Disappearing Tape

Take a look at your photographs with tape in various areas. Always scan the entire photo to preserve the original image. Then consider cropping out as much of the tape as possible by moving the scanner's selection tool and scanning the smaller section (with less tape showing) at a high enough resolution to print at the size you desire. Photo editing techniques can lighten the tape or make it a different color to help make it disappear. Don't let that tape keep you from preserving those damaged images. If you have to scan a photo taped to an album, look at the tips on other blog posts regarding scanning from albums.

Taped and Textured 1900's Photograph

I've been working on uniting written "stories" from my husband's grandparents with all the photos scanned at his aunts' homes. These priceless photos and documents give life to the words of these relatives. It's been quite a project, to put it mildly. While scanning, we came upon this wonderful photo of a family member who played a key role in bringing my husband's German grandparents to America.

This original photo was printed on a textured paper. In order to gain a better look on her face, the little "cracks and creases" were mostly removed (smoothed over) in the digital image. Details in the clothing show up better now that the same smoothing process was applied to much of her outfit. When restoring your photos printed on textured paper, you may choose to "blur" segments or leave the texture. The latter choice means your restored image retains more of its historical value. Sometimes scanning at a higher resolution (in order to have more pixels to make "repairs") means you enhance the texture a bit, but that can be overcome with various tools and techniques of restoration.

Taped Photo in Album B

 

Yes, there it was, a beautiful, original old photo of my husband's grandmother...TAPED INTO HIS AUNT'S ALBUM...OHHHHHH, NOOOOOOO!!! The resulting photo made all the restoration work so worth it! And we are thrilled a relative allowed me to scan this photo, because now it is in the hands of many other family members! A family's old photo album is a collection of prints gathered over the years by ancestors who then handed the album down to the next generation. Unfortunately, many families choose to remove some photos and, in essence, destroy the integrity of a priceless collection. Please consider scanning and sharing copies of its contents as a way to ensure your family's irreplaceable old photo album remains intact.

Taped Photo in Album A

 
Recently a family member gave permission for her treasured scrapbook full of photos and documents to be scanned. Within the pages were many items other relatives had never seen, such as this wonderful image taken 102 years ago during a trip this gentleman described in his personal history. Hopefully this restoration example will encourage all who may find themselves "stuck" in the same situation, attempting to preserve and share similarly damaged items. Most tape damage can be overcome by using the same techniques employed for covering larger spots and cracks. Scan these photos at a higher resolution, as you would a surface-damaged image, in order to "borrow" good pixels and cover the "bad" pixels.And always scan the entire page of the album, without attempting to remove a photo such as this. Too much further damage might ensue to both the photo and the album--a priceless combination not to be harmed--if you try to "untape" those old photographs.