Using the FFT filter to remove photo paper texture

[Gerald McClaren]

Hi! Can someone please explain to me in the thread "Using the FFT filter to remove photographic paper texture", in the section "Put the colours back".
Slide, with shift pressed (to align), your (now un-textured) luminosity back layer on top of the original(that's the one we left behind in Step 1. I only have one background layer, however, what is Slide, with Shift pressed(to align)?

[Tony W]

Re: Using the FFT filter to remove photo paper tex

I suspect that you have missed duplicating the original image. You need two documents for colour the first being the original the second with FFT applied

The FFT image will be B&W and will need to be dragged onto the original document hence the instruction to use Shift to align the image (by dragging between documents)

[Vince B]

Re: Using the FFT filter to remove photo paper tex

I suspect that you have missed duplicating the original image. You need two documents for colour the first being the original the second with FFT applied

The FFT image will be B&W and will need to be dragged onto the original document hence the instruction to use Shift to align the image (by dragging between documents)

I followed the instructions and ended up confused like Gerald. I made a duplicate of the photo, then as per instructions, flattened it. When I did all the steps I ended up with the B&W result but need step by step instructions about how to do any dragging when the original document has disappeared when flattened. It is not obvious how to do the step to get the colours back.

btw, the process didn't work for me at first until I did two things. I had to resize to 4800 pixels wide. I also had to go into the mode and tick 8 bits. If I left it at 16 bits I got a strange ghostly result.

[Tony W]

Re: Using the FFT filter to remove photo paper tex

I followed the instructions and ended up confused like Gerald. I made a duplicate of the photo, then as per instructions, flattened it. When I did all the steps I ended up with the B&W result but need step by step instructions about how to do any dragging when the original document has disappeared when flattened. It is not obvious how to do the step to get the colours back.

Have you followed the instructions Here ?
After duplicating the image you should have two completely separate image windows each with one layer lablelled 'Background' You work on one window with the FFT and this will give you the B&W portion. This needs to be dragged onto the original (colour image) as a new layer and the blend mode set to luminosity. Shift click and drag the FFT image into the original document. You will end up with 2 layers bottom being colour and top FFT (set to Luminosity blend)

btw, the process didn't work for me at first until I did two things. I had to resize to 4800 pixels wide. I also had to go into the mode and tick 8 bits. If I left it at 16 bits I got a strange ghostly result.

In this version of FFT there is a size limit as you have observed. There are other versions of FFT such as ImageJ (stand alone).
This version of FFT does operate ok in 16 bit mode and the strange ghostly result sounds like you had not flattened the image first

[Vince B]

Re: Using the FFT filter to remove photo paper tex

Tony, I appreciate your reply and help.

You know, before Photoshop I used to consider myself reasonably intelligent with a couple of university degrees. I even built my own super computer a year or so ago. However, when it comes to trying to follow instructions re editing I have problems. Perhaps the steps are not clear or steps are missing or perhaps the instructions require some background experience re processes and vocabulary.

I followed the tutorials step by step and don't get the result hoped for.
Take the flatten the image step. That is easy to do but the new duplicate layer disappears and I am left with the background layer. Applying the FTT filter then inversing it doesn't give me what I see in the tutorials. I get weird results but the texture is still there or I get a ghost with no detail at all.

Once flattened the original image is gone. How do we unflatten to get the original back?

Doing the same thing over and over will lead to some kind of disorder.

I am persisting because I have precious family photos from 1939.

It must be possible to specify a process in sufficient and necessary detail and steps so that one will get the result if followed precisely.

[Tony W]

Re: Using the FFT filter to remove photo paper tex

...I followed the tutorials step by step and don't get the result hoped for.
Take the flatten the image step. That is easy to do but the new duplicate layer disappears and I am left with the background layer. Applying the FTT filter then inversing it doesn't give me what I see in the tutorials. I get weird results but the texture is still there or I get a ghost with no detail at all.

Once flattened the original image is gone. How do we unflatten to get the original back?

Vince, I think I know where you may be going wrong - you are not actually duplicating the image and ending up with two copies?

Before going further the example posted is quite odd looking (solarised) and I am guessing that this may have been caused due to the pixel dimensions being too much for this version of the FFT filter.

• Open your scanned image in PS.
• Make sure that in the Layers pallette you only have one layer named as Background (with Padlock) . If this is not the case then click on layer and choose Flatten image
• Duplicate the image go to Image / Duplicate and name the dup. FFT.
• You should now have two independent images your original and the duplicate named FFT
• You may want to view side by side go to Window /Arrange Tile all vertically.
• Select your FFT image and run the FFT filter and paint out stars on Red channel only then reverse.
• You should now have 2 versions of your image the original colour and the greyscale result of the FFT filter. Both should have only one layer named Background
• You now need to drag the FFT filter image onto the colour image as a new layer.
• With both images displayed (and FFT image highlighted) select the Move tool and position the cursor over the image and holding down the shift key click and drag the FFT image on top of original colour image.
• You now have your original (warts an all!) colour image and your FFT as two seperate layers in the same document. You now need to change the blend mode of the FFT layer to Luminosity and you should be good to go

[Vince B]

Re: Using the FFT filter to remove photo paper tex

Tried everything over and over and still not working for me.

I have uploaded the old photo to my site and if anyone wants to have a go at removing the paper texture and then explaining exactly how they did it I would be delighted.

The file is here: http://ovincez.smugmug.com/Family/n-6njXj/

password: FFT

Thanks.

[0lBaldy]

Re: Using the FFT filter to remove photo paper tex

I used Image Analyzer for Windows (free)
open picture in Image Analyzer Filters>Frequency Domain Filter...... paint stars black and check the preview if need be paint other light areas also.... done

Another scan turned 180 degrees and layered over the original scan in darken mode will probably get rid of the light spots from the paper texture and using the filter after lining up the layers and combining will probably turn out much better than presented here

[0lBaldy]

Re: Using the FFT filter to remove photo paper tex

When the paper texture is removed there are still artifacts left from the highlights on the texture.. to get rid of most of these highlights before using FFT, scan twice, once then turn 180degrees and scan again then align the different scans as described here: Scanners, textures, scratches, cracks, silvering .... There are other solutions @ this post also other and or after FFT

[Tony W]

Re: Using the FFT filter to remove photo paper tex

Tried everything over and over and still not working for me.

I have uploaded the old photo to my site and if anyone wants to have a go at removing the paper texture and then explaining exactly how they did it I would be delighted.

The file is here: http://ovincez.smugmug.com/Family/n-6njXj/

password: FFT

Thanks.

Using FFT within PS, have enlarged a portion to show texture removal only.

IMO you can/should ignore the colour element of this image. Essentially this is a greyscale image and looks like it was originally printed on chloro bromide paper (warm toned) and not sepia toned.

The instructions in my last post referenced a colour image and can be simplified IMO having now seen the original.

• Image brought into PS check that you have one layer only and it is named Background and has a padlock symbol next to it. If it is not lablelled Background right click on the layer and select flatten image.

• Next Filter/ FFT then in Channels select Red channel and paint out white stars - Do not paint out the central star.

• Now still in the Channels palette select the RGB channel and run Filter / IFFT.

• Your image should return as gresyscale without paper texture.

Should you wish you could run the sepia toned Action or apply colour wash by any other method

EDIT: Just revisited your account and download your image - It is TOO BIG for this version of the FFT filter @ 5996x4784 pixels. You will need to use another FFT app. as OlBaldy or my suggestion ImageJ or you could try reducing image size to 4300 pixels wide - it may work

[4N6site]

Re: Using the FFT filter to remove photo paper tex

For me FFT worked at 5500 pixels wide. Still, not easy to remove the pattern without introducing other patterns, or subtle inversions of contrast. Lovely picture from the time when photography was more than a snapshot!

[Mara_S]

Re: Using the FFT filter to remove photo paper tex

I played with your photo in Photoshop CC 2015. First, I noticed it was flopped (look at the writing in the upper corner. So I flopped it back the way it should be -- I think!

The I used the Patch tool to remove some spots, the wrinkle in the floor and the stain above the handsome family. (I love that deco background!) Then, I selected the area just above and around the heads in the back row to apply the Dust & Scratches filter to remove the slight pixelation there without blurring the background or heads. I used the Clone tool in a couple of spots where the Patch tool wouldn't work well (such as smudges between two highly contrasting shades.

What were you trying to fix in this photo except that stuff? I didn't see any paper texture. Maybe some other clever retoucher took care of that before I barged in.

http://i494.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps2dqe13vf.jpg

[chillin]

Re: Using the FFT filter to remove photo paper tex

FFT+Dust & Scratches+noise removal