There are many methods that are employed in imaging. These may include different types of lighting as well as the use of radiography. Multiple energy levels and technologies have been used for cultural heritage imaging, including imaging mummy masks with multiple spectral bands of light, different x-ray technologies, optical coherence tomography, and terahertz imaging. Photographing objects under standard conditions is a typical practice to preserve the item in perpetuity, but not every object will need more specialized imaging. Those doing the imaging or requesting the imaging be done will look at each object on a case-by-case basis to determine the usefulness of specialized imaging. In some cases combinations of different types of imaging will be more effective than one type on its own. This can be seen in projects like the Getty's conservation of Guercino's Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph and the Getty's APPEAR project, details of which can be found on a blog by the Penn Museum's Artifact Lab.
