Undoubtedly you have older photographs in albums or frames that have become damaged by the sun or general wear and tear. Thanks to the technology available through the computer and photo editing software, including Adobe Photoshop Elements, it is easy to restore these cherished photographs.
Photoshop Elements is a program that is easy to learn. Elements has tools available that helps restore photographs. One of these tools is the Dust and Scratch Filter which is used to remove marks, scratches and blots on your old photos. You can find the Dust and Scratch Filter on the Menu Bar under the Filter Tab. A drop down menu lists your choices where you want to click on the Noise tab and then Dust and Scratches.
After selecting the Dust and Scratches menu, a pop up window opens with two control sliders. The first slider option is called the Radius and the other one is called the Threshold. If the preview box is checked you may also have another window open. The main options we use when restoring photos are radius and threshold.
Try to adjust the Radius slider which should remove any scratches. Please be aware that overdoing it may make the edges blurred as well. If blurring does occur you can adjust the Threshold slider. This should allow the details to return and make the picture clearer with the scratches disappearing. Also, be careful not to set the sliders too far or you will only create blotches on the picture.
To get rid of any marks you want to highlight only the part of the photo where the scratches are located, not the entire photograph. To highlight these areas you use the Lasso tool.
Once you have fixed the areas you may want to use the feather tool to feather the edges of the selected area so that the fixed selection will not be obvious on the picture. To use the feather tool you click the Feather option and choose the Scratch and Dust Filter again. You might want to do the radius and threshold adjustment process again to get the correct texture and make sure all the scratches and marks are removed.
To finish the process and make the photograph appear professional I recommend you crop the image enough to remove any cracks or torn edges of the photograph. The canvas may be use to equally crop the image.
You can add drama to the picture by adding a drop shadow. This makes the photo appear as if it has been lifted off the page. You can also remove color from the photo using tools Shift+Ctrl+U. Once it is black and white you can then add color by putting a little amount of Sepia. This is done on the Hue or Saturation tab. The contrast may be adjusted using the Levels option.
This is only one very easy way to remove blotches and marks on an old picture. It is also a good way to make the picture look new but still appear classical. It will be a pleasant and easy way to display pictures kept on old albums and cabinets for a long time.
Photoshop Elements is a program that is easy to learn. Elements has tools available that helps restore photographs. One of these tools is the Dust and Scratch Filter which is used to remove marks, scratches and blots on your old photos. You can find the Dust and Scratch Filter on the Menu Bar under the Filter Tab. A drop down menu lists your choices where you want to click on the Noise tab and then Dust and Scratches.
After selecting the Dust and Scratches menu, a pop up window opens with two control sliders. The first slider option is called the Radius and the other one is called the Threshold. If the preview box is checked you may also have another window open. The main options we use when restoring photos are radius and threshold.
Try to adjust the Radius slider which should remove any scratches. Please be aware that overdoing it may make the edges blurred as well. If blurring does occur you can adjust the Threshold slider. This should allow the details to return and make the picture clearer with the scratches disappearing. Also, be careful not to set the sliders too far or you will only create blotches on the picture.
To get rid of any marks you want to highlight only the part of the photo where the scratches are located, not the entire photograph. To highlight these areas you use the Lasso tool.
Once you have fixed the areas you may want to use the feather tool to feather the edges of the selected area so that the fixed selection will not be obvious on the picture. To use the feather tool you click the Feather option and choose the Scratch and Dust Filter again. You might want to do the radius and threshold adjustment process again to get the correct texture and make sure all the scratches and marks are removed.
To finish the process and make the photograph appear professional I recommend you crop the image enough to remove any cracks or torn edges of the photograph. The canvas may be use to equally crop the image.
You can add drama to the picture by adding a drop shadow. This makes the photo appear as if it has been lifted off the page. You can also remove color from the photo using tools Shift+Ctrl+U. Once it is black and white you can then add color by putting a little amount of Sepia. This is done on the Hue or Saturation tab. The contrast may be adjusted using the Levels option.
This is only one very easy way to remove blotches and marks on an old picture. It is also a good way to make the picture look new but still appear classical. It will be a pleasant and easy way to display pictures kept on old albums and cabinets for a long time.
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