Photo-How to clean up scan bars from skin tones?

[SamSteele]

Aff Photo 1.9.2.1035-Win 7

I have an H&S RGB portrait photo jpg file that was scanned and the scanner left slightly visible bars on the face and forehead. Pls see attached sample of cheek. Is there a quick way of removing them, or at least ameliorating them? If you sit way back from your screen they're visible.TIA.

[h_d]

Hi @SamSteele You would probably get better answers if you uploaded the original image rather than a screen grab of a tiny part - if I sit way back from my screen it looks like a spectacularly unsuccessful bowel movement 🤧

You could select the offending area and try a Gaussian Blur.

Or a Diffuse:

But without sight of the original it's hard to tell.

Cheers

H

 

[SamSteele]

Thanks for trying.

[carl123]

2 hours ago, h_d said:

You would probably get better answers if you uploaded the original image rather than a screen grab of a tiny part

 

[Joachim_L]

@SamSteele Or install the G'MIC plugin, which has some good (and some not working) noise reduction / debanding filters. The one works best for is in the test category. A weak machine like mine takes a bit longer for filtering.

[John Rostron]

Often the FFT filter will fix problems like this but, having tried it, I have found that it will not!

John

[firstdefence]

Can we have the image to look at or perhaps more of it?

[SamSteele]

I accomplished what I wanted (not perfect, but much better) by using a New Live Filter Layer >Blur > Median.   20 px; 68%; Average.
Details in the eyes, etc were excluded. The selection brush is quite accurate once you get used to playing with the size keys [  ] .

Way back in the day I could have retouched it using pencil on a 4x5 neg. (/brag)

[h_d]

And we never got to see it...

[SamSteele]

6 hours ago, h_d said:

And we never got to see it...

Here you go. Not eliminated, but reduced.

[NotMyFault]

Taking a different road to a more targeted approach:

• use frequency separation with 3px to isolate unwanted color issue
• add B/W adjustment. Set blend mode to difference
• merge visible (looks almost black but isn’t, use levels adjustment to better see )
• hide helping layers
• Set blend mode to add
• adjust opacity to about 30% gives optimal result

This preserves the fine structures.

you may need to experiment a bit with px settings.

BTW the HF layer shows that a low quality jpeg compression amplified the scan damage.

(Amplified color cast):

 

Result:

remove color from scan.afphoto

Edited July 11, 2021 by NotMyFault

[SamSteele]

6 hours ago, NotMyFault said:

Taking a different road to a more targeted approach:

• use frequency separation with 3px to isolate unwanted color issue
• add B/W adjustment. Set blend mode to difference
• merge visible (looks almost black but isn’t, use levels adjustment to better see )
• hide helping layers
• Set blend mode to add
• adjust opacity to about 30% gives optimal result

This preserves the fine structures.

you may need to experiment a bit with px settings.

BTW the HF layer shows that a low quality jpeg compression amplified the scan damage.

(Amplified color cast):

 

 

remove color from scan.afphoto

Will give it a shot. Photo was as given. The person is now deceased. What can you do?