Using AI during Scanning and Subsequent Editing

[Alan Edward Klein]

What app and how are you using AI when scanning film and subsequent editing for such things as eliminating dust spots, reversing color negative film, correcting colors, etc? Include the type of scanner you're using such as:

a. flat bed scanner
b. drum scanners
c. digital camera scanning
d. other

 

[Pieter12]

Is there such an app? What are you using?

 

[silvergelatin]

I sometimes use ChatGPT to give me completely wrong information about all of the above.

 

[koraks]

I guess it depends a bit on what constitutes 'AI'. Tools like the 'healing brush' in e.g. Photoshop and GIMP can be considered as a form of AI - just not an LLM, which is what we usually think of today when referring to AI.

The other day I was spotting a scan (with said healing brush) and I figured that there should really be an AI-powered tool to automate the process. It's such predictable, mind-numbing work that surely it would be perfect for an LLM to perform. Is this already present in newer Photoshop versions or the AI-powered version of Affinity? I've not looked into it yet; I'd be interested to hear if others have and what their experiences are.

 

[geirtbr]

^ I am also interested in this! Scanning a huge batch of 35mm slides on digitdia scanner, and interested in optimal workflow for dustremoval.

 

[geirtbr]

@koraks

Searching on the net about this, some people mentions an old app, Polaroid dust and scratch removal. It gets a lot of praise. It might require an old windows installation to run, though. I didnt try it yet, but I sure will look into it.

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/threads/polaroid-dust-and-scratch-removal-software-new-links-provided.3836494/

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

^ I am also interested in this! Scanning a huge batch of 35mm slides on digitdia scanner, and interested in optimal workflow for dustremoval.

Removal of dust is also a problem with my Epson flat-bed scanners (V600 and V850) because the Epson ICE program doesn't work with BW photos, only with color like Ektachrome slides, but not Kodachrome slides. Kodacrhome has a triple-layer design that prevents it.

Currently, I use Lightroom spot tool to hit each dust spot on the scanned photo, which is a slow process. An AI program automatically doing this would be great and should seem to work on digital camera scanning processes like yours. Anyone using one of these apps?

 

[Pieter12]

Removal of dust is also a problem with my Epson flat-bed scanners (V600 and V850) because the Epson ICE program doesn't work with BW photos, only with color like Ektachrome slides, but not Kodachrome slides. Kodacrhome has a triple-layer design that prevents it.

Currently, I use Lightroom spot tool to hit each dust spot on the scanned photo, which is a slow process. An AI program automatically doing this would be great and should seem to work on digital camera scanning processes like yours. Anyone using one of these apps?

You refer to an app as if you know it exists. Are there any? Topaz AI might remove dust--I've never tried. I think AI would end up removing details as well as dust. How would an AI program distinguish between a specular highlight and dust? A pattern and dust or dirt? A small bird in the distant sky?

 

[koraks]

That's exactly why AI (as in LLM's) is so promising. While the older dust/scratch removal tools wouldn't distinguish between the nature of features because they had a very limited ability to include contextual data, that's where LLM's can make a real difference.

 

[MattKing]

I'd be happy with AI that just flags likely imperfections, and allows me to both elect to use the clone tool or not, and tab to the next flagged spot.

 

[Pieter12]

For Black and white, I will add a temporary curves layer that accentuates dust so I can either clone it out or use the healing brush.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

I'd be happy with AI that just flags likely imperfections, and allows me to both elect to use the clone tool or not, and tab to the next flagged spot.

My Lightroom has a visualize spots switch in the healing/spot removal tool with a slider to adjust its sensitivity. Then you can select the spots you want corrected.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

For Black and white, I will add a temporary curves layer that accentuates dust so I can either clone it out or use the healing brush.

I;m never sure which to use the heal or clone?

 

[djdister]

I;m never sure which to use the heal or clone?

Using the healing feature generally works better for spots because it will automagically try to make the spot blend in with whatever surrounds it. With the clone tool, you manually identify (by clicking an area) to serve as the repair spot. Problem is, the spot you pick to clone over your "bad spot" may not be as close a match in color or density as you thought, so your cloned area might stand out against the background.

 

[Pieter12]

Using the healing feature generally works better for spots because it will automagically try to make the spot blend in with whatever surrounds it. With the clone tool, you manually identify (by clicking an area) to serve as the repair spot. Problem is, the spot you pick to clone over your "bad spot" may not be as close a match in color or density as you thought, so your cloned area might stand out against the background.

I have had mixed results with the spot healing brush. Much better with the regular healing brush.

 

[mwde]

If talking local LLMs - I find them very powerful for tedious tasks like IPTC description and tagging. As I'm currently writing an application I would be interested in how others are thinking about this. I always wanted to manually tag my images but then failed miserably in doing exactly that. Now with local AI that's actually so easy to implement that it's worth a try I would argue.

 

[snusmumriken]

The other day I was spotting a scan (with said healing brush) and I figured that there should really be an AI-powered tool to automate the process.

I'm afraid this is an aside, and I don't want to derail the thread, which is very pertinent ... but briefly, why do you use the healing tool? I always spot with the clone tool, because that copies the grain pattern. Am I missing something?

 

[koraks]

I'm afraid this is an aside, and I don't want to derail the thread, which is very pertinent ... but briefly, why do you use the healing tool? I always spot with the clone tool, because that copies the grain pattern. Am I missing something?

Not sure if we're talking about the same thing. I'm on GIMP; what I remember from Photoshop (like...CS2 or thereabouts) is that the clone and healing tool were rather distinct, but in GIMP, the healing tool is more of a hybrid between the two: it 'heals' based on a sample - so you have to define a reference point first, like with the regular clone tool. The clone tool works similarly to Photoshop AFAIK.

 

[snusmumriken]

Not sure if we're talking about the same thing. I'm on GIMP; what I remember from Photoshop (like...CS2 or thereabouts) is that the clone and healing tool were rather distinct, but in GIMP, the healing tool is more of a hybrid between the two: it 'heals' based on a sample - so you have to define a reference point first, like with the regular clone tool. The clone tool works similarly to Photoshop AFAIK.

Thanks. I am using GIMP. I’m going to have to compare the effect of the two tools. Hadn’t realised the heal tool too involved sampling a source area.