Using the FFT filter to remove photgraphic paper texture

[oppor2nity]

Thanks, but now I'm even more confused.

Would you please be able to tell me how you produced the great result you posted? I'm usually proficient with similar things and don't give up easily, but with ImageJ I have no idea where to start.

I can only find references to before-and-after comparisons, no clues as how to actually perform the actions.

I tried based on my experience with the FFt in Photoshop, but all I ended up with was one window with the original image, and after applying FFT one window with the little stars. I was unable to make the brush work, so drew squares and filled them - with black as I can't find how to change the fill colour.

When the main stars are covered, I invert the FFT and this results in a window all filled with black. I could copy and paste this into the original image window, but this only gave me another window filled with black.

And how did you figure out how to perform this procedure?

Cheers,

/Ulf

[chillin]

In imageJ:
1. Open file
2. Go to Process>FFT>FFT Options
3. Check Complex Fourier Transform
4. Click OK
5. Next: Process>FFT>FFT
6. Cover the stars with the brush tool
7. Process>FFT>inverse FFT
8. Save
Done

Following byRos method you will get the same results.

[oppor2nity]

Thanks, I tried it again while waiting for a reply and for some reason, even though I did exactly the same as before, I got a completely different result; albeit a so-so one. Then ImageJ stopped working as it couldn't "Create the Java Virtual Machine". I uninstalled and re-installed to no avail. Uninstalled all Java components, reinstalled Java, then ImageJ. Works fine now. Tried your workflow (the "Complex" checkbox did it) and got a sequence of good results, by creating an inverse FFT, then painting some more, then creating another inverse FFT, etc.

Thanks for all your help.

/Ulf

[Michele_Verona]

Very nice forum, I'm an italian reader and your english is simple and easily understanded from me :-)

Regards,
Michele

[spasquini]

I wrote an italian version of this tutorial, but using the patch tool, instead of a grey brush, on the whit dots, and I think that the result is better. Try it.

http://www.psdrevolution.it/forum/in...howtopic=31545

I added also a link back to here, as credits.

[JenRS]

I was so excited to see this tutorial and find out after years of frustration that there is a solution to that awful texture problem on some photographs.

I was all set to download the filter and give it a try.....except that link does not work anymore, the page does not exist. :o(

Can you please post an updated link to the file? Thank you!

Jennie

[byRo]

I've been looking around for an alternative.
The best I've found so far is from Kamlex.

(not sure, but it seems that it has the same size limit of 3000 pixels)


Just do a search on the Web "Kamlex FFT"

Rô

[JenRS]

Thanks for the quick reply and the info. I downloaded it from www.kamlex.com and am looking forward to trying it out!!!

Thanks again!

Jennie

[0lBaldy]

????
Are the FFTs found at:
http://www.skeller.ch/ps/fft_action.php
or
http://home.planet.nl/~ber03728/4N6s...ugin/getit.htm

any different than the one at:
www.kamlex.com
????

[byRo]

Originally Posted by 0lBaldy

...any different?

The two links you posted lead to copies of the Alex Chirokov plug-in.
Thanks.

I just reasoned that it would be better to point to an active (equivalent) filter-maker than to one who has "retired" his page.

I can't testify as to what's inside the filters.
They seem to work equally (haven't compared them yet. The Kamlex filter needs the .NET framework and I didn't have it here at home).

Rô

[secretagents]

Hi guys, did this in the Gimp as follows :

Applied FFT filter on the image (no layers), used the blur brush on the white dots and then applied the Inverse FFT filter. Not bad and rather straightforward isnt'it ?

[Joe Townsend]

Please tell us which FFT flter you use. Kamlex or another?

I'm editing my original post to add more info and questions.

I have found that none of the links for the Alex Chirokov plug-in work. I have instilled the Kamlex FFT plug in and their RGB>HSL plug in. I have tried to view the Kamlex video using Win Med Player 9*. Video does not run well, no audio, poor color and contrast. Stepped through video frame by frame to come up with this step by step procedure:
1. Duplicate image in Photoshop: Image> Duplicte
2. Filter> Fourier Transform>FFT
3. Select green Channel only
4. Paint over 4 points around center star with black, size 10 (I used 20), normal, 100% flow
5. Select RGB, all channels
6. Filter> Fourier Transform> IFFT
7. Filter>Color space>RGB to HSL
8. Select Blue Channel only
9. Select All
10. Edit copy
11. Select original image
12. Filter>Color space>RGB to HSL
13. Select Blue Channel
14. Edit>Paste
15. Select RGB Channels
16. Filter>Color space>HSL to RGB
17. Deselect

Result is an improvement but not complete success. Applied Neat Image with little improvement. Images attached are parts of the 8x10 photo of historic aircraft. First shows heavy pattern from paper texture; 2nd shows improvement, with pattern gone around edges, but still in center. Would like to avoid using Gaussian Blur.

Suggestions? Did I get the procedure correctly off the video? I see nothing on a Luminosity layer as in the tutorial.

*Using Photoshop CS3, running on an Intel PC with Win XPP, SP2. .NET2 SP 1 installed.

[jhumur]

Hi, many of my stars have prominent flares in the horizontal and vertical axes. Should I paint over the flares?

[Darkhorse]

Joe,

This type of paper texture is realllllllyy hard to eliminate with retouching. I'll bet you'll have better luck playing with lighting the original and copying with camera. Is that possible, or do you have this only as a file (.jpg or whatever)?

-DCW

[lurch]

I've found that fft processing (at least with ImageJ) does very little to improve this diagonal waffle texture. I've had success with Topaz de-noise/equalizer - but it's not free.

[0lBaldy]

Joe I used the free "Image Analyzer" (found here)

The steps were:
1. load image
2. filters>frequency domain filter
3. color all the bright star looking thingys except for the middle top (preview every once in a while)
4. OK
5. save

There are still work to be done but there is a big difference

[Bill Forster]

The TUTORIAL sounds great!
http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=185

BUT I am an Apple Mac user. Does the recommended filter work OK on an Apple with Mac OS 10.5 (Leopard)? And is it a free download? Or ....?

I am NOT an expert - and never will be! - but I have agreed to scan ten years of school leavers photos from my old school from 1939 - 49. Many of the ex pupils are marked "killed in action". And all of the photos are on matt paper. The scans loose all mid range tones due to being printed on matt paper. I want to be able to send the "old boys" - or their families if dead - scans by e-mail suitable for producing portraits.

Simple straight forward advice on whether this technique & this filter will work with Photoshop on my Mac would be greatly appreciated.

Bill

[ngutman]

Has anyone figured out how to use the FFT/iFFT filters in Photoshop Elements 5 or 6 or in Corel Paintsho Pro X?
Thanks,
Nathan

[0lBaldy]

Image Analyzer under Filters>Frequency Domain Filter (Free) Does a fine job.. Paint stars click OK

[thepcmouse]

I got excited and wanted to try this image analyzer and before I installed I ran it through jotti and virustotal.
Found Trojan-PWS.Win32.LdPinch so ran it through virustotal and got the same thing from another antivirus program Esomething?
Has anyone else mentioned this?
The first one I downloaded was the zip file reporting same trojan, so I tried meesoft and downloaded non zipped and got the same trojan. I'm too paranoid anymore to get bad stuff on my computer. Has anyone else had this problem?
I was wondering if either olBaldy or Lurch still has the original downloaded file, if so could you run it through the online scan and see if you get the same thing? I would appreciate it ever so much. I know there are false positives but I'm just so tired of wasting the best years of my life cleaning up my computer.
Thanks

[0lBaldy]

thepcmouse, I did as you said and ran my downloaded copies thru the sites mentioned and got the same hits...

Result: 1 hit out of 39 (2.57% chance of being a Trojan/virus) but could be just a coding thing

I have had no problems and my anti virus did not pick anything up... nor do I have any of the listed programs contained/listed in the PWS.Win32.LdPinch Trojan in my registry or on my computer...

Your Call!

[lurch]

Hi thepcmouse,
I'm on a Mac, so can't use Image Analyzer and don't have it. I use ImageJ, which has a daunting interface but is platform-neutral.

[Joe Townsend]

Regarding my edited post # 102. Old Baldy in Post #106 did achieve improvement.

I've been putting of my final comments on this for months. What I did that paid off was to shoot the image with my DSLR fitted with a circular polarizer and photo floods at a sharp angle and close in. This resulted in filling the paper texture with light. Darkhourse (Posrt 106) was right. I got a great, workable image and was able to go ahead and complete the extensive retouch -- relocating the tree line, rebuilding the lower part of the plane, and finally "repainting" the plane to a new color scheme. Since then I have acquired polarizing sheets for my floods and such images come out even better.

[thepcmouse]

Thanks for checking your versions. It was esafe that shows a suspicious file and they are known for false positives. But jotti is the one that shows the trojan. I'd really like to try this program so will cross my fingers and go for it since you have not had any problems with a trojan on your computer.
Thanks again for checking.

[rubbertomato]

Originally Posted by ngutman

Has anyone figured out how to use the FFT/iFFT filters in Photoshop Elements 5 or 6 or in Corel Paintsho Pro X?
Thanks,
Nathan

did you get any answers, ngutman Nathan? i am working on the same problem. i am stuck on step 4!!!!

[rubbertomato]

ngutman, did you ever get any reply to this one? i am stuck on step four of tutorial regarding color channels

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Has anyone figured out how to use the FFT/iFFT filters in Photoshop Elements 5 or 6 or in Corel Paintsho Pro X?
Thanks,
Nathan

[bruko]

I know this must be the lamest first post ever but I just couldn't lurk any more: THANKYOU.
This place is amazing and so useful sometimes it makes me want to scream.

[MrRicky1947]

Originally Posted by byRo

One problem that can come up from time to time is the need to retouch a photograph that has a heavy paper texture. On such a photograph the use of the day-to-day retouching techniques can be very difficult, as the texture gets just too mixed up in with the underlying image.
[details]

This is not meant to be THE definitive tutorial on FFT. I intend to be altering this tutorial as time goes by and new ideas arise.
Comments are most welcome, and when pertinent will be incorporated into the tutorial.

Rô

I read your tutorial on Using the FFT filter to remove photographic paper texture and wanted to download free software but the link does not work can you help me with this by reposting the link or emailing it to me at darkside1947@sbcglobal.net

[MrRicky1947]

Originally Posted by JenRS

Thanks for the quick reply and the info. I downloaded it from www.kamlex.com and am looking forward to trying it out!!!

Thanks again!

Jennie

Am I the only one who can not find this FFT filter to remove photographic paper texture? and does it come in a Mac version?

[Der_W]

You can find a Windows version of the FFT filter (that'll also work in 64bit mode) here: http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/sof...photoshop.html

For Mac versions check out ImageJ which also has an FFT filter built in: http://rsbweb.nih.gov/ij/download.html