How to Despeckle an Image in GIMP

Use GIMP's Despeckle filter to touch up old photographs.

When you scan a photograph into your computer, the scanner includes any scratches, dust and other surface damage in the digital image. Remove these unsightly blemishes using the Despeckle visual filter in the free, open-source GIMP image-editing program. The Despeckle filter analyzes the image for pixels that are too light or too dark, then removes them from the image. The Despeckle filter can also remove the cross-hatching that often appears when you scan a photograph from a magazine.

Instructions

1. Launch GIMP and open the image you want to despeckle. Click the "Rectangle Select Tool" in the GIMP Toolbox window. Click and drag on the image to select the first area that you want to despeckle.

2. Click the "Filters" menu and hover the mouse cursor over "Enhance." Select "Despeckle."

3. Check the box next to "Adaptive." Check the box next to "Preview" to display a preview of the despeckling effect.

4. Select and drag the "Black Level" slider left and right until you find the point at which GIMP removes unwanted pixels without affecting the rest of the image. The farther to the right you drag the slider, the more pixels GIMP removes from the image. Adjust the "White Level" slider in the same way.

5. Click the "OK" button to apply the Despeckle filter to the selected area of the image. Select the next area of the image that you want to despeckle, then repeat the process as needed.

References

• GIMP: Despeckle

Resources

• GIMP: Downloads