How can I combine two marked-up copies of the same photo to remove overlaid text in GIMP or Paint.NET?
Asked 11/27/2012
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I have two edited copies of the same digital photos. One version has a large timestamp with an opaque background in the bottom-right corner, and the other has location text added in the top-left. I want to reconstruct a clean version by using the unobscured area from each copy. What's the quickest way to do this in GIMP or Paint.NET on Windows, assuming the photos are otherwise identical?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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If both image have exactly the same size, this is pretty easy.
Using an image editing program supporting layers (Paint.Net, Gimp, Photoshop), you can load each image on a different layer, one on top of the other.
Then, carefully select the area you want to remove from the top image (make sure you are working on its layer) and remove the selected area. The removed area should appear as transparent in the layer thumbnail and be replaced by the content of the image in the layer below in your image itself.
If their sizes differ, you will have to manipulate the images before.
Originally by user8132. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user8132
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—if both copies are the same dimensions and line up exactly, the easiest method is to use layers.
Open both images in GIMP or Paint.NET and place one photo on a layer above the other. Then, on the top layer, select the area containing the unwanted text and delete it (or erase it). That reveals the clean pixels from the layer underneath. If needed, swap which image is on top so you can use the unmarked parts from each version.
This is much faster and more accurate than manually cutting and pasting strips, because the images stay aligned while you only remove the damaged areas.
If the two files are not exactly the same size or alignment, you’ll need to resize/align them first before deleting the marked regions. Once aligned, the layer method should work well.
Tools mentioned by the community for watermark/text removal include Inpaint and Photo Stamp Remover, but for your specific case—where you already have two differently marked copies of the same photo—layering the images is the most direct solution.
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