Preserve Front-and-Back Order When Saving IIIF Photo Views
By ImgHeal · Updated
A multi-view IIIF object can carry more context than one downloaded image. Preserve the manifest's view labels and order when collecting a photograph's front, back, or album pages. File sorting by download time is not a reliable replacement for the repository's presentation structure.
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List expected views before downloading
Open the institutional object and record every view relevant to the research question. Include blank or lightly marked backs when they carry source context, and note any view that is restricted or unavailable. Distinguish the repository's sequence from your proposed storytelling order. A family album may deliberately place unrelated events next to each other, so preserve its original sequence before curating a new selection. Use stable source identifiers rather than relying on a local folder's alphabetical order.
Read canvas structure in the correct version
IIIF Presentation documentation uses canvases to organize individual views. Inspect the version-appropriate sequence and labels through the institution's supported viewer or manifest tools. Match each permitted download with its canvas identity and a local view suffix. Do not infer that the first large image in the JSON text is necessarily the first view the repository intends a reader to see. Keep a small mapping list so you can verify a back scan independently of the front's visual subject.
Test the saved sequence as a package
Open the downloaded collection in order using only the local filenames and mapping note. Check that every expected view is present and that captions or inscriptions belong to the right front. Mark omissions explicitly instead of closing numbering gaps as though no view existed. Keep a separate curated order if you build a family slideshow. When restored viewing images are added, retain their corresponding source-view references so a generated portrait cannot become detached from the back inscription or album position that supports its research context.
Check this workflow
- Inventory expected views and omissions.
- Map downloads to canvas identities.
- Reconstruct the sequence from the saved handoff.
Sources and further reading
- IIIF: Presentation API 3Defines manifests, canvases, labels, rights properties, and links to related representations.
Questions about this restoration task
Can I renumber views to hide missing downloads?
Keep omissions documented. A neat local sequence should not imply the original object contained fewer views than the repository describes.
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