Maybe an easy one...

[Patre]

I have tried everything I know to give this document a clean white background
with bold black text.Different blending Levels,curves, selective color,color balance, desaturate
etc. and nothing else that I do gives both clarity to the text and purity of white to
the background. My hunch is that there is an easy way to do this. Does anyone
have a method that works to restore this image to its pristine look.
I have attached the original image and my attempt at color correction.

EDIT: Images removed due to privacy concerns. - John

Thanks for your help..
Pat

[schen]

Are you looking for something like this?

EDIT: Images removed due to privacy concerns. - John

Original (repost with information redacted)


My attempt (repost with information redacted)

[schen]

Here are the steps I used:

1. take red channel and convert it to gray scale
2. duplicate the layer with screen blending mode and add a gradient mask to roughly balance the luminosity
3. add a level layer and adjust it to the lightest area
4. add another level layer and adjust it to the darker area then mask out the lighter area

[klassylady25]

OMG, Mr Klatt!!!  Talk about one cool guy.  I did a National Riflemans Lifetime Membership Certificate....close to when OPR first open up.  WOW talk about memories. 

[Patre]

Hi Schen.
Thanks for your response. Yes, the clean white background and the bold black text was what I was looking to achieve. I will work with your suggestions to see what I can accomplish.
I am still uncertain as to the areas redacted in black. Did you redact those areas on purpose?
Do those erasures remain,if I follow the restore steps you outlined?
Thanks much for your help!
Pat
P.S. Schen, I tried using your suggestions, but I think I lack the experience
        to make them work like you did. I can achieve a uniform white background,
        but the text is not a clean and bold black.

EDIT: Images removed due to privacy concerns. - John

I will ask Christine to look at my version, but my hunch is that she might consider
reassigning the image to someone like yourself whose experience would go a long
way in managing effects which will make the certificate look more authentic and credible.

[schen]

The names were redacted to preserve the privacy not for technical reasons.

The process I took was first with a screen layer to balance the gross mismatch of luminosity of lower left corner then I used a level layer for the lightest areas; another level layer for the darker areas but masked out the lightest areas that were previously adjusted.  I did it quick and only used two level layers.  With fine tune multiple level layers with masks, I am sure it could be cleaner, though personally I prefer a little shades left instead of a sterile black and white.

Pat, I hope you will give it another try.  If you have any questions, I will be happy to try to answer them.

[Patre]

Thanks Schen...
I haven't mastered how to adjust the different level layers and subsequently mask
out the unevenly exposed areas. Hopefully, my skills will eventually improve to
the point where my efforts will make a significant difference. Your approach is
masterful.. but my execution of it doesn't achieve results similar to yours..
Thanks for helping me learn another technique...
All the best,
Pat

[John]

Please do not post anything that reveals information that could be used for the purposes of identity theft.

You can never be too careful these days.

Thanks.

:police:

[Patre]

I naively published the image without even considering the possibility
of identity theft. My apologies! Thanks for the alert, John.