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Abstract
Xeroradiography has proven to be a powerful tool for the examination of archaeological finds and other cultural artefacts, but it is no longer readily available. Building on previous work by the authors, which outlined the basics of X‐ray image digitisation, it is shown here how the desirable characteristics of xeroradiographs (good resolution of detail, tolerance of scattered radiation, wide exposure latitude and edge enhancement) can be reproduced through the application of digital image processing (DIP) to good‐quality X‐ray film images. Radiographs with optimum resolution, image contrast and exposure latitude, and reduced levels of scatter, are gained through the careful selection of X‐ray energy and beam filtration, or with high‐energy X‐rays and the judicious use of lead screen intensifiers. The edge‐enhancement potential of some currently available computer software is explored. Details are provided of basic edge‐detection kernels and how they are applied to digitised images to provide edge enhancement.
Notes
Author for correspondence.