Test for the best???

[fotobiz]

I have this old looking document, and I need to make it look new (ish). See here (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=18gISWcy8zQEixiE0olu2MFfHNLf5d)

The lighter coloured print towards the bottom of the document makes selection hard. You can see where it has been folded over and left white lines. I would like to make the background a consistent color.

Any suggestons?

:confused:

[Byron Gale]

I don't know... but I'm posting to your thread to give it a bump back to the top.

That is a special souvenir!!

[jlwilm]

Hi,

Tried a couple of things and am including an example (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1kPOiLY7nAzfQqhgDMaSr3QvLu6DO0)- but the image I have access to is very low resolution and show as being only 2x3.5 inches.

Do you have a higher resolution scan available?

[fotobiz]

Sorry, not immedately available. Someone else flicked this to me for an opinion! I was a bit stumped at how to make a more consistent background without damaging the font which happens when I have tried. Thanks for taking an interest. :)

[photoshopsusieq]

Had to give it a try.

Posted it in My Gallery (http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/gallery/view_img.php?id=20171).

[Daviskw]

Ahhhhh the Initiation into the… “Solemn Mysteries Of The Ancient Order Of The Deep.”

Given to all good and worthy Sailors crossing the equator for the first time

I believe it says…. Longitude 7° E this 3 day of

3rd. September 1944

I believe you could just use a levels adjustment layer to darken the faded text. Then fill the mask with black. Then use a white brush and draw over the faded text to bring it back somewhat.

But I do think you can find this font or one very close online… it is a fairly common Old English. Then clone out what is too faded to bring back well then add new text.

You can then distress the text to make it blend if you like.

Butch

[Daviskw]

Ooops I did not read the post properly... sorry for my previos post

[Daviskw]

Back again

This time I read to post a little closer... below is a quick go at what I think you want.

It is not an easy procedure

I worked at the selection using channels... if you have Grants tools and the right version you can do it too.

I went to the red channel and copied it to a layer at the top of the pallet

I used levels to get as much separation between letters and background.

Then I painted with black and white ... white to remove black to keep. you want what you don't want to keep... the background.... white

I then duplicated the background

Added a layer mask from Grants tools

Then coped to the clipboard my red temp layer.

I alt clicked on the mask attached to the background duplicate.

Then pasted the red temp layer into the mask. at this point I'm not sure if I inverted the selection with Ctrl+I... so click the background layers visibility icon a few times and see if the right area is masked.... if not click on the mask and invert it with Ctrl+I.

Then I clicked back on the document and deleted the temp red channel layer.

I then inserted a blank layer above the background and below the duplicate layer.

I filled with a color I sampled from the old document.

I added a layer above the fill layer and filled with 50 percent gray.

Added some noise with the noise filter

Blurred the noise layer a little then changed its layer mode to overlay.

Then I trimmed the combination fill and noise layer to match the old document.

Then on the mask I used either black or white brushes to add or subtract as needed.

After all this it still may be better to find an Old English font and redo the document for scratch. Then select the graphics from the old document and blend into the new.

Butch


http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/15V0d05ACUlgUyThkZ327xCNuLOkym1_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=15V0d05ACUlgUyThkZ327xCNuLOkym1)

[Diana]

Great job, as usual, Butch! I took a go at recreating it using some of the elements from the original.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1Urj3OPCc5UL9Bg5xI7THB7UgDFuh0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1Urj3OPCc5UL9Bg5xI7THB7UgDFuh0)

Diana

[Daviskw]

Great Job Diana!!!!


Your way is how I would do it... just not as good as you..:p

Butch

[fotobiz]

WOW! You guys rock!!! :)
Thanks so much for your efforts.

[Diana]

Great Job Diana!!!!


Your way is how I would do it... just not as good as you..:p

Butch


Oh come on now, Butch. I'd trade your PSE skills for mine any day. All the things you do with channels and levels and masks and such are mind boggling. I can create a document from scratch much easier than coming up with complicated techniques like you do to fix things. I still use and love the recipe you posted for Correcting Uneven Skin Tones. Glad we've got you on our forum!:D

Diana

[mustang]

Great job, as usual, Butch! I took a go at recreating it using some of the elements from the original.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1Urj3OPCc5UL9Bg5xI7THB7UgDFuh0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1Urj3OPCc5UL9Bg5xI7THB7UgDFuh0)

Diana

I'm amazed at the results! But confused by Diana's comment. Did Diana use a different procedure? If so, what was it?

[douglas m scott]

I can't speak of what procedure Diana used, but a marvelous result.
doug

[Diana]

Sorry I was confusing. I recreated the document from scratch but used some parts of the document which couldn't easily be recreated.

I started a new 8 x 10 document and made the background using color and filters to make it look like old parchment paper, then distressed and burned the edges.

Then I found an Old English font online and typed the text in. I copied the anchor, Davy Jones' & Neptune's wax seals, and the drawings of Neptune and Mrs. Neptune from the original that was posted, refurbished them and added them to the new document.

The printed name at the top and the signatures at the bottom were the most challenging as it was hard to make any good selection around them to separate them out from the original background. I basically placed a blank layer above them and traced over them with a hard brush. Not perfect, but a reasonable facsimile.

I did it as a challenge to myself to see what I could do with it. Thanks for the compliments.

Diana