Hej! I have some magazin scans and I was wondering how to clean them? There is a lot of writing on them!! :angry:

Do I need a program or something???

Hi Shadow,

Yes, you'll need a program like Photoshop. I've never cleaned a scan, so I'm not sure how it's done. Melodyslove may be able to help, I think she's done it in the past. I'll give her a nudge in this direction when she wakes up! She may be able to help.

Thanks! As for Photoshop I do have it! But I'm not really good with it. I think I'll need some help with it.

Hi,Shadow!

I'll be glad to help you if I can.

I've cleaned a lot of scans and pics.It's kind of a pet peeve of mine that a picture gets ruined by having writing all over it,so I know what you mean!

You will need a program like PaintShopPro7(which I use)or 8 or a similar program.You can actually scan the article through PSP and have it open in there and start working on it from that point-just a convenience,really.

Once you get an image open in PSP7,or whatever program you're using,there are a variety of tools you can use to start cleaning a picture.The tools are on the left side of the screen and if you put your cursor over each one,it will tell you what it is.I usually use a clone brush and the retouch tool when I clean mine.There is also an eraser tool for bigger areas;scratch removers;tools for removing red-eye;etc.It's best to read through the booklet that comes with the software,but barring that,there is also a help option you can click on and find help there as well.

A clone brush just basically copies what spot you click it on.You can take that spot and move it elsewhere to cover up another spot.Or you can drag it and make lines and strokes with it.The retouch tool I use to smooth and soften out places in the picture.An eraser tool does just that:erases wherever you place it.Most of them are pretty easy to understand what they do.

Not to worry if you make a mistake-'cause I've made MANY!!-I think every program has an "edit" function where you can undo what you've done.

You can click on "view toolbars" and size any of the tools to fit the places you are cleaning,in other words,make them bigger or smaller for certain spots or areas.There are tools for lightening or darkening a picture;correcting the colour saturation or balancing the colour of one;all kinds of textures and effects and texts you can add to a picture;you can even "greyscale" a picture and turn a colour picture into a black and white one.

A program like PSP7 will also allow you to "capture" your computer screen and keep pictures.Say you come up on something that's a "flash" site(like many movie sites are)and there's something you want to keep-you can do so with this program.

So,there's lots of things you can do with it and it's lots of fun.:) The best thing to do is just play with it for awhile and find what works best for you.Different people use different things.ALWAYS save your work,once you've cleaned a picture-there's NOTHING more frustrating than spending HOURS cleaning a pic and then losing it!! :o

Once a picture's done,I always optimize them-this just cuts down their file size and compresses the ratio of the picture.As long as you keep the optimization to a minimum and a low-level,it won't change the picture at all,it just makes them MUCH easier to load.To give you an example,you have an image with a 1,258,864 byte size.With just a level "1" of optimzation,it cuts the file size down to 167,322 bytes,saves your computer extra work and loads MUCH faster wherever you decide to put it.

I don't have Photoshop,otherwise,I'd just walk you through it.But there are probably similar photo-cleaning or correcting tools within their program.Check the info that came with it or see if there's a "help" section within the program and start there.Read it through thoroughly and I'm sure it will be able to help you at least start out.

The best thing to start with,I would think,is just open up a picture and play with it until you become comfortable with what you're doing.Make mistakes on PURPOSE,so you can see what they look like,what you can do to correct them and what you can do to undo them.Just play with it and have fun!!Don't expect your first one to be perfect-I look back at my earliest ones and go,Good Lord!! :blink: You WILL improve with time and practice and by all means,DON'T be afraid to back away when it gets too frustrating-the harder you try and make it perfect,the worse it will become-THAT I've just found out personally through MANY years of practice!! :lol:

You'll find that the basics-black and white-aren't NEARLY as defined as you would think-there are MANY shades and variances in both,especially depending on where the light in the picture falls on them.Flesh-colour is another subject altogether-the tones and shades and variances in someone's face are enormous and just take a little patience and time,but you'll be able to master them all eventually. :)

Good luck and if I can help you with any of them,please let me know and I'll be glad to do what I can!

Thank you!! :bah: :notworthy: