Looking for some pointers here... I have this important family photo to restore that isn't generally in too bad shape -- some stains, splodges, minor tears, easy enough to handle -- but it has this ingrained dirt all over it (see attached sample). On the background I can use dust and scratches filter with no problem, but that won't work for the face.

My feeling is to try the Healing tool in Lighten mode, but I wondered if anyone else here has any tried-and-tested techniques for dealing with this kind of grime?

Try selecting areas where grime is bad, copy and paste to a new layer, change blend layer to lighten, then move new layer by 1 or 2 pixels. This will get rid of grime in large areas with not too much detail, detail areas must be done by cloning/healing brush. Hope this helps.

I have had a couple of jobs like that, after making the best copy I could, I gave them a good gentle washing with water and photoflo. A good deal of the dirt came off thereby making the retouching much easier.

Hope you have already tried this.

Mike

Try using d/s, select all, define as pattern, restore original, healing brush set to pattern and check aligned.

Hi Leah

I tried to treat it as noise. Ran it thru a program called Noiseware Community Edition. I think it's freeware. Other software would do the same. Not sure if this moves you forward.

Cheers
Dave

Hi Leah!

make a mask (better than mine) of eyes lips nose
duplicate layer dust and scratches radius: 16- 25
treshold 0
blending option luminosity fill 60%
duplicate layer blur 6 pixel radius
blending option color fill 100%
some dust and scratches need on each channels
and stamp

Saby

Hi,

I run Polaroid Dust&Scratches Removal filter (can be downloaded free here (http://www.polaroid.com/service/software/poladsr/poladsr.html)) on Leah's picture twice, adjusting the settings.

Added a new empty Layer and used the Blur Tool (40-60% Stenght) on the remaining noisiest parts. (adjusted Opacity)

Run Neat Image on the individual Channels adjusting the settings for each Channel.

:wavey:

Flora, any reason for using Polaroids D&S over Photoshop D&S?

Bob

Hi Bob,

the only reason I sometimes use the Polaroid D&S instead of Photoshop D&S is that the Polaroid Filter lets you target light and dark noise individually ....

:wavey:

Just tried another approach:


Duplicated the Background Layer.
Working on the same duplicate I run Maximum and Minimum Filters.
Still on the same Layer, I run Dust & Scratches.
Used the Patch Tool to clear up.
Run Neat Image.
Run Levels on each Channel.
Run Selective Color to improve the colour.
Slightly blurred the image: Gaussian Blur Radius: 0.3 pixels.
I used USM to lightly sharpen the image.
Finally I added a little Noise.

Hi Flora!

Do U know about neat-image for Mac?

saby

Hi Saby,

I just had a look at the Neat Image site ... this is what they say:

Q: Are you going to release a Mac OS9 or OSX version?

A: A Mac OSX version of Neat Image is under development.

:wavey:

Tanx Flora

saby

Thank you all -- I am about to head off on holiday for a week but I shall be giving some of these a go as soon as I get back. Some of them I'd already tried and they give too soft a result for my personal taste, but there are some very promising avenues to explore... :classic:

Flora,

Neat Image have been saying that about a Mac version for a long time ... but nothing has ever appeared :)


Wendy

Hey everyone!

First of all what a wonderful community you have here!
Here's my attempt.
http://img71.exs.cx/img71/6949/girlafter2.jpg
I found it very hard to keep the detail from the lighting, I'm sorry I didn't record the steps. I've just switched from corel pp8 to 12 and the undo special seems to have been moved ,replaced or gotten rid of!

Feedback welcome!