[NCP Doug]

This my first post, although I have been a "Lurker" for some time.
I have done a number of B&W restorations, but when enlarged this attached image appears to be very "pixelated" and won't take my attempts at correction?
Any advice would be welcome.

Thanx.

[Doug Nelson]

What's your scanning resolution? I usually recommend 600ppi. This is technically overkill since a paper print doesn't have that much detail, but I find it gives me a good working size without resampling later (which distorts tonal values).

[NCP Doug]

Thanks Doug
600 ppi - tried 300 same results - did both TIF and JPEG, not much difference except the TIF file was bigger.

I have used the same scanner, Epson perfection 1660 for all of my other projects - never had any problems. The original appeared OK ececpt for obvious age problems.

[Doug Nelson]

Can you crop out a bit of the full-sized image that shows what you're asking about and attach it? The full image is too small to examine.

[NCP Doug]

Doug

Here is a small selection @200%

[Kraellin]

i had a go at this.

polaroid dust and scratch remover on duped layer.
doubled image size.
brightness/contrast adjustment layer.
clarify at 10.
lots of clone and push (heavy smudge).
cloned back in some parts that were good in the original that d&s partially removed. (yeah, i shld have masked)
resized back down.

craig

edit: oh, and did a light usm in there somewhere also. radius 2, str 50, clip 5

[bart_hickman]

Just looks blurry to me with some dust or scratch caused "noise". Both are likely in the original print. To fix the noise, use some type of noise reduction program.

Bart

[photonut]

try Neat image this may help cure your problem www.neatimage.com

[Doug Nelson]

Try turning off all automatic settings on your scanner (that looks like it has been filtered).

[Flora]

Hi,

NCP Doug,

welcome to RetouchPRO!!

I had a go at your picture... I worked on the smaller one you posted since the enlargement looks very blurred..

• I selected the shadows:
  • Softer Selection > (Ctrl+Alt+ ~ to select Luminosity, Ctrl+Shift+I to invert my selection ... now the shadows are selected)
    
    
  • Stronger Selection > select the shadows using a channel.
    
    
  • Strongest Selection > Select the shadows using a Threshold Adjustment Layer
  
  
• To balance the shadows and start minimizing the noise, I used a Curves Adjustment Layer (see Attachment here ) on my Selection.
  
  
• Merged visible:
  
  (Keeping the Alt key pressed, open your Layers Palette's Menu and, click on 'Merge Visible'.
  
  A new Layer containing all your corrections will be created on top of all the other Layers ....
  
  This procedure enables you to carry on with your restoration from your advanced point... without losing any of the previous steps/Layers... thus giving you the possibility to retrace your steps and making changes wherever necessary.... even after you've 'finished' the job.... )
  
  
• I re-selected the shadows by Ctrl+click on the Curves Layer Mask, activated (clicked on) the Merged Layer and pressed Ctrl+J to paste my selection on a new Layer.
  
  
• Run Neat Image to remove the remaining noise from my selection. (Neat Image = a free noise removing Software that can be downloaded here).

Hope this helps.

.

[Kraellin]

a couple things i dont understand there, flora. you got rid of all the scratches with neat image and a shadows selection with curves applied?

also, when you said

on the Curves Layer Mask,

are you talking about the selection you made earlier? i know selections and masks are very similar and i'm guessing that's all this is, but if you did use a mask in there, when did you add it?

craig

[Flora]

Originally Posted by Kraellin

a couple things i dont understand there, flora. you got rid of all the scratches with neat image and a shadows selection with curves applied?

... Not the scratches ... which I still remove by tedious, manual work .. .... I was talking about noise...

Originally Posted by Kraellin

also, when you said are you talking about the selection you made earlier? i know selections and masks are very similar and i'm guessing that's all this is, but if you did use a mask in there, when did you add it?

... I didn't ... in Photoshop, a Mask is only a non destructive, very flexible tool for refining, correcting or changing a selection.
After having made a selection (marching ants aound it = selection active), whatever Adjustment Layer you create for corrections in this selection, (in this case a Curves Adjustment Layer..) will come with the 'appropriate' mask by Photoshop default ....

[Kraellin]

ah, ok. now i get it i'd forgotten that Paint Shop Pro does this too with selections. and re the noise, ok, got it. gotta forgive an old man. the mind is always the first to go

craig

[Kraellin]

flora,

i had another go at this borrowing your method a bit. it's not exactly the same but worked well.

dupe bg
magic wand on shadows at 20% tolerance and 'continuous'. this picked up just the main dark areas.

copy selection to new layer.

curves adj layer on copied selection layer.

copy merge and paste to new layer.

digital camera noise removal on copy merge layer.

clone to remove scratches and other unwanteds.

copy merge and paste to new layer again.

high pass sharpen at 6 radius, 80 strength.

i didnt double the image size this time because i just wanted to use flora's method quickly. i also went a bit differently on the curve. i lightened it more than flora but that's just an optional thing.

that's a fairly quick, but effective method, flora. thank you

craig

[NCP Doug]

Thanks Flora
Thanks Kraellin

Your work on this is amazing! Putting your methods to work greaty improved my restoration. A lot of "hand work" but the result was much better.

Thanks for the help.