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Restore Images in SECONDS!

Education

Introduction

Restoring old photographs has become remarkably efficient, especially with the use of Photoshop's Photo Restoration AI Neural Filter. This automated filter offers impressive capabilities, but like any automated tool, it may present some issues. In this article, we will explore how to use this feature to its fullest potential, reducing any major complications you might encounter along the way.

Getting Started: Preparing Your Photograph

Before diving into the restoration process, it’s crucial to perform a couple of preparatory steps to enhance the results:

  1. Cropping the Image:

    • Start by cropping out any unwanted black borders or tape around your photograph. This not only cleans up the image but also speeds up the filter's processing time.
    • Select the Crop Tool from the left sidebar and adjust the cropping borders to your satisfaction. It's recommended to keep the "Delete Cropped Pixels" option unticked, allowing you to change your cropping later without losing any part of the image.

  2. Adjusting Brightness Levels:

    • Old photographs often appear faded. To address this, you can use the "Image > Auto Contrast" feature for minor adjustments. If your photograph is more severely faded, consider looking into more in-depth tutorials specifically designed for that purpose.

Applying the Photo Restoration Neural Filter

Now that the initial steps are complete, let's move on to the restoration process:

  1. Activating the Filter:

    • Select the layer you wish to restore, then navigate to Filter > Neural Filters. Here, you will find a list of available filters.
    • Activate the Photo Restoration filter by turning on the corresponding switch. Depending on your image, the filter may take a few seconds to a few minutes to process.

  2. Previewing Changes:

    • After processing, you will see a preview of your restored image. You can toggle the "Show Original" button to compare the before and after effects of the filter.

  3. Fine-Tuning Adjustments:

    • The filter provides three main controls:
      • Photo Enhancement: Adjust this slider to improve color contrast and details. A setting of around 30 usually retains most details while softening the image.
      • Enhanced Faces: This control appears only if a face is detected. Setting it to around 20 helps in enhancing facial features without overly smoothing the skin.
      • Scratch Reduction: This fast-functioning tool works well for removing actual scratches but may inadvertently remove details that should remain.

  4. Additional Options:

    • Under the Adjustments arrow, you can find settings for noise and JPEG reduction. If necessary, utilize these to further refine your restoration.

  5. Output Controls:

    • Once satisfied, choose how to output your restoration. Using the "Smart Filter" option is recommended as it allows for further adjustments later.

Recovering Lost Details

After using the AI filter, some details may be lost during the process. Here’s how to recover them:

  1. Layer Masks:

    • A white layer mask is automatically created with the Smart Filter option. By painting with black on this mask, you can selectively reveal parts of the original image, reintroducing lost details like hair or small jewelry.

  2. Repairing Background Smudges:

    • If your background is also affected, cut out your subject using the Lasso Tool. Invert your selection and apply the Content Aware Fill feature to restore the background, ensuring you avoid using parts of the subject in the fill process.

Conclusion

Restoring images with Photoshop’s AI Neural Filters can be fast and effective, especially when combined with manual techniques. By following proper preparation steps and using the various controls available, you can achieve stunning results in seconds.

Keywords

  • Photoshop
  • Photo Restoration
  • AI Neural Filter
  • Enhancements
  • Layer Masks
  • Content Aware Fill
  • Old Photographs

FAQ

Q: What is the Photo Restoration AI Neural Filter?
A: The Photo Restoration AI Neural Filter is an automated tool in Photoshop designed to restore old photographs by fixing scratches, enhancing colors, and improving overall details.

Q: How do I crop an image before restoration?
A: Use the Crop Tool in Photoshop to remove unwanted borders or tape. It's best to keep "Delete Cropped Pixels" unticked for flexibility.

Q: Why should I adjust brightness before applying the filter?
A: Old photographs often appear faded, so adjusting the brightness helps enhance the overall quality before applying the restoration filter.

Q: Can I manually restore details lost during the AI process?
A: Yes, by using layer masks, you can selectively reveal parts of the original image to recover lost details after applying the Neural Filter.

Q: What is Content Aware Fill used for?
A: Content Aware Fill is used to automatically repair selected areas in an image and can be useful for cleaning up backgrounds in a restoration project.