I'm looking for software packages or techniques for removing dust spots and other negative/transparency defects from scanned negatives and transparencies. I have been able to remove them by hand using tools such as Adobe Photoshop, but this is time consuming at best.

-- James D. Conway (JSquare@pacbell.net), January 17, 1999

Answers

I think that the consumer "fun package" Kai's Photo Soap from Metacreations has this capability, but not sure. The best solution I've seen so far to this is the "Digital ICE" technology in the Nikon Super Coolscan scanners. It does a better job than anything else I've seen, in large part because it uses some sort of variable-focusing to discriminate between what's on the surface of the film vs what's in the film itself. - Only works for 35mm though, and apparently doesn't do well on Kodachrome either, due to the variable emulsion thickness fo that process.

-- Dave Etchells (web@imaging-resource.com), January 18, 1999.

Me again... I just read about a software package from Scitex that does this defect-removal for you. Don't know what platform or price, but it's bound to be expensive, given Scitex' position in the high-end graphics market.

-- Dave Etchells (web@imaging-resource.com), January 23, 1999.

go to metacreations.com or call 800-846-0111 dept.7001 saw it in a magazine called Family PC the same nite I read your problem..... full page color ad for Kai's Photo Soap 2...........says 'clean up your image', etc......Ialso was very impressed w/ that whole magazine........go to: familypc.com or check it out at the store....

-- Doesn't Matter (noreply@necessary.net), February 14, 1999.