How can I remove dirt spots from scans?

raid

raid

Dad Photographer
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It is really annoying when some beautiful images appear having dirt spots all over.

I get commercially done scans, and sometimes there are scans with spots. How can I use Photoshop to minimize the effect of the spots?
Can you give me some tips?

Thanks.

Raid
 
I enlarge the area and then use the clone stamp tool to fill in the spot to match the surrounding area.
 
I use the healing tool. It automatically selects which areas to sample for healing. Experiment with the size (no of pixels) to fit your needs. When, and it will happen, the healing tool chooses to sample an area contrasting to the area around the one you are trying to heal, use the cloning tool instead. The cloning tool allows you to select the source for the healing yourself. Both tools allow you to set opacity and smoothness/feathering. Try out different settings, you´ll get the hang of it pretty quickly.
 
Dear Raid,

Buy a scanner with Digital ICE.

In photography, there are only two possibilities:

1 Do it yourself

2 Pay someone else a LOT to do it

Trying to get someone else to do a Rolls Royce job on a Ford budget is a recipe for unhappiness.

Cheers,

R.
 
raid said:
It is really annoying when some beautiful images appear having dirt spots all over.

I get commercially done scans, and sometimes there are scans with spots. How can I use Photoshop to minimize the effect of the spots?
Can you give me some tips?

Thanks.

Raid
Click to expand...


If you have one of the latest versions of PS (CSx) , then the healing brush tool normally is the easiest one.
 
I have version 6 PS.
My Nikon scanner has ICE, but it is now disconnected from my computer.
I need to use the scanner again.
How do I locate the healing tool?
 
I've found the following to work very well for cleaning up lots of small dust spots
  1. Set view to Actual Pixels/100%
  2. Go to an area of the image with lots of dust spots
  3. Choose Filter-Noise-Dust and Scratches
  4. Set Radius to 1 Threshold to 0
  5. Increase radius until the spots are gone (don't worry about the blurriness of the image)
  6. Increase the radius until you start seeing the spots again, then back a bit then click OK.
  7. Go to the history pallet and click on the box next to the “dust and scratches step.
  8. Click on the name of the name of the previous history state, which will bring back the detail to the image along with all the dust spots
  9. Select the History Brush set mode to “Darken” Opacity 100% Flow 100% Brush hardness 15-25% brush size just little bigger then the dust spots you want to clean-up
  10. Paint over the spots with the history brush
NOTE for larger spots of dust or scratches the spot healing brush and clone stamp are better choices
 
raid said:
I have version 6 PS.
My Nikon scanner has ICE, but it is now disconnected from my computer.
I need to use the scanner again.
How do I locate the healing tool?
Click to expand...

On your side of the pond you would call the icon a band-aid, over here it's a plaster. ;)
 
Mike: Thanks for your detailed tips. Such feedback is very helpful. I will try it out.

robbeflex: Plaster is German for bandaid.
 
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