas Stohr. E-mail: tomstohr@telcel.net.ve