Removing Stains from old prints

I have an old diploma, which was probably printed on parchment or something
similar, and over the years the paper has developed a number of large brown
blotches. I would like to scan it, and using Photoshop Elements 4, remove
the brown tint and recreate a like-new diploma, which I hope to have (re)
signed by the original signer.

Is there an easy way to "filter out" the brown blotches or do I have to go
in pixel by pixel and either mask or erase the brown? I haven't found any
help in the references I've looked at so far. Regards --

 

I'm no expert, but you might try using the clone stamp tool.

 

Try duping the image, converting to lab mode, and using levels on the a
channel to generate a mask. Then use this as the layer mask for a curved
layer on your original. Put an example up somewhere and I'll give it a try.

 

Does elements have a colour replacement tool?

 

You might try scanning the diploma in color and using the channel mixer find
a combination of channels that minimizes the stain. Make it into a
monochrome through this and then use the threshold adjustment to eliminate
the rest of the stain. (I'm assuming that there is little or no grayscale
to the document.)

 

there is a tutorial how to remove a wine stain on an older version of PS, it
was possibly a Russell Brown one. It uses this technique you describe,
adjusting the channel and adding a channel somehow.
can't find it online tho..sorry

 

Thanks to everyone for the ideas -- I'll pursue them. I've suddenly and
unexpectedly been snowed under with other work, so I'll have to pursue this
over the next few weeks. Regards --

 

Thanks for the reply. I'll have to ease it out of its frame and then get a
good scan, and then I'll try to take you up on your generous offer.
Regards --

 

I haven't encountered that particular problem, but if the print is
distinguishable from the stain, I would try scanning it in whatever the
name of the mode is that is b&w and has no gray (my scanner is not
hooked up right now). Try different scan setting until you can
separate (or at least minimize) that staining. Then touch up
afterwards.

A real low-tech technique would be to try the same thing on a
photocopier (changing contrast and darkness) and see if you can
separate them. If so, copy onto the new paper and you'll be done.

 

Interesting idea -- convert to B&W, then recolor the non-B&W portions
(military crest, etc.) I'll try that as one of the options. I'm afraid
there's too much color and detail for your second suggestion --
photocopier -- to make a quality new diploma.
Thanks for the effort. --

 

If you have color range as an option like photoshop 7+ CS+ CS2 do then
it should do the trick.

Open the image>
select / color range in the menu>
click black matte then invert it to show only the areas selected>
click on the spots you want to remove, keep clicking to add color removal>
set the fuzziness slider to the desired effect>
Unclick the invert button.
Click oK>

Save the selection it created as a new channel or save selection in the menu>
expand the selection by 1 pixel>
go to the patch tool and select an area of color that you want to fill
in. I usually use white if the spots are covering the full image but...
you'll have to make a white border aorund the image so the patch tool
can select it.
The patch tool will do a good job of blurring the edges with the new
color and the photo. It like a healing tool process but you can to it
on all the spots in one move.

Ive done this to correct photos with thousands of tiny spots on them.
It's not 100% but it's very close.

 

Thanks -- I'll try it -- JimR

 

Harry wrote:

Harry, Elements 2 has a Replace Color command. Choose "Enhance" >
"Adjust Color" > "Replace Color" .

I have not used this function, so I can't tell you anything about it.
Pages 69-70 in the User Guide.

Cheers Lee O.