Dots Dots and more Dots!

[carolp]

Hi Everyone, Can any of you give me any suggestions as to how I can fix the little guy's coat without messing up the pattern?  As you can see, the rest of the photo was not as difficult because the patterns were rather large or there was nothing behind them.  This one is giving me fits, but Photoshop always has a way to fix things, I just need to find the right person who knows where it is.  Thanks!

[Hannie]

Hi Carol,

I don't know of a quick way to restore the pattern, it might take having to spotheal those dots by hand!
When I look at the original though it seems to me that it has a textured (honeycomb) type finish.  If that is what is causing the regularly placed white dots most of them can be taken out with the FFT filter (Fourier Transform).

Hannie

[carolp]

Hannie, thanks for answering so quickly!  I knew there had to be a way to get rid of those dots easily.  I just sat here for the past four days using the clone and healing brushes doing those dots one by one!!!  I should have come to the forum first.  I may just turn the first repair in just because I spent so much time on it!  Thanks again.

Carol  :D

[klassylady25]

Patch tool  will help with the jacket.  Make sure that destination is marked in the toolbar and cirle the area that is good and move it to the area that is bad.  Watch as you move it and you will see that you can match the pattern (if you're lucky).  It's one of the tricks I use.   Dots are a one and one thing!  Hannie is correct about the FFT filter.  It will help a great deal with the texture problem on that the photo is printed on.

Looking good so far!

Candy

[mschonher]

Here's my 2 cents worth....I think this picture is on one of those horrible textured papers or it could be that something was laid on top of it that had some texture on it...like one of those sticky type albums from the 70's and 80's before we knew any better. If there is texture on that little guys coat it wouldn't be very noticable considering the size of the photo. I don't think a texture would appear to be so even looking on a photo either....
By the way, what is the FFT filter and where is it in PS.  ???Good luck with a difficult repair!........Mary

[Hannie]

Mary, you won't find FFT in Photoshop.  You have to download and install it into the PS plug in folder, this tutorial has all the answers.

http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=185

Hannie

[carolp]

Thanks folks for all of your good advice, but I think Hannie hit it right on the head.  I downloaded the FFT filter and boy did it make a difference.  The first photo is the original, the second is after applying the FFT Filter and the third is four days worth of using the healing tools, patch tool and the clone tool trying to get it right.  As you can see, after the dots were removed the photo had hardly any repairs to be done.  Only the edges and a few other specks had to be removed.  I completed this photo in about 45 minutes after the repairs and tweeking were done.  It really wasn't in the difficult catagory, it should have been a medium repair.  Thanks again for your great responses. 


Carol

[Hannie]

Carol, isn't that FFT tool a miracle worker?  I once had to restore a very large portrait that was printed on old fashioned honeycomb paper, it was so much fun to see all those dots disappear!  You can use the tool on any spots that have a regular pattern.

:loveit:

Hannie

[mschonher]

Hannie, thanks so much for that link...no wonder I never hear of this filter. I'm going to check it out right now......Mary

[carolp]

It was truly a lifesaver for me!  When I saw the results after I used the filter I almost fell on my chair!!  This one is definitely going to be one of my favorite tools for restoring older photos with regular distorted patterns.  The days I lost doing the dots one by one would have been a lot of money if there had been charges.  Knowing people that know things is great!! :wnw:  Thanks again!

[mschonher]

Hannie which one of those items on the WinRAR page do I open??
Thaks, Mary

[Hannie]

Mary you have to download the RGB version of FFT/iFFT Photoshop plug in (fourth from the top)

http://www.pages.drexel.edu/%7Eavc25/archive/FFT_RGB_PlugIns_13April_2005.zip

Hannie

[Hannie]

Carol I'm going to be very rude and hijack your thread, after all, I think you were just about done anyways and my question is related to the "texture"problem".
This is one of new projects and it has an unfortunately irregular texture that is imposed on the photo.  I tried to use the FFT filter but of coarse that only works on regular texture patterns.
Any suggestions to get rid of the patterns are welcome, I really don't like the idea of handpainting for the next 3 weeks or so!  ;)

Hannie

[klassylady25]

By Clear_Image
Actually, I think that this is one of those times that you want to keep the texture.  It is part of the picture. 

[kiska]

You could run Dust and scratches or median on it.

http://upload.pbase.com/image/91992730