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Suggestions for restoring damaged old map

routlaw

Member
I am in the process of restoring a century old map/drawing but am stumped on how to effectively eliminate some of the stains from scotch tape (yes they really did that) spills etc. Some ten or so years ago seems like I used a method dealing with the different color channels in red that was quite effective and an almost complete semi-automated fix. Can't remember (or was it my imagination) for the life of me how to do it again though.

Anyone else have any experience with this? Thanks in advance.

Rob
 

routlaw

Member
well did you fix it?

would love to see the pic
Not yet, got busy with some other small projects and put this one on the backburner for a few days. I hear Katrin Eismann has written an excellent tome on retouching this sort of thing, might have to pu a copy.

Its actually a pretty cool old map of our area but man was it ever in bad shape. Have repaired a lot of it but still have a ways to go.

Rob
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
It might help to see some examples of the damage you're trying to repair. I've done significant repair work on old photographs, but not specifically a map or very many written documents.
 

routlaw

Member
It might help to see some examples of the damage you're trying to repair. I've done significant repair work on old photographs, but not specifically a map or very many written documents.
Jack having just written some info about the Canon printer someone was requesting info on, I have to say I got a chuckle out of your quote with Einstein.

Anyway here is small jpeg of the very large file. Not sure it is large enough for you to really make out the tears etc, but the stains from tape and liquids are fairly obvious. I have been able to repair a lot of this including many of the other tears but this tear under the tape stain combo has me puzzled at least for now.

Rob
 
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Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
Wow, that's a tough one. I'd be tempted to desaturate it, then edit the bad spots at the pixel level...
 

Cindy Flood

Super Moderator
I copied it and worked with it a little in Photoshop. I used the magnetic lasso and clicked around the tape stain. Then using curves, I pulled the curve up (pick the spot where the histogram is peaked). You then need to select the blue channel and pull up the blue just a tiny bit to neutralize the yellow. It gets you pretty close. Deselect. Choose the clone stamp and work out the tear at the pixel level.
Have fun!
 

routlaw

Member
Wow, that's a tough one. I'd be tempted to desaturate it, then edit the bad spots at the pixel level...
Yep, you got that right. Its been the hardest restoration I have yet to work on. For now I wanted to hold off on any color work at all thinking I might be able to use those color channels effectively in some way.

I copied it and worked with it a little in Photoshop. I used the magnetic lasso and clicked around the tape stain. Then using curves, I pulled the curve up (pick the spot where the histogram is peaked). You then need to select the blue channel and pull up the blue just a tiny bit to neutralize the yellow. It gets you pretty close. Deselect. Choose the clone stamp and work out the tear at the pixel level.
Have fun!
Thanks Cindy thats pretty much what I have been doing more or less thus far on some other tears, and stains. It works but with some caveats, yet it might be the solution I have to implement to finish this one up. Its a slow go to say the least using selections, and minute pixel level editing.

Anyway thanks for the suggestions.

Rob
 

Cindy Flood

Super Moderator
I went around the stain pretty quickly with the magnetic lasso. Once you use curves and get your colors matching, you can use the patch tool to work on the tear. That tool really works easy and fast. You will have to use the clone tool when you get to the sections with houses and more detail....that will be the slowest part of the repair.
 
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