ADA has a growing collection of Arabic design materials. You can help us on our journey to preserve Arab visual heritage. We invite everyone who has a collection to get in touch with us if you need help with preservation. You can also submit your collection of items, either through a Wetransfer or through the form below.
ADA Collections Submission Requirements
A simple guide for submitting items to ADA
1) What we accept
We welcome collections that document Arabic and Arab connected graphic design and visual culture, including: posters, book covers, books, magazines, newspapers, flyers, advertisements, packaging, stamps, ephemera, drawings, layouts, type specimens, film titles, animations, sound recordings, photographs, and related production materials.
Your collection should be:
- Historically and culturally relevant
- Coherent (by person, institution, theme, place, or time period)
- Clear about provenance (where it came from and who owns it)
2) Rights and permission
Before submitting, you must confirm one of the following:
- You are the rights holder, or
- You have written permission to share and digitise the materials, or
- The materials are in the public domain in your context
If there are restrictions, tell us clearly (for example: view-only, no download, educational use only, embargo until a date).
3) Digitisation criteria (minimum standards)
Preferred: flatbed scan for printed items. High-quality photography for oversized posters, fragile items, or bound volumes.
Resolution
- Small prints and documents: 600 ppi (preferred), 300 ppi minimum
- Posters and large formats: 300 ppi (preferred), 200 ppi minimum
- Photographic capture: sharp enough to read small text when zoomed in, no blur
File types
- Master files: TIFF
Colour and accuracy
- Capture in full colour, even if the item looks black and white
- No editing or color presets, filters, AI upscaling, or texture smoothing
- Keep colours natural and consistent
- If possible, include a simple colour target and a ruler in one reference shot per item (optional but helpful)
Cropping and framing
- No cropping, capture the full item, including edges
- Avoid warped pages and curved lines
- No harsh shadows, reflections, or finger coverage
Handling
- Do not disbind books or cut items unless you have explicit permission and it is safe for the object
- If the item is fragile, photograph it rather than forcing a scan
4) File naming (keep it consistent when possible)
Use one clear system across the whole collection. Example:
- ada_collectionname_0001_front.tif
- ada_collectionname_0001_back.tif
- ada_collectionname_0002_detail01.jpg
5) Basic metadata to include (when )
A simple spreadsheet or document is fine. For each item, include:
- File name (must match the image)
- Title or short description
- Creator (person or institution, if known)
- Date or approximate date (if unknown, say “circa”)
- Place (city, country, if known)
- Type (poster, book cover, magazine, etc.)
- Dimensions (if possible)
- Source / owner (who holds the original)
- Rights holder and any usage restrictionsOptional but useful: language, printer/publisher, context notes, related people or events.
6) How to submit
- Share via Google Drive, Dropbox, or WeTransfer
- Include the metadata file in the same folder
- If the collection is large, submit a sample first (10 to 20 items) so we can confirm quality before you digitise everything
7) What happens after submission
- ADA reviews for relevance, quality, and rights clarity
- We may request small fixes (naming, missing fields, better captures)
- If accepted, we confirm how the collection will be credited and how rights will be displayed on the site
Send your submission to: moe@arabicdesignarchive.com
Or
Use the form below to submit items directly to us