How can you find the image you need when they are scattered on different disks all over the office. Databank management software creates order out of chaos.

Of course it helps if you have a mammoth RAID array system. With a RAID system you can store everything in one place, making it a lot easier to find things by simple alphabetical search.

After a few years of digital photography and digitizing old negatives you end up with thousands of digital images.

But, like most digital design studios, you have stacks of CDs, MO disks, and so how do you find your images there? Entry level (professional entry level) would be Extensis Portfolio. Digital Design Studio (the leading graphics and web design studio for the music industry in Branson, Missouri) found Extensis Portfolio ideal for keeping track of their considerable archives on CD disks.

The main problem is that no one particular program has worked out to be the absolute international standard, though Cumulus from Canto Software is surely reaching this level (Cumulus, for example, was selected by Heidelberg to be included with its mid-range Linotype-Hell and high-end scanners). Cumulus is also bundled with another high-end scanner, so is clearly the software of choice for desktop publishing, medium sized graphics design studios, and in-house publishing departments.