step by step Restoration explanation

Rebuild a ripped old print and fix all signs of damage with elements’ retouching tools

01 Select the Pieces

Open restore_before in ‘Expert’ mode. Grab the Quick Selection tool, paint to select a piece of photo (but not the torn edges), then hit Cmd/ctrl+j to copy to a new layer. Highlight the ‘Background’ layer and repeat for each segment until they each have their own layer.

02 Build the Jigsaw

Hide the ‘Background’ layer. Grab the Move tool and check ‘Show Bounding Box’ in the tool options. Reposition each piece, rotating, if necessary, by clicking the bounding box then dragging outside of it. Use the arrow keys to fine-tune the positioning.

03 Remove the RIPS

Grab the Spot Healing Brush tool. Check ‘Sample All Layers’ in the tool options. Create a new layer at the top of the stack and name it ‘healing’. Paint with the tool to remove scratches and marks, using the ] and [ keys to resize the brush as you paint.

04 clone extra details

Switch to the Clone tool (S) and again check ‘Sample All Layers’ in the tool options. Hold Alt to sample a source nearby then paint to fill in empty patches. It’s also useful for reshaping details that may look slightly wrong. Zoom in close and clone with a small brush.

05 tidy the edges

The Clone tool can also help to blend uneven tones, particularly in otherwise plain backdrops. This is best done at 50% brush opacity or less (hit 5 for 50%). Once the cloning and healing is complete, use the Crop tool to chop off any messy edges.

06 Boost and Sharpen

Create a Levels adjustment layer. Drag the left and right points inwards slightly to increase contrast, then set the layer blending mode to Luminosity. Finally, hit Cmd/ctrl+shift+alt+e to merge a layer, then go to Enhance>unsharp Mask. Set Amount 117, Radius 1.6.