This project required the capture of ‘preservation’ images of the manuscripts. In archival terms this means the capture of an image at sufficient resolution and clarity to replace the original should it be lost or destroyed. However, the capture of a preservation image must be carried out with the safety of the original source material paramount. There is no internationally agreed ‘standard’ (like an ISO) for a ‘preservation’ image, but a series of ‘best practice’ processes have been developed at various centres of excellence around the world. The guidelines we adopted were influenced by those of the Oxford Digital Library project, as well as the AHDS (Arts & Humanities Data Service which serviced the AHRC in the UK). Trinity College Library Digital Resources and Imaging Services (DRIS) has developed rigorous ‘best practice’ guidelines of their own which proved particularly useful.