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Copying service

Information about the specialist document copying services we offer. As well as copying the archives in our collections we can make high quality digital copies of records belonging to other people and organisations.

For more about copyright and our copying charges see:

• Order and pay for copies
• How much do copies cost?

What we copy

Our records

We copy documents from the archive collections in Durham County Record Office in a range of formats for:

• Search room visitors
• UK and overseas customers who order by telephone, email or post
• Other Durham County Council departments.

We can supply copies of almost all documents held in the Record Office, subject to:

• the physical condition of the original document
• any restriction imposed by the document owners
• the rules regarding copyright
• Data Protection legislation.

A member of staff will make copies of original records for you.

You may be able to use your own digital camera, for a fee of £15.00 a day. Please ask staff for details. Please note that you cannot photograph:

• Ordnance Survey plans
• tithe plans
• photographs
• microfilms
• records with restricted access
• more than a chapter from a book that is still in copyright.

Other records

We also offer a service for people who bring their own documents, photographs and plans to us for specialist copying.

We have copied records for individuals, projects, libraries, museums, local history groups and other organisations in the North East, including:

• precious, sometimes fragile family photographs, albums, diaries and letters so that digital copies can be shared around the family
• historic railway locomotive drawings
• posters and playbills
• newspapers for the Teesdale Mercury Access Project 
• a long parchment pedigree
• framed oil paintings

Copying facilities

Microfilm reader-printer

There is a self-service microfilm reader-printer for copying from microfilm or microfiche. We can send you prints from microfilm or microfiche by email or by post.

Photocopier

Black and white or colour photocopies up to A3 size.

We do not photocopy:

• documents which are fragile or larger than A3
• large or tightly bound volumes

These are copied using our overhead camera or book scanner to avoid damage.

Laser printer

Black and white or colour high quality prints on photographic paper, up to A3 size.

Overhead digital camera

Copies documents up to A0 size, or larger if copied in sections and the digital images are merged.
Digital images in tiff or high/medium/low resolution jpeg formats.
High quality - enlarge up to four times original size without significant deterioration of image quality.
Good depth of field for successful copying of uneven materials such as folded parchment.

Overhead book scanner

Copies books up to A2 size. Digital images in tiff or high/medium/low resolution jpeg formats.

Flat-bed scanner

High quality scanned copies of documents and photos up to A3 size.
Scans at 300dpi (or higher if required) in tiff and jpeg formats.