Dust Busting Secrets: Healing vs Spot Healing Brushes

[spacegoose]

I just discovered the Photoshop CS5 healing brush where before I had a round about method involving the dust and scratches filter - e.g. http://www.pixeladdiction.com/bb/articles.php?action=viewarticle&artid=38

and later the spot healing brush - which I thought was great until I discovered the plain old healing brush which seems faster?

With spot healing you had to click every spot - the healing brush is faster (better for large similar areas, like backdrops, skies I would assume, etc.) because you can take a large sample of an OK area to sort of clone or sample onto your dust spots ...

anyway - the point of this is to see what your favorite methods are for dust busting large areas on your scans (usually the backdrop for me)?

And any other tips.


Thanks,
Bill

[chacabuco]

I usually use the history brush/dust and scratches method you linked to. I think it is the fastest method for skies or low detail areas. The content aware spot healing brush is an improvement in CS5, but still slower. If you are not using a wacom tablet already, that can significantly speed up dusting.

[Lon Overacker]

Until the Spot Healing tool became available (I'm still on CS3) I used to use the Dust-Scratches-arthistory method and I still think its a viable method, especially with big skies or backgrounds or any large area of continuous color/tone. Spot healing is a bit faster simply because there is no setup steps required.

Also still use the old standby healing brush tool for those bigger and more difficult clones like little hairs, grasses or tiny twigs.

Beyond the tools themselves there is also the workflow. Do you perform the dusting on a separate layer that you can discard or redo?

I expect this isn't the best or most common workflow, but here's what I do:

1. I scan and save the original, un-altered scan as a tif.
2. I crop to remove film borders and clip marks if needed.
3. Minor cloning/healing of small areas as needed
4. Dust and clean entire image while viewing at 100%.
5. Save as a "RAW" scan in TIF. I save this as my base image, then work it from there saving as PSD once layers start getting added. (Use the "RAW" name just so I can have something in common with my digital friends... ):D

Lon

[Preston]

I use exactly the same workflow as Lon. I do my dustbusting on a layer so that if I botch it, I can start over on a new layer. Once I'm done, I flatten the image to reduce file size and then carry on with further adjustments.

The history brush procedure looks to be well suited for skies and other areas without significant detalis.

--P

[Brian Ellis]

I mostly use a digital camera with an electronic sensor cleaner these days so I don't have dust spots. : - ) But when I scan film I use a combination of methods, all of which have been mentioned here. My latest one is Content Aware fill in CS5. When you have a bunch of spots on the same or similar background, e.g. the sky, it's a great way to quickly eliminate them.

[bob carnie]

Is anyone aware of any global dust busting secrets that eliminate dust in large areas , without softening those areas?

I seem to recall a method described on the net, or maybe in my dreams, of moving the pixels in one direction, using a blend-if feature eliminating any dark spots or light spots, then moving back into proper pixel alignment and the area you have globally corrected is clean , but most importantly that area stays sharp.
I may be pipe dreaming on this technique, curious to any thoughts on how this could be done.

[Peter De Smidt]

You could use a high light luminosity mask for bright spots, and a deep shadow luminosity mask for dark ones. Create the masks, and on another layers use a clone brush set to darken or lighten to paint over the spots. The masks are self feathering and so you'd only put new densities right where you'd want them.

[bob carnie]

Peter this sounds very good, I may want to discuss further step by step or is it possible to step by step here, I never heard of this one sounds exactly the ticket.


You could use a high light luminosity mask for bright spots, and a deep shadow luminosity mask for dark ones. Create the masks, and on another layers use a clone brush set to darken or lighten to paint over the spots. The masks are self feathering and so you'd only put new densities right where you'd want them.

[Peter De Smidt]

Hi Bob,

Check out: http://goodlight.us/writing/luminositymasks/luminositymasks-1.html

Kirk posted about this, and I checked it out. I have found most of Tony's techniques to be very useful.

Tony explains how to make the various masks. If you want, you can buy ready made actions from him for a very reasonable amount. I ended up doing so, as it was a big time saver for little money.

[bob carnie]

Thanks Peter

I hate dustbusting but in my line of work I get lots of scanned film and I hate soft cloning, if I can get sharp and fast results I am a really happy camper

Bob

Hi Bob,

Check out: http://goodlight.us/writing/luminositymasks/luminositymasks-1.html

Kirk posted about this, and I checked it out. I have found most of Tony's techniques to be very useful.

Tony explains how to make the various masks. If you want, you can buy ready made actions from him for a very reasonable amount. I ended up doing so, as it was a big time saver for little money.

[Preston]

Hi Bob,

Check out: http://goodlight.us/writing/luminosi...tymasks-1.html
Kirk posted about this, and I checked it out. I have found most of Tony's techniques to be very useful.

Tony explains how to make the various masks. If you want, you can buy ready made actions from him for a very reasonable amount. I ended up doing so, as it was a big time saver for little money.

Toy's actions are excellent, and the tutorials are very well done. Before I purchased the set, I built some of the luminosity masks following the tutorials. It was a great way to learn how they work.

Highly recommended, and the price is a bargain, imho.

--P