PS CS6 & Plugins/Filters

[Garrett]

Relatively new to all things PS, but have managed to fumble my way through so far..

I'm looking for a filter/s (smart?) or plugin to clean/restore/sharpen old comic images that are scratched, blurred & have generally seen better days.

I've got a few of the Topaz plugins but none really tackle all the image anomalies & my knowledge of all the PS techniques is limited to say the least (I am learning)

Is there a one click plugin or filter that applies multiple fixes?

An example of the images I want to embellish attached

Thanks.

 

[Mr_Loon]

What is your desired final use of the scanned image? (Before doing anything on Photoshop it's essential to have a clear idea of this)

Will it be printed? (If so what size? And what purpose? T Shirt, Poster, Postcard etc.)

Will it be viewed on a screen? (What screen size?)

Are you scanning the images yourself?

If so the best bet is to produce a sharp initial image and then run the dust and scratches filter.

What would you want to change in the example image?

 

[Garrett]

What is your desired final use of the scanned image? (Before doing anything on Photoshop it's essential to have a clear idea of this)


Will it be printed? (If so what size? And what purpose? T Shirt, Poster, Postcard etc.)


Will it be viewed on a screen? (What screen size?)


Are you scanning the images yourself?


If so the best bet is to produce a sharp initial image and then run the dust and scratches filter.


What would you want to change in the example image?

The images are for a couple of art projects I'm planning as a gift (decoupage - probably postcard size images & wall mural A4 sized) I'm not scanning.

The first example is perhaps not the best/worst to illustrate, here's another ..  http://digitalcomicmuseum.com/preview/index.php?did=10812 I'm looking to sharpen, reduce/remove scratches, just to improve the overall quality/clarity of the image (apologies, I'm not up to speed with the correct terminology)

 

[Fzero]

I'm not aware of any plugin to automatically do those fixes for you, but looking at those pics they don't look too bad, but would take a little time.


Sharpen you can do in one click in PS, it's on the toolbar.


Look under Image/Adjust/Levels where you can use sliders to bring the colour better.


Spot Healing Tool, that will be an easy way to fix a lot of those little scratches.


That's what I'd do.


If you want I can give a go at cleaning up these, can't promise perfect results but I'd give it a go


Can't for couple days though as away from home and no laptop/photoshop

 

[Garrett]

If you want I can give a go at cleaning up these, can't promise perfect results but I'd give it a go


Can't for couple days though as away from home and no laptop/photoshop

Hey, FZERO that's a very kind offer & is much appreciated

I'd rather have a go myself though.. I have between 150-200 & the vast majority are worse than the ones I've shown here, I need to learn PS & I guess this is probably the ideal opportunity.

I seem to remember a mate having something for an older version that he used all the time for cleaning images.. Power Retouch? any ideas?

 

[Asmo]

Before going for the sharpen tool, try a mild bit of unsharp mask, and you can eliminate the discolouration by adjusting color balance - make it more vivid by adjusting the brightness and contrast, and using the 'curves' function if needed.


In the past, for big blemishes, I just used cloning to mask them, though that would be a lot of work in the second linked image

 

[Mr_Loon]

Sounds like a fun project.

From what I've seen you're not going to find a 'one click' solution for your problem.

My general advice would be :

Source better images that do not require so much editing / correcting or to be happy with the 'shabby chic' look of the currently chosen images.

Do a few test prints on unedited images to see more clearly what needs to be done, you may find that less sharpening / editing than expected is required especially if printing at postcard size. You may also find that some tweaks with saturation / colour balance are required depending on what you are using to print the images.

When it comes to printing the images for final use do not use cheap compatible inks, these tend to fade quite badly after a year or two.

Good luck & keep us posted as to how you get on

 

[Garrett]

I've been using the Topaz Denoise 5 filter & that does improve things considerably, I do lose some overall clarity/sharpness but maybe that can be added back in with other methods or filters.