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  1. #1
    Chipp'n'Dale
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    Question Scanning photos on textured paper

    I have a batch of family wedding photos which are printed on a textured paper (a sort of canvas-like texture).
    When I scan these, the tiny indentations really bounce the light out and it looks like it's snowing! I have tried scanning at different resolutions, but the problem remains. It's not to bad when zoomed out, but close up it looks dreadful. These photos include images of rellies who I don't have any other pictures of, so it would be great to get a good scan off them.

    If a software approach can cure this, I have various programmes, including Photoshop Elements and have used these to remove scratches and creases, but as this "snow" is all over it would take ages to do.

    An suggestions would be gratefully recieved.

    Thanks

    Rob

  2. #2
    Geoffers
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    Have you tried a digital camera?

    You'd have to be careful with the lighting, but it might help to overcome some of the problems.

  3. #3
    Mutley
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    This is probably not what you want to hear but I'll chuck it in your pot as a last, very last, resort.

    I recently received a picture of some of my grandchildren with a really awful jungle background, it was so noisy!!!
    but each of the children were relaxed and smiling, they were lovely facial shots though all else was terrible.
    I went to Hobbycraft and bought a round punch, they sell many sizes. I punched out the heads and placed them together on a plain background and scanned them in. I also scanned them in individually to make a tree picture.

    Do only punch out a photocopy though, not the precious originals.

  4. #4
    Hugh Thompson
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    Mutley!!!!! you're terrible, I'd go with Geoffer's idea and experiment with a hi rez digital camera, shouldn't be too hard, and then you can enhance them with PhotoShop.
    Hugh.

  5. #5
    Knowledgeable and helpful
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Wakefield, West Yorkshire
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    626

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    The multi coloured background is producing a type of moiré pattern caused by aliasing.
    The scanning software should allow you to prevent this occurring either by using anti- aliasing, or you may have to use the filters to adjust the scans to prevent the aliasing from occurring.

    It is the same effect that out brains produce when we see a film of a rotating spoked wheel and it appears to rotate slowly or even backwards.
    Cheers
    Guy
    As we have gained from the past, we owe the future a debt, which we pay by sharing today.

  6. #6
    David Benson
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    Most scanners come with software setting that allow for scanning newspaper or magazine images. As these are composed of dots they cause patterns when scanned. Set the scanner to that setting and give it a try. It usually results in a slightly softer image but it's worth a try.

  7. #7
    CanadianCousin
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chipp'n'Dale View Post
    I have a batch of family wedding photos which are printed on a textured paper (a sort of canvas-like texture).
    When I scan these, the tiny indentations really bounce the light out and it looks like it's snowing! I have tried scanning at different resolutions, but the problem remains. It's not to bad when zoomed out, but close up it looks dreadful. These photos include images of rellies who I don't have any other pictures of, so it would be great to get a good scan off them.

    If a software approach can cure this, I have various programmes, including Photoshop Elements and have used these to remove scratches and creases, but as this "snow" is all over it would take ages to do.

    An suggestions would be gratefully received.
    Rob,

    I've also had similar problems scanning textured photographs. In my case, the texture wasn't "canvas-like" - I'd call it 'pebbly' - but I think the issue was the same. My photos were original continuous tone black-and-white prints and were not halftone screened images (i.e., made up of dots for printing in a newspaper or magazine).

    I've had very good luck using a program called Neat Image, which is specifically designed for photo noise reduction. It's available as a standalone program for Windows or as a plug-in for Photoshop; the latter is supposedly also compatible with Photoshop Elements (v2 and above), PaintShop Pro (v7 and above), PhotoImpact (v8 and above), IrfanView, and other similar programs.

    It's available in several 'editions' (presumably with increasingly functionality) which range in price from US$30 to US$75. Fortunately, there's also a free demo version, which is what I've used to date with quite good success (I'd say 90% improvement with a bit of playing around - the paid versions may give better results). If you're interested, just Google "Neat Image" (with the double quotation marks) which should lead you to their Website as well as to some independent reviews.

    One other trick I've read about, but not tried myself, is to scan pictures twice - the second time rotating the image 180 degrees - and then use a photo editing program to merge them (I guess by overlaying them with 50% transparency, although I'm not sure about this). The rationale is that the highlights and shadows produced by scanning in one direction should be reversed when scanning in the opposite direction. I can't say if this works, but it might be worth a try.

    Good luck -

    Tim

  8. #8
    Mutley
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hugh Thompson View Post
    Mutley!!!!! you're terrible, I'd go with Geoffer's idea and experiment with a hi rez digital camera, shouldn't be too hard, and then you can enhance them with PhotoShop.
    Hugh.
    Well, I did say last resort, if all else fails...
    However, knowing how good you are at editing and enhancing photographs I doubt you will ever need the last resort.

  9. #9
    Hugh Thompson
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    Flattery will get you everything Mutley, (except....any of my family photos), I do have one that is a photo taken years ago of my maternal grandparent's wedding photo from 1900, and it's my most treasured one as it has 40 family members in it, it took a bit of work with PhotoShop and a lot of research to put a name to everyone and it's the only image I will ever have of most of the people in it, so I'm very chuffed to have it.
    Hugh.

  10. #10
    Mutley
    Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hugh Thompson View Post
    Flattery will get you everything Mutley, (except....any of my family photos), I do have one that is a photo taken years ago of my maternal grandparent's wedding photo from 1900, and it's my most treasured one as it has 40 family members in it, it took a bit of work with PhotoShop and a lot of research to put a name to everyone and it's the only image I will ever have of most of the people in it, so I'm very chuffed to have it.
    Hugh.
    and so you should be...

    I wish I had one
    but back then, had 40 of my family gathered together in one place, the Met would have been out in force, many would have gone missing and a very different type of photograph would have been taken of them.

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