Photo repair, tips for scanning torn photos
Posted by Photo Restoration Man on October 28, 2008
You may find that when you go to do a photo repair the photos that you want to repair are in more than one piece. When scanning an old photo with the intention of repairing it you may want to check what your scanner is up to again. See Saving you images correctly. When you scan two bits of a photo you may find that the two halves end up looking completely different. The tones and exposure and even colour may look great on one half and totally different on the other, what is going on?
When your scanner when set to automatic just like a digital camera set to “auto”, it will exposure and correct the image where and how it sees fit. Images with more dark tones in them, may be compensated for and end up lighter and vice versa for light images ending up darker. Colours may even change too. This does make photo repairs all the harder.
It is best to set your scanner to manual and switch off all the automatic settings and keep the scanning resolution the same. Turn off the auto tone, brightness, contrast, colour sections and just scan in colour, as basic as you can get. This way both scans should end up the same in their tones and exposures and size. You can then be sure when you are trying to match up the two halves that they will meet easily and make the photo repair simpler too.
Photo repairs and fixing your old photos.
john oneill said
Is there a specific scanner model which you recommend? I am assuming that a standard high street scanner which can be got at a snip is not what you are talking about here. If a base model is OK then great but I would like to know.
Thanks
John
http://www.photokeepsakes.org
Photo Restoration Man said
No recommendations as such. If it is for photo repair Just buy something with at least 3600 dpi optical scanning capability. It does depend on whether you want to scan anything from old minute disc film or 5×4 inch negatives and bigger. Or if it is for prints anything bigger than A4, A3 or larger. So many permutations! If you get an A4 and find yourself dealing with a lot of 16 inch prints to scan you may wish you bought something bigger and more specialized.
mario said
i have an autographed photo that has a 1 and 1/2 inch rip it does not touch the image or the sig is there a service to repair the original photo since that is where the original autograph is on ,No reproduction , work has to be done on the original.any suggestions? Mario
Photo Restoration Man said
Sorry there is not one that I know of. Please read my post restoring an original for an explanation why. I hope this helps. Neil