Photographic finishing is just as important as all the other steps in the photographic process. Normally, the final checks for accuracy and quality are performed in the finishing area.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

When the prints are dry and the job order is completed, you must examine them for defects or other poor qualities such as stains, dust spots, fingerprints, and uneven borders. Many times the prints are on long rolls and must be cut and trimmed into individual prints. After the prints are trimmed, you must sort the prints into groups according to the negatives and job orders. At this stage you can ensure there are enough good-quality prints to fulfill the job order. The following checks must also be made: the correct negatives were printed, the correct size was printed, and the negatives were printed on the correct finish (glossy or matt) paper. Negatives that required additional prints or reprints should be sent back to the print room to correct discrepancies. You are responsible for ensuring that only the highest-quality product leaves the imaging facility.

Rejected prints from classified negatives must be disposed of according to the instructions provided in the Department of the Navy Information and Personnel Security Program Regulation, OPNAVINST 5510.1 (series). Rejected prints from negatives that are unclassified must be disposed of according to local instructions.

NOTE: It is the policy of most Navy imaging facilities to return all film and paper scraps, test prints, rejected prints, and so forth, from classified jobs to the requester. Be sure to follow the policy established locally by your imaging facility.

Do not neglect to check the completion and accuracy of the job order. Be sure that all personnel responsible for completing the job have completed the appropriate blocks. Materials expended for the job, man-hours, and accountability must be provided on the job order. Remember, without this information, proper budgeting and personnel management within you facility cannot be performed accurately.

MARKING VISUAL INFORMATION PRODUCTS FOR FILING

When the negatives and prints are not returned to the requester, they must be marked and captioned before placing them into the local file or forwarding them to a Navy still and motion-media records center. Classified prints must be marked with the appropriate classification as specified in OPNAVINST 5510.1 (series). Refer to chapter 6 for caption writing requirements if you need to refresh your memory.

The guidelines and procedures for marking visual information (VI) products are in chapter 2 of the Navy Visual Information Management and Operations Manual, OPNAVINST 5290.1 (series). You should refer to this instruction for the most current information on marking and identifying imaging products.

Each original product retained in your imaging facility file must be identified and recorded in the Visual Information Record Identification Number (VIRIN) log. The following information must be included in product markings:

The Department of Defense Visual Information Authorization Number (DVIAN) code

The VIRIN code

The last two digits of the fiscal year (FY) in which the image was exposed or recorded

The six-digit sequence number

The security classification (if applicable)

Blank Unclassified

CO Confidential

SESecret

TSTop Secret

A complete listing of VIRIN codes is contained in OPNAVINST 5290.1 (series). Some of the more commonly used VIRIN codes are as follows:

OTT overhead transparency

SCN still photographic negative, color

SPN still photographic negative, black and white

SPT still photographic transparency

VSP video still

VTC videotape cassette

Each set of characters in the markings of VI products is separated by a hyphen. An example of a VIRIN is as follows: the first product of FY 93 filed by the Fleet Imaging Command Pacific, San Diego; the subject is classified Secret and was shot by a photographer using a still-video camera. The VIRIN is as follows:

NO108-VSP-93-000001-SE

Each authorized imaging facility is assigned a separate DVIAN code. Each original VI product that is marked and filed by your imaging facility must be recorded in the VIRIN log. The VIRIN-log entries must consist of the VIRIN assigned to each original product, the job-order number, format, subject matter, camera-person or artist's name, and final disposition of the product. Like the job-order log, the six-digit sequence number in the VIRIN log is reset to 000001 the first day of the new fiscal year.