Removing color stains

[Zarxrax]

Hi, this is my first post here, so I hope this isn't a dumb question thats been posted a hundred times before. I've been searching around for a few hours but haven't been able to figure this out. I'm trying to learn how to remove color stains that are on part of an image. A good example of this is on photoshop restoration challenge #76: http://www.retouchpro.com/challenges...ry.php/cat/625

I was thinking I'd try making a selection of just the stained area, then apply various adjustments to that, but I can't seem to make the colors match up to the rest of the image. Any tips for this?

[Caitlin]

Hi Zarxrax,

Welcome aboard!

Do you have a scan of one of the images you are trying to fix? The thing is that the best method of fixing a colour stain depends a lot on the individual image and the specifics of the stain. It looks like in the one you have found in the challenges section people have had to hand colour the damaged section. In other cases there are other ways that the original colour can be restored. Sometimes quite easily depending on the stain!

[Zarxrax]

Thanks. I don't really have any particular image that I need to correct, I am just trying to learn the technique.
If I were to hand color the stain like you say was done on those images on the challenge, how exactly would that be done? Also what are some of the other techniques that you mention? My biggest problem just seems to be getting the color where the stain is to exactly match the color in the rest of the image.

[Duv]

No dumb questions here Zarxrax! Caitlin is right. The example you posted seems to have some damage in each channel, so it's difficult to borrow good info from another channel. Other times the damage maybe isolated to a single channel. So I guess to answer your question, you need to develop a quiver of different skills to handle a particular situation. Believe me, I wish there was one solution to fix them all! Great to have you aboard. Hope you stay active!

Cheers
Dave

[Gary Richardson]

Hi Zarxrax,

as Dave and Caitlin have already said, there are all sorts of stain types, and the way you deal with them will depend on the type of stain it is.

Some occur in only one channel, and can be removed by adjusting or replacing that channel. Some are multi channel, and need removing in different ways. Some by local adjustments of levels and curves, some by painting, some by cloning, some by a combination of these methods.

Look through some of the old posts in the forums, there's been quite a few posts on stains over the years, study the many techiniques you'll find there.

Try reading Katrin Eismann's excellent book Photoshop Restoration & Retouching, there's quite a few examples of discolouring and how to deal with it.

But as has already been said, there is no quick fix solution.

So welcome to RP, and have fun learning.

[Duv]

You might pick up some tips here:http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/image-help/10411-fix-badly-aged-damaged-photo.html

Dave

[Zarxrax]

Ok thanks guys. I think I will definately check out that book, its pretty cheap through amazon.