Don't let the adverse effects of time rob you of your precious memories. With digital photo-imaging programs, cherished old family photographs that have stains, yellowing, holes, wrinkles or other defects can easily be repaired and restored to their former glory. You can even combine old photos to create new pieces of family history. We'll take a look at three restoration techniques and the tools you'll need to accomplish them.
Many photo-imaging software options are out there, ranging from US $60 to $600. The examples we're using today were altered in Adobe Photoshop, but many other programs have similar tools. They may have different names but they achieve the same thing. For example, Photoshop Elements, PhotoImpact, and Paint Shop Pro all have reliable Clone Tools that work about the same. Likewise, many programs have a good Curve Tool, which we'll discuss later. And remember, most HP imaging products include photo-editing software suites, so you’re all ready to go when you open the box.
A few tips before we begin
Scan your photos in at least 300 dpi resolution. And remember to save your files often when making these kinds of dramatic changes. You may even want to save a file at different stages of the restoration process so you can "turn back time" if you’d like.
1. Adjusting photo color
For minor global color adjustments, you can use your software's basic Brightness and Contrast controls. But they're pretty unsophisticated compared with the Levels and Curves controls, which provide a much wider range of options. With these two powerful imaging tools, you can fix discolored and yellowed photos, restore the black and white tone of your original, or turn an old black-and-white photo into a colorful work of art.
Levels
The Levels control, or histogram adjustment, is almost always the first thing to work on when improving a scanned image. Using this feature you can make fine adjustments to the brightness and contrast of the original by moving the triangular-shaped sliders. The Levels mode consists of four channels (RGB, red, blue, green) with a histogram of each channel so you can measure the color levels of the pixels. Levels mode is particularly useful for adjusting shadows and highlights.
Curves
Like Levels, Curves mode gives you the power to adjust color and tone through four channels. It's the best way to balance the middle tones of the photo and to correct color balance. You may want to start with Levels to correct the highlights and shadows, and then turn to Curves for more precise work and color balancing. If you're really into visual manipulation, this tool could keep you busy for hours. It performs color alterations that could never be accomplished in an ordinary darkroom.
Your scanner as darkroom assistant
Did you think you were just going to scan a photo into your PC and then play with it? Whoa, there! What's the rush? Since you're already using the scanner, maybe you should take advantage of all its photo-reviving talents. After all, many scanners have Levels/Histogram and Curve tools. Often, color restoration jobs are better done at the time of the scan, when the original 30-bit data is still available.
Photo 1 before Photo 1 after
 
Photo example #1 instructions:
To correct this yellowed photo, we adjusted Levels so that all the dead space before the hills and valleys on the histogram were eliminated. This sharpened the image and eliminated unused color information. Using the Brightness/Contrast function, we added more detail (contrast), compensating for the photo’s under/overexposure (brightness). Using the Hue/Saturation Tool, we adjusted the hue to make the colors more realistic. Then we used the Sharpen filter to correct some mild blurriness.
2. Correcting photo damage
Cloning made easy
The Clone Tool takes care of photo creases, tears, and scattered spots by copying similar color and detail from adjacent locations.
To repair damage, all you have to do is replace the bad spots. Copy and paste. That's it. A little tedious but not very difficult. This is what the Clone Tool is good at, and most image programs have one. With heavy damage and tears, the amount of work may look impossible at first, but just keep chipping away at it. And don't be too hard on yourself! Remember that you're working on a large image that will be seen later at a much smaller size, where it will look a lot better.
When repairing stains and discoloration, it's often easier to work in color mode. But when you're fixing spots and tears, changing a color photo to grayscale can help the defects stand out. Again, experiment to see what works best for you.
Photo 2 Before Photo 2 After
 
Photo example #2 instructions:
To repair this marred photo, we chose a Clone Tool, medium-sized brush. After making repairs, we blended the touched-up areas with a larger feathered brush. Remember: To select areas with precise edges, use the Draw Tool. It prevents "overspraying" onto areas that are much different in color. Also, keep the Clone Tool close to selected areas to keep tones and patterns consistent.
3. Creating a new photo
Adding a subject to an old photo is an inspired way to create a new piece of family history. With the Layers feature in your software program, you can extract part of any image and seamlessly blend it into another.
Layering
"Layers" in digital photography refers to virtual layers that each contain a different part of a photo. This feature allows you to join, blend, and mix numerous images into each other seamlessly, so that you can, for example, add images over a background and then combine them to form a single picture. You're essentially copying and pasting a portion of one image over the top of another.
With more basic software programs, images are plopped right on top each other, but some programs allow you to blend layers. And with this capability, the possibilities of changing existing photos or creating new ones are endless. You can make a top layer brighten a lower one, create new color relationships, and, needless to say, create some really mind-blowing special effects.
Photo 3 before (1) Photo 3 before (2)
 
Photo 3 after
Photo example #3 instructions:
We used the Pen Tool to outline the person we wanted to "lift" from their original photo and saved it in Paths. We outlined the figures in the other photo that we wanted to place our target image behind, and saved as Paths again. Remember to horizontally flip any objects or people that cast shadows to the opposite side of the target image and alter contrast and color as necessary to better match the photos.
We then selected the outlined image and copied it onto the source photo (keeping layers separated). And we resized the image to add realism. The resized image was placed between the background and the other figures that we wanted in front of the source photo, creating depth. Finally, using the Airbrush Tool loaded with black, we darkened any edges that were too light.
Find out how to keep your precious pictures safe in Archiving photo prints.
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