Dust spotting scans

[Zaitz]

I'll try and pull up an example later but I thought it did pretty well with a few detailed images last time I used it. Since it is only applying the dust and scratches (smudge) layer to the precise places where dust and scratches are it doesn't seem to hurt detail much in my experience. At 100% you can tell by comparing it to the source image but at 24x30 prints I cannot come close to seeing any smudge action going on. But I'll try and get an example. Just for clarification, it isn't a global dust and scratches application. You are going back in and 'brushing' where the dust is so the effect is local to the spots.

[bob carnie]

Well I would be interested as global dust and scratches is only an option in soft out of focus areas in my experience.
If you are only attacking the spots themselves then this is a really nice method as global detail would not be affected and that is what I think you are saying happens .

I'll try and pull up an example later but I thought it did pretty well with a few detailed images last time I used it. Since it is only applying the dust and scratches (smudge) layer to the precise places where dust and scratches are it doesn't seem to hurt detail much in my experience. At 100% you can tell by comparing it to the source image but at 24x30 prints I cannot come close to seeing any smudge action going on. But I'll try and get an example. Just for clarification, it isn't a global dust and scratches application. You are going back in and 'brushing' where the dust is so the effect is local to the spots.

[amilne]

I worked briefly at an image lab. We used dust and scratches method with two layers as described in combination with healing brush, on scans from a creo. Used this method on an extremely large print of a painting, I forget what it was enlarged to, 10 feet across or something.

If youre enlarging to 50"x60" and handing out loupes at the gallery opening, yeah, you might notice some funky grain splotches. Otherwise try it and challenge your friends to find dust, or where a dust speck was in the scan.

[Peter J. De Smidt]

There's also the Polaroid Dust and Scratch remover that could be used in the same way as the Photoshop tool. I haven't compared them.
http://web.archive.org/web/200808212...r/poladsr.html
I don't know if it's 64 bit compatible. It got some good reviews back then.

[mortensen]

But it beats spotting Imacon/Hasselblad scans, they're a nightmare.

... tell me about it - I've spottet 160 4x5's this summer @ 100%. Shaolin training is probably rougher for both body and soul, but this must come close

[womble]

This may be a well known LR tip...

Thanks for that tip, very helpful. Works like that in my ancient Lightroom 1.4 so must be the same in subsequent versions. Kris.

[Kirk Gittings]

With the overwhelming amount of spotting I am currently faced with, I have refined my current practice to doing all the spotting on a layer (as always) with the full size image, but just doing the spotting at a screen size that reflects what will be visible at the size I am currently printing (say 50% when printing a 16x20 from a 30x40 file). If, in the future, I need to print it at larger sizes I can simply go back and refine the spotting to look good at that new larger size. Works for me and isn't so daunting in the short run.

[bob carnie]

50% is where I am at with my work, make a print and go back in if there are hanger ons.

With the overwhelming amount of spotting I am currently faced with, I have refined my current practice to doing all the spotting on a layer (as always) with the full size image, but just doing the spotting at a screen size that reflects what will be visible at the size I am currently printing (say 50% when printing a 16x20 from a 30x40 file). If, in the future, I need to print it at larger sizes I can simply go back and refine the spotting to look good at that new larger size. Works for me and isn't so daunting in the short run.

[sanking]

My procedure is to spot first at 50%, then again at 100%, and one final time at 200%.

Goes a lot faster with digital files than negatives!

Sandy

[Greg Miller]

For images I will print I do:
Duplicate the image
Filter - noise - dust and scratches
Open the history window - click the history brush icon next to dust & scratches and then click back on the original layer.
Now just go through using the history brush in either darken or lighten mode depending on if the spots are dark or light.

Here is a terrible example from small sand and dust that got in my holder. As you can see I am quite good at keeping my holders spotless.......

File (after editing):


@ 75% before:


After:


Obviously not a quick method but very accurate and nearly flawless.

I would suggest putting a layer mask on the "dust & scratch" layer and the painting in/out on the layer mask (instead of using the history brush). The end result and time is identical but the layer mask will stay with the file and will be adjustable forever (unlike the history brush).