# How to fix a reaaaally bad scan?

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-fix-a-reaaaally-bad-scan/231868>\
**Category:** design\
**Created:** [July 9, 2007, 4:40am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-fix-a-reaaaally-bad-scan/231868 "2007-07-09T04:40:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![LeiaGraf](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/leiagraf/32/3602_2.png) [@LeiaGraf](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/LeiaGraf)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2007, 4:40am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-fix-a-reaaaally-bad-scan/231868/1 "2007-07-09T04:40:08Z")

</div>

Hello all,

My boss just handed me a document from his genealogy (good use of business time, eh?) but the scan is terrible! I thought I could clean it up, and I have a little, but not enough to read all of it. Whoever decided that script handwriting from the 1800s should be scanned in 2 bit should really be shot.

Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to clean it up a bit? I’ve been playing with medians and blurs, and overlaying the original with different layer blends. The problem is that unlike in a lot of photos, this info just isn’t there to be refound; it has to be guessed.

Thanks for any tips!