FSTC Completes Camera Calibration Project

Consortium Continues to Lead the Industry by Focusing on Check Image Exchange Issues

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Financial Services Technology Consortium (FSTC) announced today it has completed the Camera Calibration project whose main goal was to understand the key drivers of differences between imaging systems. During this six month project, the project team completed the development of test documents which can be used in the field to ensure image systems are calibrated to improve image consistency and maintain image usability. This is especially important with the proliferation of remote image capture systems.

“Banks depend on each other and their remote-capture customers to negotiate only high-quality check images. To support that goal, FSTC and its members collaborated in developing industry standards and calibration tools to enable reliable equipment and system performance. These new standards benefit our customers, our associates, and our shareholders by maximizing quality and productivity.”

"In a check image world, financial institutions are obliged to provide the highest quality images to their customers”, said Matt Calman of Bank of America. “Banks depend on each other and their remote-capture customers to negotiate only high-quality check images. To support that goal, FSTC and its members collaborated in developing industry standards and calibration tools to enable reliable equipment and system performance. These new standards benefit our customers, our associates, and our shareholders by maximizing quality and productivity."

“Major contributors to image inconsistency are the different objectives of and interaction between standards, printing techniques, writing instruments, stock design, and capture systems,” said Dan Schutzer, Executive Director of FSTC. “Achieving consistent images requires addressing all these areas through a cohesive set of recommendations. The project team did an excellent job in working with all parties in the image value chain as well as X9 to establish clear guidelines for achieving consistent images throughout the process.”

During the course of this project, it was determined that key imaging system drivers that most directly impact usability appear to be differences in: spectral response of the capture systems, sensitivity to contrast changes and edge detection performance at low contrast.

In addition to developing test documents, the project also documented printing and capture recommendations for financial institutions, capture providers, check designers, check issuers, and X9.

The Camera Calibration Project is one of a series of on-going projects that FSTC has completed in the last four years to help the industry move toward fully functional check image exchange.

About FSTC

FSTC brings together diverse, and often competitive financial institutions, industry services providers, government agencies, and others to collaborate and find solutions to key industry challenges. Project topics come from member financial institutions and are driven by participating members with the support of FSTC staff.

For more information on FSTC, the Camera Calibration project, or current and future FSTC projects, please visit www.fstc.org.