How can I remove "noise"/bad pixels from an old picture?

[Tahunga]

Many of my pictures in my library are old and originated from slides/film. After I scanned them in to my library they require lots of tender loving care. Here is an example:

The original/fixed picture is already better than the original.

But as can be seen in the close-up view below, the picture is full of:

• "Noise"
• Little red dots
• "Bad pixels"

My question: Is there a way I can fix these issues with Affinity Photo?

Here is the close-up view

I appreciate any suggestions anyone might have. And if the problem can't be fixed, so be it.

[v_kyr]

Try the FFT filter and the repair/healing tools etc.

[carl123]

For the noise

Layer > New Live Filter Layer > Noise > Denoise

and adjust the Luminance slider

(or Colour slider depending on the image and the noise involved)

[Tahunga]

v-kyr,

thanks for your suggestion. Can you tell me what the FFT filter does and how it should be used? I was looking for it in the Affinity Help text, but could not find anything. Nor could I find it in the Affinity Photo Workbook. And when I open it in the app, all I see is a black window with some settings, changing of these does not seem to do anything. And the brush associated with it seems to only work on the additional window, not on the actual image.

I fully understand your suggestion about using the "repair/healing tools". However, since the "noise pixels" are all over the image, using these tools would not work well.

Thanks.

 

[Tahunga]

carl123,

Using the Layer > New Live Filter Layer > Noise > Denoise seems to work somewhat. However, I noticed that if I use the Filter>Noise>Denoise instead of the Layer > New Live Filter Layer > Noise > Denoise approach, the result is much better. Don't understand why there should be a difference, but there definitively is. Besides, using the Filter>Noise>Denoise approach also provides the "Split View" option, which the New Live Filter Layer > Noise > Denoise approach does not. And with the Split View it is much easier to see the effect of the various adjustments.

Thanks for your help. This is great.

[firstdefence]

The filter denoise is a destructive process whereas the live filter is non destructive. The FTT filter will work on patterns but not on basic noise, there has to be a distinct pattern like the noise you get from scanning a newspaper article.

There are tools out there that are designed specifically for noise reduction, inc the NIK collection and it’s Dfine plugin, this set of plugins work with Affinity.

These live filter settings give a comparable denoise to the Dfine plugin set to auto.