Quick Technique for removing multiple scratches

[jaxx]

I am fairly new to restoration and need help with this image. I posted a cropped example to point out the many scratches that need fixed. I find that when I scan my images, I notice tons and tons of small thin scratches. For a while I have been going through by hand with the healing brush fixing them, but figure there are better and faster techniques out there. Photoshop dust & scratches won't fix them unless settings are boosted, leaving the image super blurry. Thanks in advance for all of your input! Also, how would you remove the small stains?

[mistermonday]

Jaxx, there are many ways to remove the stains. For this image my choice would be the following:
Duplicate Bkgnd layer. Next Image>Apply Image to apply the Green channel to the duplicated bkgnd layer - normal blend mode 100% opacity. (Your layer will be grayscale). Change the blend mode of the layer from Normal to Luminosity. Next add a blank layer on top of the last layer and set its blend mode to Color. Next select the piant brush tool, alt+Click on a good color adjacentr to a stained area and paint over the stained areas.

As for the scratches, they are randon apparently from abrasion of the surface. I would use a good noise filter like Noiseware where you have very fine controls to wipe out all of the fine scratches. The large splotches would be better handled by the clone or healing tools.

In the sample below I went as far as applying only a small amount of noise filtering for the fine scratches. Using the filter is a trade off between how much you want to get rid of versus how much blurring you can tolerate.

Regards, Murray

[Markzebra]

Nope thats all too long winded. Its easy using the Dust and Scratches filter. Filter/noise/Dust & Scratches. A very old filter available since Photosop version 4 I think.

The way to use it, is to increase radius until the scratches JUST disappear - no more. Then increase threshold value from Ø, to just underneath the point where it reveals the scratches again - it works on contrast, knocking out spots of high contrast. Leaving low contrast texture untouched.

The only disadvantage with this old, but still good filter is that in CAN cause damage, especially if used incorrectly, with too high a radius value or too low a threshold. Depends on the file - but it works most of the time for quick work like yours.

You can mask a duplicate first, then you can paint the original back on top if you need to retrieve any high detail areas

[0lBaldy]

I agree .. Native Dust N scratch filter OR polaroid dust and scratch removal utility with the 'light' box checked (free) on a duplicate layer... then a hide all mask on the Dust N Scratch layer and with the mask selected paint white on each scratch with a small soft brush just big enough for the scratch or imperfection to remove them (More work but less blurring) Then clone or heal the large spots that the filter did not correct completely

quick fix using Murrays' sample