Good quality images and details allow to document the artworks and are necessary to the interpretation of scientific documentation.

These images highlight the relief of the objects, the deformations of the supports in painting and graphic art, the networks of cracks and the presence of impasto.

This technique can be used for both canvas and papers, the backlighting enhances to appreciate the thickness of the support and can sometimes help to detect compositional changes, repaints and reworks. It also allows the detection of watermarks on papers.

The images obtained with microscope allow the careful observation of the materials, the surface, the cracks or the signatures of the artwork. These images are also useful to read physico-chemical results.

Some materials such as varnish, or other organic materials are fluorescent under ultraviolet light, the images obtained make it possible to detect certain painted, and the specific fluorescence of certain materials guides their chemical analysis.

Infrared reflectography renders the pictorial layer of the painting translucent. It allows the detection of underdrawings, often determining element in the attribution of an artwork. This exam can also detect some changes and restoration repaints, it is used to determine the areas of the painting to be analyzed.

This technique highlights the surface relief of objects with great precision. It detects tool marks, incisions and subtle differences in thickness. http://culturalheritageimaging.org/Technologies/RTI/

X-rays provide information on the nature, mounting and condition of the support. They provide insights into artists' creative techniques and sometimes reveal hidden compositions. X-rays are also used to detect deep gaps and restorations.

This non-invasive and non-destructive analysis technique allows without performing sampling to identify mineral elements in the composition of materials. It determines the composition of most pigments, ceramic materials and metal alloys used for sculpture and furniture.

This exam is performed is carried out with or without taking samples and allows the identification of the molecular structure of the organic and inorganic components of the material. This analysis is useful for determining the nature of the organic elements present in the paint layer such as the binder, the varnish or some organic pigments. It is also used for paper analysis and the study of hard stones.

This exam is carried out on micro-sampling and allows the stratigraphic analysis of paint layers, the identification of pigments and inorganic materials, of the components of ceramic, plaster or metal artworks.

This analysis technique uses a diffused laser on a microsampling, it allows to determine the nature of the organic and inorganic components of the materials and their crystalline structure, useful element to differentiate some products.

The X-Ray diffraction allows to identify the crystalline form of materials, it is used to differentiate some pigments made of similar components.

Thermoluminescence is a method of dating terracotta objects. This examination requires a sampling and determines the date of the last heating of the artwork. It can be made on ceramics, porcelain, terracotta sculpture as well as on the possible remains of earthen cores in metal sculptures.

The radiocarbon dating technique is used to date materials of organic origin such as wood, textiles, leather, ivory, bone, and some papers obtained from plant fibers. The analysis is performed on sampling and its relevance depends on the supposed period of the creation of the work.