Reading faint text

[lithicacid326]

Hello all, I have viewed this site for quite some time with my projects and have just recently decided to join. Could I get some recommendations on how to read the text on the attached image? It is on the back of a photograph with unknown people on it, but I was able to make out several words on another section. Would I be able to use Photoshop to read this? I have played around extensively with Photoshop lately.

Thanks!

[mikemorrell]

Re: Reading faint text

Hi,

I've been unable to decipher anything from the image. This is my best attempt. Maybe you can (knowing the context). I couldn't figure out how to post an image so I posted a link instead.

The steps I took in Photoshop were:
1. Add a B&W filter
2. Add a Levels filter and adjust it to the real black and white values
3. Add a Curves filter (contrast) to increase the difference between black/grey (handwriting) and white (no handwriting).

For this kind of query, I recommend you join Rootschat.com. It's a genealogy forum with sub-forums for both photo restoration and handwriting recognition. I'm a member and I'm sure you'll find people who are as interested in old documents/photos as you are.

Mike

[John Wheeler]

Re: Reading faint text

Hi lithicacid326
I think I made some decent progress on the words in your image. Here is my attempt. I could read several of the words. Knowing the context usually helps decipher the words.

Note - It would be much easier to a better result with a higher resolution image in TIFF 16 bit format and not compressed JPEG. I could give it a better try if you have a better starting image file and share it on an image sharing site (as this site limits the image to 100k unless a member). Just a suggestion

Hope that helps.

John Wheeler

[lithicacid326]

Re: Reading faint text

Hello and thank you all so much for working on my photo. I am so appreciative and amazed at what you were able to do to it! I have a 2.5 mb scan of the back of the photo and yes the file size limit on this website made it difficult!

Here is the full scan: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1L...ew?usp=sharing.

Thanks again for your assistance in this project. I tried to replicate what you (John Wheeler) did and was able to make more progress that I had in the past, but I cannot reveal the crossed out words as well as you could. One of the few words that I could make out was Muhlenberg KY. I believe that some of the names are Fogarty . Some distant relatives of mine from KY were Fogartys.