Genealogy Chat

Don't know if anyone knows or not, but I learnt something today. I parcelled up two packages of family history information to post but wanted to get a colour copy of my late grandma's birth certificate from 1906. I have the original certificate (minus the segment with registrar's name and mother's details, of course - it must have been ripped) but it is very fragile now so I didn't like to put it through the fax machine. Anyway, I asked the lady in our local printers for a colour copy but she said they're not allowed to colour copy certificates and I got a black and white one instead. Yet, am I right in thinking that - if I had a scanner at home - there would be nothing to stop me scanning a certificate and printing it on my colour printer? Seems a curious set up.

For the purposes of identification, colour copies will not be accepted. I'm not exactly sure why but Money Laundering regs state that it should be a black and white copy. Perhaps this is because a colour copy is more easily remastered. All photocopiers are linked to the government so that they can trace and have a record of every copy taken. This is mostly for copyrite purposes but I guess they could track things down for ID fraud purposes too. But there are no regs on using your scanner at home so far as I know! I guess the difference is that it is more likely to be for personal use if you do it at home than if you do it in a place of business.

Kate I had no problems with my local printers when I had an oversized document but the price did go up a lot. I now have a flat bed scanner/printer and copy my own if I want them. I would have thought that a certificate for someone born in 1906 wouldn't cause a problem! Only original certificates can be used for identification purposes copies would never be.. including the ones ordered from the GRO which have Warning: A certificate is not evidence of identity printed on the bottom. Sheila

What seemed particularly mad, Sheila, was that I also had on me at the time the death certificate of the same grandma (a photocopied photocopy), which I was also sending in the parcel. And, as I say, said certificate wasn't even complete - there was a piece missing. I am thinking of getting a scanner - I have a lot of photos in my possession which belonged to my gran, my other grandmother and these contain many photos from the 1920s/1930s of my gran's relations that I am now trying to match up with people on my tree. My digital camera is OK at photographing the pictures but the quality varies - a scanner would be much better for them.

Kate Getting the scanner was one of the best things Ive ever done. My Nan had masses of old photos and documents and although I have them I have also made copies of them and been able to mend some of the tattier pictures (some date back to 1880's) before printing. They are now all on discs ready for copies at any time safe in the knowledge that they wont get damaged and I have put the originals in a safe place. Sheila You'd have to be really desperate to want to use a 101 year old's birth certificate for fraud wouldn't you lol

It is one of these crack pot government ideas to prevent fraud, which havent been thought out properly of course. I do know that there was quite a problem with bank notes being copied in colour - they were perfect and fooled just about everyone. Of course, if you are a Master Counterfeiter of certificates, banknotes and passports, you probably arent going to pop into your local Spar Shop to do your photocopying, so it is a bit pointless really! OC

Get yourself a scanner! I have scanned in all family photos and saved them to different family files. They are all on disc as well. If I want to write up a family history I can then insert from file any photo I wish! You can also crop and enhance old photos very easily. They can be cropped to put on family trees--the options are endless.