Analog data such as text and images are stored in microscopic analog format on a disk surface capable of maintaining the information for 1000 years or more whereby simple optical magnification will result in one being able to read the information formed therein. For a disk read by backlighting, as with microfiche, a photosensitive material is overlayed on hard metal surface which in turn is formed on a transparent glass or quartz material. A laser beam is focused on certain desired portions of the photosensitive material and the exposed material and underlying hard metal layer etched off to form pits down to the transparent layer corresponding to the analog information. The resulting disk can then be used to produce archival copies and distribution copies using hot embossing or other disclosed techniques.