COM is a technique of reducing documents in size and photographically printing them so that they can be read using a special magnifying machine.

Microfilm is a roll of film and microfiche is a rectangular sheet of film on which many frames (pages of information) can be stored.

Example : Newspapers might be archived on microfiche.

Advantages :

• uses much less storage space
• film lasts longer than paper

Pages of information are condensed onto very small images on film. Microfilm Microfiche is on a roll and Microfilm Microfiche is a flat sheet.

Newspapers may be stored on microfilm because it is cheaper they are read by a lot of people they are flat it is easy it uses a lot less storage space and it makes less noise to read it lasts longer than paper it looks better on the reader the librarian says so is easily hidden .