Can you read the writing?

[lcramer53]

I'm working on a photo that has some indistinguishable writing on it that I'm trying to "emphasize" it so that it can be read.

This is only a portion of the photo, where the writing occurs. I can make out: Age 6 mos ....... Merry XMas to (I think it says "you") but there's more in the area where "1927" appears and even above that where I think the word is "wishing".

I've looked at the separate channels, I think red was the best, but not by much. I've adjusted each of the different channels on separate layers, inverted, sharpened, used levels and curves, brightness & contrast, and the 2nd image posted is where I need to stop & walk away for a little while.

The original image was in a concave frame and couldn't be scanned, the photo was emailed to me after taking shots with a digital camera.

Any ideas on how I can do better to clearly make out what the writing says?

Thank you!

[MrShilts]

On the right one its more visible in my opinion

[lcramer53]

Thank you, yes, the one on the right is after I made some adjustments to channels, inverting, adjusting levels, curves and whatever else I could think of to do. I don't know where to go from here to make it more legible.

[Ramius55]

I know how you can read those words. I came across a program used mainly for forsenic work . The sight is 4N6site.com and has a color deconvolution filter plugin. Free version only allows a 250 x 250 pic. I tried it on yours and on first try it showed a lot of promise but small pic. I may buy this program. Is cool how it can bring out print in a mess. Hope it helps you.

[lcramer53]

Thanks Ramius. I downloaded the trial version too and tried it on a 250x250 section of this photo, it improved somewhat, but as you said, that's a really small area. I plan to buy the full version as soon as I get over tonsilitis and can experiement. Thanks again for your suggestion!

[aartist]

Born June 5th 1927

This was my best shot and I darkened what I perceived to be strokes.

As for birth dates, I celebrated my own birthday on the wrong date until I found
out it was actually wrong. My birth certificate was needed years back to obtain
my very first drivers license and it found my mother's memory to be faulty.

[Ramius55]

Well lcramer53, I went back to site, donated and got full version. I tried it on your picture, both before and after. Seems when I zoom in, it has pixelated a bit. What you already did in your first attempt seems to have brought out the text the most, so far. I am not knocking this program and I think it has a lot of uses. Most likely I am not using it to it's full extent. I mentioned to the author that I had told you about it and he said yes, you already contacted him and that he was trying to help on the image so what better person to use the program than he? Reread his email, he said you solved it so I assume you have full version? Will be interesting to see other attempts on faded text or images later. I will be trying it on some myself. I have lost my job of 32 years because the plant closed. I have time on my hands for the moment. Spring, I intend to go back to school, yuks ! lol I am 54 , I dont want to go back . Brain is slower now.... : )

[lcramer53]

Aartist - Thanks for your input, but, the woman in the picture is still alive and her birthday is Nov. 5th, 1926. From the little bit that I've been able to recover in the photo, I can make out the 5th, 1927, and after really looking hard at the work preceding '5th', I thought I saw an "M", and made out the word "May", which would make sense since she would be 6 months of age in May.

Ramius - I have not donated for the full program yet. I contacted the website because when I cut and pasted a portion of this picture to a 250x250 size and tried to use the plugin, it told me the size was too big. What I had done was copied a larger portion and pasted it into a 250x250 frame. There was overspill and once I cropped to the 250x250 size, it allowed me to proceed. However, I just played with the software with its limitations, without reading any of the documentation and tips and agree that it really didn't do much. We'll see... as soon as I'm feeling better, I'll be back with more tries. By the way, sorry about your job loss and having to go back to school, I know what you mean, I just turned 56 EGADS!!

[TommyO]

Icramer53,
Unfortunately, it can be very hard to lift text from paper after fading. The human eye seems to do a better job at resolving it than Photoshop. The only way to get a better result is to photograph the image in a different light source. Ink pigments have differing properties, based upon when, how, of what they were manufactured, etc. Try looking at the image under different light sources, i.e. flourescent, black lights, etc.

My best attempt is attache, and may allow you to read something. I can't make out much more than you have already.

[mistermonday]

By going at the image with different adjustments and blend modes you can target sections of it to enhance thecontrast. On 1st pass it appears to me that the bottom reads merry xmas to you all. Above it looks like ?(name) May 5th 1927 age 6 mos.
Yo will probably get better results if you try taking some addition pictures at different angles and orientation of the camera. That will help eliminate some of the reflections and reveal more detail.
Regards, Murray

[lcramer53]

Just wanted to get back to this, have been sick. I worked on this last night, but nothing really better to display. My plan of attack is to segregate the differently lit areas and work on them separately.

I don't have the original. Had done some reading about UV lighting etc.. will see if my friend (owner of the original photo) can take some more photo shots of this.