How can I remove the yellow cast from an old scanned photo while preserving or restoring its look?
Asked 3/14/2013
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2 answers
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I’m restoring a scanned old print that has folds and dents, and I’ve mostly repaired the physical damage. The next issue is a strong yellow cast from age/fading. I’d like to neutralize the discoloration and make the tones look more natural, but I’m not sure whether the photo was originally monochrome or had hand-applied color that has faded unevenly. What’s a good way to correct the yellowing in Photoshop or similar software without ruining the remaining detail or tone?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
3
There are a number of ways to correct the yellowing in Photoshop. I think the easiest to try is to use a curves or levels adjustment layer, and use the grey dropper to select a neutral area. That should neutralise the yellow cast.
- Create a Curves Adjustment Layer
- Select the middle of the three dropper tools (grey dropper)
- Click on a neutral area of the image (something that should be some shade of grey - white may work)
- This should instantly remove the yellow cast from the image. If it does not, or overcorrects it, try clicking on other neutral areas - if it's overcorrected you might be able to reduce opacity.
Below is a before image I artificially faded.
I selected the grey dropper (circled) and clicked on the cloth/paper under his left hand, which looking like it might be white or grey. You can see the blue has been raised, and since blue and yellow are complementary, that reduces the yellow in the image.
You could do the same thing with the Color Balance adjustment layer, moving the Yellow-Blue slider to the right. Below is the result, possibly a bit overdone, but the yellow is gone.
Originally by user4191. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4191
13y ago
0
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Start non-destructively with adjustment layers. A simple first try is a Curves or Levels adjustment and use the gray eyedropper on an area that should be neutral (gray/white paper, clothing, etc.). That can quickly remove a yellow color cast; if it overcorrects, try a different neutral area or reduce the layer opacity.
If the image is meant to read as monochrome, another approach is to remove the color cast with a Hue/Saturation adjustment set to Saturation 0 and blend mode Color, then add a second Hue/Saturation layer with Colorize to give it a subtle sepia/neutral tone.
But be careful: this photo may not be simply “yellowed.” It may contain faded hand-coloring or uneven surviving dyes. In that case, fully neutralizing the yellow may also wipe out intentional remaining color and change tonal relationships. You’ll need to decide whether to:
- restore it as black-and-white/sepia, or
- preserve and manually retouch the remaining color.
So: first determine whether the color is damage or original tinting, then neutralize selectively rather than globally if needed.
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