Fixing up a faded letter

Lynfo

Hi all, not sure if this is the right forum for this, feel free to move mods if needs be.

I have an old letter, yellowed paper and faded type that I've been asked to try to make more legible.

I've tried a few different things on photoshop but I'm not really getting anywhere, does anybody know any tricks I can try?

Here's a small sample:

5uspect

Levels and curves are your friends. You need to use what little tonal range that is there to improve contrast.

So levels to clip the histogram down a bit and an S curve to boost contrast.


Also you may get better luck depending on how you scan the letter.

Lynfo

Thanks so much for that 5uspect, I'll give it a go, I think I'll try scanning it in again first.

Thanks again.

Deliverance

Suggestions:
1. create another layer and type out the text new in the closest font that you can find (typewriter font) space it out to match the original text as much as possible, possibly overlaid onto the original layer with the opacity lowered then merge the layers.

2. zoom in and painstakingly manipulate the pixels by cleverly applying the existing colours of light and dark brown by eye to keep an anitaliasing effect on the finished letters.

5uspect

I don't think the OP wants to restore the letter, just do some CSI style enhancement.