2009 to present
17 years
FamilySearch
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
A working relationship of more than a decade and a half, digitising records in South Africa for one of the world's largest genealogical archives.
Digitising across South Africa
Every page of your archive, captured and checked.
From everyday office documents to fragile archival records, we digitise any paper material with a high-resolution camera station instead of a sheet feeder. Nothing goes through rollers, spines stay intact, and every image is checked before it reaches you.
3 formatsTIFF, JPEG and PDF
100%Images checked
Since 2009International partner work
LIVE · TETHEREDBATCH 0417 · P 0142
TIFF · QC PASSED● REC
International partners
Trusted by international organisations since 2009
We capture for international clients right here in South Africa, to the standards their global programmes require.
2024 to present
Ongoing
Lifewood Technologies
China
Capture work carried out in South Africa for an international data and AI company.
FamilySearch
Lifewood
2009201420192024Today
What we capture
Any document, everyday or archival
If it's on paper, we can capture it. Day-to-day business documents, medical and personnel files, legal records, registers and historical collections all go through the same careful process.
Everyday documents and case files
Contracts, invoices, correspondence, and medical, personnel and legal files, captured in their original order so each file maps one-to-one to its digital copy.
Books, registers and ledgers
Photographed from above without unbinding or forcing the spine flat. Ideal for volumes that can't go through a scanner.
Aged and fragile paper
Brittle, torn or faded pages are handled by hand and photographed in place. No feeders, no rollers, no heat.
Indexing and file naming
Images named and grouped to your scheme (file number, patient ID, volume and folio) so any page is easy to find.
Optional · Hosting and search
Find any document in seconds
We can host your digitised records and give you our search engine to find and retrieve them. No more digging through boxes or folders: type what you're looking for and open the folder and page.
- Hosting so you don't need your own servers or storage
- Search across everything we've captured for you
- Fast retrieval of the exact file or page you need
Built for
Researchers at archivesDoctors' receptionsMinesLaw firms
Ask about hosting and search
- Mine mapShaft 3 underground plan, level 12Stitched from 6 sections · Box 014
- Survey sheetShaft 3 survey, sheet 4 of 9Box 014 · File 3
- ReportShaft 3 ventilation reportBox 022 · 14 pages
Who we work with
Trusted with records across South Africa
We work with mining houses, medical practices, law firms and archives nationwide, at our facility or on-site wherever your records are.
Mining
Mine maps and plans, survey sheets and geological records, laid flat with no folding or feeding. Large maps are captured in sections and stitched into one complete, high-resolution map.
Doctors and medical practices
Patient files, clinical notes and practice records, handled confidentially from start to finish.
Law firms
Case files, contracts, deeds, wills and correspondence, kept in matter order and easy to search.
Archives and collections
Historical records, registers, bound volumes and fragile collections preserved as high-resolution images.
Why camera capture
A photograph of the page, not a trip through a machine
Sheet-fed scanners struggle with real-world paper: staples, folds, carbon copies, sticky notes, bound spines and pages that tear when pulled. A camera handles all of it, whether the document is from last week or last century.
Our capture stations use professional, high-quality camera equipment and controlled lighting. The page lies still while it's photographed, so every image is sharp, evenly lit and accurately cropped.
| Sheet-fed scanner | GL Digital Services | |
|---|---|---|
| Bound volumes | Must be unbound | Captured intact |
| Fragile pages | Risk of jams and tears | Handled by hand |
| Mixed sizes | Re-sorted by size | Kept in original order |
| Colour | Varies by device | Consistent, controlled lighting |
| Checking | Often sample-based | Every image reviewed |
Where we work
At our facility or on your premises
If your records can't leave the building, we bring the capture stations to you. Same equipment, same process, same quality checks.
At our facility
We collect your boxes, capture them at our premises and return the originals once you've signed off on the images.
- Collection and return included in the plan
- Full chain of custody for every box
- No space or disruption needed at your offices
At your premises
Your records never leave your building. We set up one or more capture stations at your site and work through the collection there.
- Records stay under your roof the whole time
- Scales up with more stations for larger projects
- You provide a room big enough for the stations the project needs, with power points for each station
How a project runs
From your shelf to your server in six steps
Collect or set up
We collect your boxes, or set up capture stations at your site. Either way, every box and file is counted, logged and given a batch reference.
Prepare
Staples and clips removed, folds flattened, attachments noted. Original order is preserved.
Capture
Each page is photographed on the tethered camera station, straight into the project batch.
Quality control
Every image is checked for focus, crop, skew, missing pages and hands in frame. Failures are recaptured.
Index and name
Files are named and organised to your scheme and exported in the formats you need.
Deliver and return
Images handed over securely, or hosted by us with our search engine. Originals are returned, stored or destroyed on your written instruction.
Capture specification
Quality equipment, the formats you need
Every project is captured on professional, high-quality equipment and delivered in the format that suits how you'll use it.
Quality equipmentProfessional capture stations, used on every project
.tiff
TIFF
Archival master files for long-term preservation.
.jpg
JPEG
Lighter files for everyday viewing and sharing.
.pdf
PDF conversion
Pages combined into documents, one PDF per file or volume.
Gallery
Inside our work
A look at our capture stations, on-site setups and the records we work with.
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Security and custody
Your records are accounted for at every step
Chain of custody
Boxes and files are signed out and signed back. You can see where any batch is at any time.
Controlled access
Material stays in the capture area and is handled only by staff working on your project.
Secure delivery
Images delivered on encrypted media or by secure transfer, never by open email links.
Your call on originals
Return, storage or certified destruction of paper, decided by you and confirmed in writing.
POPIA-minded handling. Much of what we capture contains personal information, and we treat it in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act.
Request a quote
Tell us what's on your shelves
A rough count is enough to start. We'll come back with a quote and, for larger collections, arrange a site visit.
Emailinfo@gldigitaltrading.co.za
Cell078 348 0697
Tel+27 12 993 1274