Photo Restoration - - Annoying ink problems

PCadete · #1 05-17-2008, 06:39 AM

Hi guys,

This is my first post, and I have to say you guys have a very interesting forum here!!!
I’ve encountered here two cases similar to a photograph I have.
I have one photo whit blue ink and I’ve removed almost half of it but now I’m stuck in the parts that need more attention, like the eye, mouth and nose.
I’m using Photoshop, I’ve used a lot of tools, like the clone stamp, healing brush, and filters such as Color DeConvolution and others to turn the image to black and white to remove the ink but turning it to black and white reduces a lot the quality of the image and I can’t do nothing with it, I only can use it to see what is behind the ink, I even tried to add color to the image but it has a lame quality.
I think I’m give all the information about what I’ve done. Does anyone know a way to remove the rest of the ink?
Here are the two photos, one shows what I tried to explain and the other it’s where I’ve reached so far.

Thanks for your attention.

zekeode · #2 05-17-2008, 01:49 PM

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/his...-scanning.html

mistermonday · #3 05-17-2008, 02:18 PM

PCadete, welcome to RP. If you examine your orig image you will see that most of the detail is in the Blue Channel.
In the Channels Palette, make a copy of the Blue channel and run a noise filter on it at a mild setting (I used Noiseware). Next go back to the layers Palette and duplicate the background layer. run the noise filter on it as well. With the duplicate layer active, Image>Apply Image and choose the Copy of the Blue Channel as the source, Blend Mode Normal, Opacity = 100% and click OK. Your layer will be gray scale. Change the Blend mode of this layer to Luminosity.
Next create a Merged Visible Layer on top (Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E). Change this new layer's blend mode to Color. ON this new layer, choose a small soft brush, hold down the Alt Key and sample a good skin color adjacent to the ink. Then just paint over the ink. Keep move around and sampling and painting unti the ink is gone. When you are done you may need to make some fine touch ups.
Regards, Murray

Kraellin · #4 05-17-2008, 10:05 PM

hi pcadete and welcome to RP.

larger image sizes would help here

also, i looked at the second picture and it strikes me that the blue is something written on the photo, but there is some reddish brown marks on the face that appear to be actually drawn on the face before the photo was taken. is this correct? and, if it is correct, then do you want to remove just the blue ink or all the marks?

Kraellin · #5 05-17-2008, 10:20 PM

ok, here's why i asked: if you notice how i restored this, it would seem the child has some sort of paint/makeup on, as in, maybe for halloween or something? and, to restore this image without that wouldnt really be a true restore. it's fine that it might not be, if that's what the customer wants, but it's something a restorer shld be aware of and check with the client as to actual wishes.

PCadete · #6 05-18-2008, 07:05 PM

Guys, thanks for your precious help, in particular to Murray, it was very helpful, I was trying to do what you told me to but not whit the blue channel, I've created a blue image with Color DeConvolution but the results are far from what I now am able to do, the image is almost done but I'm with some problems in my computer and it will take a while to finish it. When I finish it up I'll put here the work done.
Thanks once more.
Regards, Pedro.