Postcard (WWI)

[Genealog]

Hello,
is there any way to restore and repair the visible text? I have tried contrast, lights and RGB channels, but nothing seems "on the right way". Can someone help, please?
The original postcard is the same as scan, physically is not possible to read the handwritten text better...

http://img24.cz/images/11267858234747946358.jpg

Best regards, Milan

[Tulack]

Re: Postcard (WWI)

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...6site/main.htm

[skoobey]

Re: Postcard (WWI)

Yep, it can definitely be done, but you'll need a high quality file, that is a compressed jpeg and no detail can be pulled from compression. (the letters on the right can be restored, too, I can see the distinction, but because of the file itself detail can't be enhanced).

https://www.dropbox.com/s/us4rd5405p...ETTER.jpg?dl=0
letter_small.jpg

[Genealog]

Re: Postcard (WWI)

Oh, thank to skoobey & Tulack!
@Skoobey: how is it possible to do this if I can ask? The right side with address I solved tonight ... :-)

[skoobey]

Re: Postcard (WWI)

You scan as a TIFF and then you go into Photoshop Select>Color range, refine mask, make a curve out of it and a couple of times over for specific areas and you're done.

Also doing a couple of exposures in the scanner wouldn't hurt, either.

[Genealog]

Re: Postcard (WWI)

... Photoshop Select>Color range, refine mask, make a curve out of it and a couple of times over for specific areas and you're done...

Awesome help, thank you! Photoshop is famous SW...
Have a nice day!

[4N6site]

Re: Postcard (WWI)

As suggested in the first reply, the color deconvolution plug-in should be able to fix this kind of problem. On 4N6site.com you will see some very similar examples.
The JPEG compression in your submitted image unfortunately throws out a lot of the much needed color detail. If you could provide a link to a PNG (does not need to be very high spatial resolution) you would get a much better result than the attached picture, which suffers badly from the JPEG compression in the original. I suspect that when applied to the original scan, color deconvolution will enable you to decypher the card's faded message!