How to overlay two bad images to create a better single image?

[pinetree]

I have 2 copies of a newspaper article, one day apart.  Both copies are damaged (the originals were damaged then scanned).  Each copy from separate dates were identical articles, but each has different bits of text illegible.  I'd like to overlay day 2 copy over day 1 copy to see if I can get more info out of both images.  Besides being faint, the copies are a bit out of square, so I have to make them un-wavy as well.  

I'm a newb with Photo.  All I can figure is I need to make layers, and put each version into a separate layer, but after that???  Or is it like taking the two images and doing some sort of HDR transform??  I have no idea.

Should I post both of the images, so you can see what I'm trying to do?

Thanks!

 

[carl123]

13 minutes ago, pinetree said:

Should I post both of the images, so you can see what I'm trying to do?

Yes,

(but be sure to attach the actual image files not screenshots of them)

[lphilpot]

10 hours ago, pinetree said:

All I can figure is I need to make layers, and put each version into a separate layer, but after that???  Or is it like taking the two images and doing some sort of HDR transform??  I have no idea.

You'll want to use a layer mask on one or the other layer to selectively show or hide parts of that layer. Here's one of the help pages on layer masks:

https://affinity.help/photo2/en-US.lproj/

For example:

1. Load both images as separate layers
2. On the top layer, add an empty (black) mask. That'll effectively hide the contents of this layer.
3. Select the mask in the layer palette and with a soft-edged brush paint white where you want content from that layer to appear. Adjust the size, hardness, opacity and flow of the brush to your preference. Depending on the nature of the image and how close together good and bad area are located, you may want a harder or softer (and more or less opaque) brush. You'll just have to experiment. Also, I'm no expert. 🙂

When you're done you can flatten the image or merge down to combine the two layers into one. However, even separate they'll export as a single image so keep them non-merged if you think you'll be coming back later to re-edit.

The mnemonic "black conceals, white reveals" describes how a mask affects a layer: Where it's black, the layer's content will be hidden. Where it's white it'll be shown. Intermediate shades of grey will more or less show the layer content.

Note -- It's also just as valid to add a regular (white) mask which will show everything by default, then paint in black to selectively hide what you don't want to see (the opposite "polarity", as it were). I personally prefer to paint-in what I want to see instead of painting-out what I want to hide. But again it depends on your preferences, whether there's more to hide or to show, etc.

[pinetree]

On 11/30/2023 at 11:04 PM, carl123 said:

Yes,

(but be sure to attach the actual image files not screenshots of them)

Here are the 2 images, attached.  (These images are lousy, as I see them dragged here to this posting.  I will see if I can re-locate the source material and get better images.)

They are 2 obituaries published one day apart, but same typesetting.  Both obits did not scan well due to the two issues of the newspaper were both damaged.  I got the images from an historical newspaper website.

Edited December 6, 2023 by pinetree
Added additional info about image

[NotMyFault]

stacked scan.afphotostacked scan.afphoto

[NotMyFault]

Steps applied:

1. stack of 2 images, live adjustment
2. Remove layers from stack
3. manually fine-tune perspective filter of top layer
4. set blend mode to darken
5. add minimal blur to thicken letters and lots of sharpening

[pinetree]

Thank you so much, @NotMyFault!!

I did find the original full pages of the 2 obits and downloaded full page PDF files.  I'll try your method with the PDFs... Oh, wait, New Stack won't let me stack PDF files...  I'll open each PDF in Photo, and then Export As.

I'll play with it some more.