Home
>
Photography
>
Removing a Textured Pattern from a Scanned Photo ? 5 Minute Digital Fix

Removing a Textured Pattern from a Scanned Photo ? 5 Minute Digital Fix

One of the most common problems when dealing with scanned photographs as part of a digital restoration activity is that after scanning, the digital image appears to have a textured pattern to it.

This is often caused by the fact that the photograph in question has been printed on textured photographic paper.

This article will show you how to remove the un-desirable pattern effect without significantly loosing any of the important image detail.

The problematic photo may well be an old black and white, sepia, or even a more modern colour photograph.

(I remember Kodak introducing their "Silk finish" prints many years ago printed on a silky sheen textured paper!).

The example image on our web-site is an old black and white wedding photograph that has been printed on a textured paper.

If you look closely at the white cornice behind the bride and groom you can clearly see that the textured pattern of the photographic paper has been faithfully re-produced during the scanning of the photo.

Before we commence any major restoration work we would like to remove as much of the un-desirable textured pattern as is possible.

Step 1

Open the image up in Adobe Photoshop and the first step is to create a duplicate (copy) layer of the original image by selecting Layer-> Duplicate Layer .. and give the new layer an appropriate name.

Zoom in close enough to get an appreciation of how severe the textured pattern is, but keep some picture detail visible (especially people's faces) so that you can easily judge how well the texture removal is proceeding without loosing too much important picture detail.

Step 2

With the duplicate layer active apply a Gaussian Blur by selecting Filter->Blur->Gaussian Blur ...

A pop-up option box will allow you to set the amount of Gaussian blur to apply to the image.

I generally start with a Radius = 1.5 and work up from there, constantly looking at the image to see the affect as I increase the blur radius.

Anything over a Radius = 5.0 will usually be far too harsh, so in the example on the web-site the required outcome is to "minimise" the texture pattern effect without compromising the important detail in the photo.

For our web-site example image I found I was able to set Radius = 3.5 without any significant loss of detail.

The example image is starting to "soften", but the textured pattern has clearly diminished.

Step 3

Zooming out to have a look at the complete photo reveals that the un-desirable textured pattern has all but vanished with only minor softening of the important image detail.

Each photo you work on will have to be judged on its own merits when determining the amount of blur to apply.

But all is not lost on retaining that important image detail!!

Step 4

Remember ... the Gaussian blur has been applied to the duplicate layer we created at the start of the exercise.

The original image, complete with texture, is sitting under the duplicate layer.

By using Photoshop's Layer Blending Modes and Layer Opacity we can produce an image made up of a combination of both layers with some of the detail from the lower original layer showing through.

Again, each photo will be judged on its own merits and the setting I finalised on for our example image on the web-site may not be the same as you will find most suitable for your own images.

Try experimenting with the different blending modes and layer opacity settings.

I finally settled on a blending mode of "Luminosity" and Opacity of 85% for the Gaussian Blur layer.

Step 5

To finalise the image I then "flattened" the two layers into a single image layer by selecting Layer->Flatten Image.

Step 6

I then checked the tonal range of our combined layered image using the Levels command by selecting Image->Adjustment->Levels ... and fine tuned the black, white and grey points.

Step 7

And last but not least, we can still bring a little bit more "sharpness" out of the image by finally applying a small amount of Unsharp Mask by selecting Filter->Sharpen->Unsharp Mask ...

Experimenting with the various settings, I was able to settle upon Amount = 185%; Radius = 2.5 pixels; and Threshold = 50 levels.

And there you have it ... the removal of an un-desirable textured pattern without significantly sacrificing important image detail.

If you find the steps being taken are a little hard to understand in this text based article, you can click on the link at the end of this article to see the same method explained on our website with the aid of example graphical images.

You can see this method complete with example images at removing a textured pattern from a scanned photo

Feel free to re-print this article provided that all hyperlinks and author biography are retained as-is.

Gary Wilkinson is a photographer, photographic restorer and the owner of a photographic retail business. He is also the publisher of the removing a textured pattern from a scanned photo website, where other methods of correcting common photographic restoration problems are discussed.

no-contract cleaning service Mundelein ..

In The News:

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.

Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.

New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.

DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.

Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.

Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.

Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.

A new phishing scam targets family photos with fake "Cloud Storage Full" alerts. Criminals steal credit card information through fake sites. Learn protection tips.

South Korean scientists create ultra-thin fabric muscles that turn clothes into robotic assistants, lifting 33 pounds while weighing under half an ounce.

Removing a Textured Pattern from a Scanned Photo ? 5 Minute Digital Fix

Photography