Retouching old photos in Corel PaintShop Photo Pro
Corel's PaintShop Photo Pro raster editor has a rich toolkit for retouching old photos. In this article we will look at the tools used for the restoration of old images, and analyze a few examples of retouching.
To automatically remove scratches, a dialog box is invoked using the Settings -> Add / Remove Noise -> Automatic removal of small scratches command. It is necessary to indicate the color of scratches, the intensity of the filter and the limits of local contrast (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. Dialog box Automatically remove small scratches
As a rule, this filter copes well with small scratches, but sometimes parts of the image are taken for scratches. In this case, you need to apply a filter to the copy of the layer and apply a mask to the layer, protecting the required areas with black color.
For semi-automatic scratch removal, you can use the Scratch Removal tool , which is in the same group as the cloning brush. On the property panel, you need to set the size of the tool, and then drag the mouse along the scratch, enclosing it in a frame (Fig. 2). The edges of the frame serve as patterns for restoration. If the scratch passes through contrasting areas, it is better to use the tool several times, changing small parts of the scratch.
Fig. 2. An example of using the Scratch Removal tool
Fig. 3. An Example of Using the Clone Brush Tool
To remove scratches manually, use the Clone Brush tool. Before you start cloning, you must define the sample with the right mouse button As a result, a cross will appear indicating the place from which the sample will be taken (Fig. 3).
To remove dark scratches, you should set the blending mode to Brighten , to make dark tones brighter, and for light scratches it is better to use the Fade mode. If you just want to scratch a part of the image, use the Norm mode. A better result is also achieved by reducing the opacity of the instrument.
Old photographs created by professional photographers of the last century were tinted in some color. Therefore, before proceeding to retouching, you should get rid of the shade, turning the picture into a black and white image. The discoloration and removal of stains on the image is made in the dialog box, which is called by the Effects -> Photo Effects -> Black and White Film command. As a rule, it is not necessary to change the initial settings (Fig. 4).
Fig. 4. Black-and-white film dialog box with default settings
But in cases where the spot is located on a white or light background of the photo, the default settings used will only discolor and convert the spot to shades of gray. Therefore, to lighten it, you need to shift the point on the color wheel. For example, to remove yellow spots, you need to shift the point so that the red color is set to 100%, and for green and blue it is 0%.
The one-step Noise Noise and Digital Noise Reduction commands from the Setup menu can be used to remove noise . Also in the submenu Settings -> Add / remove noise contains a fairly large number of commands, the choice of each of which depends on the specific case. For example, in fig. Figure 5 shows the Smooth dialog box with preservation of edges from this menu group. The degree of smoothing, equal to 4, in this case was quite enough to remove extraneous pixels on the face of the child.
Fig. 5. Antialiasing dialog with preserving edges
')
Restoring lost fragments is perhaps the most difficult stage of retouching, because it is not known what should be depicted on a remote fragment. Therefore, it is necessary to finish parts of the image, including your own imagination and imagination. What tools retouching help restore parts of the picture?
To restore large fragments, you can “patch” them with fragments taken from other parts of the photo, and then glue the created layers into one with the command Layers -> Merge -> Merge with the bottom . To grind borders obtained by copying fragments, use the Clone Brush, Soften and Smudge tools (Fig. 6).
Fig. 6. To remove scratches and restore the left part of the photo, we used the tools Scratch Removal, Clone Brush, Softener and Smudge
After retouching a black and white photo, it can be tinted to the color that was used in the original image. To do this, use the dialog box invoked by the Settings -> Hue and Saturation -> Hue / Saturation / Brightening command . In this window, you need to check the Coloring box, change the position of the Ott slider. to set the color of the coloring and shift the Saturation slider to set the color intensity (Fig. 7).
Now consider the use of retouching tools with specific examples.
Fig. 7. Hue / Saturation / Lightening dialog box
In fig. 8 is a photograph that has a greenish tint.
Fig. 8. Original black and white shot
To bleach a picture, use the Effects -> Photo Effects -> Black and White Film with default settings (Fig. 9).
Fig. 9. The result of the filter Black and white film
Fig. 10. Scratch removal result
To remove scratches, use the Scratch Removal and Clone Brush tools (Figure 10).
Now blur the photo a little to remove the noise that occurred during the scan. To do this, it is sufficient to set the degree of smoothing in the Smooth dialog box with preservation of edges 5.
I would also like to darken very bright areas without affecting the middle and dark tones in order to display the book cover and remove the glare on the girl's face. To do this, in the Glare / Intermediate Tones / Shadows dialog box, enter a negative value in the Glare field. The window is opened by the command of the same name in the Settings -> Brightness and Contrast submenu. For a general clarification of the image and increase the contrast in the Levels window, which is in the same submenu, move the gray slider to the left and the black slider to the bottom of the histogram graph. During the tonal correction some scratches may appear, delete them with a cloning brush (Fig. 11).
Fig. 11. The result of tonal correction
Fig. 12. Result of retouching black and white photography.
And in the end, you can tint a photo, for example, paint it in sepia color. To do this, use the command Effects -> Photo Effects -> Sepia Toning with an aging rate of 30. You may need to slightly increase the contrast of the image. The result of retouching is shown in Fig. 12.
As a rule, color photographs taken during the Soviet era necessarily have a color shift. Therefore, when restoring a color photo, in addition to removing scratches and noise, it is necessary to carry out color correction.
In fig. 13 shows a color photo with a clear predominance of red. Due to the fact that the dress and bows of the girl are also red, this can be overlooked. Look at the picture more closely: the white cell on the girl’s dress has a pink tint; the background should be blue or blue, and it is clearly mixed with red. Therefore, during the color correction, it is necessary to remove the excess red by adding blue.
Start by removing the scratches. Pass the photo through the Anti - aliasing filter with preserving the edges with a value of 3. Then wipe the scratches with the tools Scratch Removal and Clone Brush (Fig. 14).
Fig. 13. Original color photography
Fig. 14. Result of noise and scratch removal.
Now proceed to the correction of the color shift. We need to remove the excess red. This can be done by increasing the content of green and blue or reducing red. Due to the fact that the RGB image model is additive, reducing the red color will darken the image, and adding green and blue will make it brighter.
One of the color correction tools that allows you to influence color channels is the Levels dialog box, which is invoked by the same command from the Settings -> Brightness and Contrast menu. In the red channel, move the black slider to the right to reduce the red content. In the green and blue channels, move the white slider to the left to increase the content of the corresponding colors (Fig. 15).
At the end of the correction, you can slightly increase the saturation of the image in the Hue / Saturation / Brightening dialog box. It is necessary to turn off the Coloring checkbox and increase the value of the Saturation parameter. If the color of some fragments of a photo does not suit you, you can tint them with the Paintbrush tool in the Color blending mode. At the very last stage of retouching, you can re-remove the noise that occurs when the color correction of the image. The end result is shown in Fig. sixteen.
Fig. 15. The result of removing color shift
Fig. 16. Total retouching
As you can see, with the help of the graphic editor Corel PaintShop Pro, you will be able to bring your favorite photos from childhood or photos taken long before you are born.
Author: Sofia Skrylina, teacher at the Art Center, St. Petersburg
Based on Corel Art
Scratch removal
To automatically remove scratches, a dialog box is invoked using the Settings -> Add / Remove Noise -> Automatic removal of small scratches command. It is necessary to indicate the color of scratches, the intensity of the filter and the limits of local contrast (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. Dialog box Automatically remove small scratches
As a rule, this filter copes well with small scratches, but sometimes parts of the image are taken for scratches. In this case, you need to apply a filter to the copy of the layer and apply a mask to the layer, protecting the required areas with black color.
For semi-automatic scratch removal, you can use the Scratch Removal tool , which is in the same group as the cloning brush. On the property panel, you need to set the size of the tool, and then drag the mouse along the scratch, enclosing it in a frame (Fig. 2). The edges of the frame serve as patterns for restoration. If the scratch passes through contrasting areas, it is better to use the tool several times, changing small parts of the scratch.
Fig. 2. An example of using the Scratch Removal tool
Fig. 3. An Example of Using the Clone Brush Tool
To remove scratches manually, use the Clone Brush tool. Before you start cloning, you must define the sample with the right mouse button As a result, a cross will appear indicating the place from which the sample will be taken (Fig. 3).
To remove dark scratches, you should set the blending mode to Brighten , to make dark tones brighter, and for light scratches it is better to use the Fade mode. If you just want to scratch a part of the image, use the Norm mode. A better result is also achieved by reducing the opacity of the instrument.
Stain removal and photo discoloration
Old photographs created by professional photographers of the last century were tinted in some color. Therefore, before proceeding to retouching, you should get rid of the shade, turning the picture into a black and white image. The discoloration and removal of stains on the image is made in the dialog box, which is called by the Effects -> Photo Effects -> Black and White Film command. As a rule, it is not necessary to change the initial settings (Fig. 4).
Fig. 4. Black-and-white film dialog box with default settings
But in cases where the spot is located on a white or light background of the photo, the default settings used will only discolor and convert the spot to shades of gray. Therefore, to lighten it, you need to shift the point on the color wheel. For example, to remove yellow spots, you need to shift the point so that the red color is set to 100%, and for green and blue it is 0%.
Noise removal
The one-step Noise Noise and Digital Noise Reduction commands from the Setup menu can be used to remove noise . Also in the submenu Settings -> Add / remove noise contains a fairly large number of commands, the choice of each of which depends on the specific case. For example, in fig. Figure 5 shows the Smooth dialog box with preservation of edges from this menu group. The degree of smoothing, equal to 4, in this case was quite enough to remove extraneous pixels on the face of the child.
Fig. 5. Antialiasing dialog with preserving edges
')
Recovery of the lost fragments
Restoring lost fragments is perhaps the most difficult stage of retouching, because it is not known what should be depicted on a remote fragment. Therefore, it is necessary to finish parts of the image, including your own imagination and imagination. What tools retouching help restore parts of the picture?
To restore large fragments, you can “patch” them with fragments taken from other parts of the photo, and then glue the created layers into one with the command Layers -> Merge -> Merge with the bottom . To grind borders obtained by copying fragments, use the Clone Brush, Soften and Smudge tools (Fig. 6).
Fig. 6. To remove scratches and restore the left part of the photo, we used the tools Scratch Removal, Clone Brush, Softener and Smudge
Toning a black and white photo
After retouching a black and white photo, it can be tinted to the color that was used in the original image. To do this, use the dialog box invoked by the Settings -> Hue and Saturation -> Hue / Saturation / Brightening command . In this window, you need to check the Coloring box, change the position of the Ott slider. to set the color of the coloring and shift the Saturation slider to set the color intensity (Fig. 7).
Now consider the use of retouching tools with specific examples.
Fig. 7. Hue / Saturation / Lightening dialog box
Retouching example of a black and white photo
In fig. 8 is a photograph that has a greenish tint.
Fig. 8. Original black and white shot
To bleach a picture, use the Effects -> Photo Effects -> Black and White Film with default settings (Fig. 9).
Fig. 9. The result of the filter Black and white film
Fig. 10. Scratch removal result
To remove scratches, use the Scratch Removal and Clone Brush tools (Figure 10).
Now blur the photo a little to remove the noise that occurred during the scan. To do this, it is sufficient to set the degree of smoothing in the Smooth dialog box with preservation of edges 5.
I would also like to darken very bright areas without affecting the middle and dark tones in order to display the book cover and remove the glare on the girl's face. To do this, in the Glare / Intermediate Tones / Shadows dialog box, enter a negative value in the Glare field. The window is opened by the command of the same name in the Settings -> Brightness and Contrast submenu. For a general clarification of the image and increase the contrast in the Levels window, which is in the same submenu, move the gray slider to the left and the black slider to the bottom of the histogram graph. During the tonal correction some scratches may appear, delete them with a cloning brush (Fig. 11).
Fig. 11. The result of tonal correction
Fig. 12. Result of retouching black and white photography.
And in the end, you can tint a photo, for example, paint it in sepia color. To do this, use the command Effects -> Photo Effects -> Sepia Toning with an aging rate of 30. You may need to slightly increase the contrast of the image. The result of retouching is shown in Fig. 12.
Color photo retouching example
As a rule, color photographs taken during the Soviet era necessarily have a color shift. Therefore, when restoring a color photo, in addition to removing scratches and noise, it is necessary to carry out color correction.
In fig. 13 shows a color photo with a clear predominance of red. Due to the fact that the dress and bows of the girl are also red, this can be overlooked. Look at the picture more closely: the white cell on the girl’s dress has a pink tint; the background should be blue or blue, and it is clearly mixed with red. Therefore, during the color correction, it is necessary to remove the excess red by adding blue.
Start by removing the scratches. Pass the photo through the Anti - aliasing filter with preserving the edges with a value of 3. Then wipe the scratches with the tools Scratch Removal and Clone Brush (Fig. 14).
Fig. 13. Original color photography
Fig. 14. Result of noise and scratch removal.
Now proceed to the correction of the color shift. We need to remove the excess red. This can be done by increasing the content of green and blue or reducing red. Due to the fact that the RGB image model is additive, reducing the red color will darken the image, and adding green and blue will make it brighter.
One of the color correction tools that allows you to influence color channels is the Levels dialog box, which is invoked by the same command from the Settings -> Brightness and Contrast menu. In the red channel, move the black slider to the right to reduce the red content. In the green and blue channels, move the white slider to the left to increase the content of the corresponding colors (Fig. 15).
At the end of the correction, you can slightly increase the saturation of the image in the Hue / Saturation / Brightening dialog box. It is necessary to turn off the Coloring checkbox and increase the value of the Saturation parameter. If the color of some fragments of a photo does not suit you, you can tint them with the Paintbrush tool in the Color blending mode. At the very last stage of retouching, you can re-remove the noise that occurs when the color correction of the image. The end result is shown in Fig. sixteen.
Fig. 15. The result of removing color shift
Fig. 16. Total retouching
As you can see, with the help of the graphic editor Corel PaintShop Pro, you will be able to bring your favorite photos from childhood or photos taken long before you are born.
Author: Sofia Skrylina, teacher at the Art Center, St. Petersburg
Based on Corel Art
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/200992/
All Articles