There is a brush tool in the menu. Double click it and a dialog box opens to allow you to specify the size of the brush and the color. Select any size that completely covers the dot or star; choose black as the color. Simply place the crosshairs over the star and click to place a black circle over it. I have found that blacking out even the very tiny and faint markings can improve the programs ability to remove the texture. Also, it seems to work better on JPEGs than TIFFs.

Here is a before and after example. This is a snapshot of the Queens Center Shopping Mall under construction circa 1971 or 1972. The Elmhurst Gas Tanks are barely visible in the distance.

The only work done on this image is to run it through the FFT/IFFT process in ImageJ.

I have some where the texture is much worse than this and the result is not so good but better than the original.

Original

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ImageJ output

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I downloaded and installed ImageJ last night. In my not so exhaustive test (one JPEG), it diminished the texture quite a bit. The original looked like an image covered in bubble wrap. Before any further retouching, it still has a slight honeycomb texture. I think I can live with that at least for now.

Thanks again.

I would love to try this approach but I don't have the lights, filters or the space. Thanks for your suggestion.

Thanks. I will check them out. Will either or both work on the entire image?

Thanks for the link. There are a few fft projects listed there. Do you have a preference?

Yes. I have used both of these on several test photos. The result only diminishes the problem slightly, it does not remove it.

I have Adobe CC for Photographers and I am running it on a 64-bit Windows 10 PC.

I have several hundred 30 to 40 year-old photos that were printed on textured paper. When I scan them the texture stands out and detracts from the image; in some cases, it seriously degrades the image.

I have read about using Fast Fourier Transform plugins to remove the texture without spoiling the image and have viewed several YouTube videos that demonstrate the capabilities of these plugins. None of the videos names a product and most, if not all, were run on MAC's. Most of the offerings on the Web that I have found are for MAC's, are hosted on insecure sites, or are 32-bit versions that are 4 or 5 years old, therefore having questionable compatibility with Photoshop 2017. I am not interested in any of these options.

Can any of you recommend a trusted site that has a recent Photoshop CC-compatible version for 64-bit Windows?

Outsourcing the job would be a last resort since most of these pictures are irreplaceable and I don't want to chance having them lost or damaged in transit.

Thanks for your help.

I was in northeast Tanzania, by the abandoned Sinya mines, very close to the Kenya border prior to visiting Tarangire, Ngorongoro and Serengeti in May of this year. We happened on a quartet of cheetah that were playing and lounging. Our guide opined that they were probably a female and her three almost full-grown offspring. They looked very well fed and that probably contributed to their relaxed demeanor. I got some stills of the cats in full stride chasing each other and some of the younger ones practicing there hunting skills on each other. The images may be static but they convey enough of a sense of motion to trigger the memory of spending the better part of an hour and a half observing them. I also have pictures of a large bull elephant bluff-charging our vehicle.

For those of us crossing items off our bucket list, the pictures (which will never be of sufficient quality for Nat Geo or any other publication) are a memory aid. Until Alzheimer's sets in, they are good enough to bring back the feeling I experienced.

Thanks. Not bad for a half blind guy with an entry level DSLR and a kit lens, if I do say so myself.

Thanks.

Thanks. I appreciate the kind words.

Based on the rosettes (spots) on her flanks and legs and the pink color in her nose, she appears to be less than four years old, probably closer to three. The rosettes will fade and the coloration of the nose will change to all black as she ages.

Thanks for taking the time to view this picture.

I took this picture in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania in May, 2016.

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We used Overseas Adventure Travel.

Our lodgings were on private game reserves(Sinya, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro) or in Serengeti national park for 12 of the 15 days that we spent actually in Tanzania. We stayed in transient tented encampments most nights but had a few nights in a more permanent site situated on elevated platforms. We were very happy with all of the accommodations and all meals were included. The food was great especially since many meals were prepared in the boonies under less than ideal conditions - basic camp stoves, camp fires, etc.

We went in May at the tail end of rainy season but only had a brief shower on one day as we arrived back at camp in the Serengeti. The camp staff met us at the car park and handed out umbrellas for the 100 meter walk to the dining tent. Most days started out with a heavy overcast but normally by 10:00 am or so the sun broke through. Our driver/guides were exceptional. Not only did they have a great deal of knowledge about the animals but also they could spot leopards and lions in trees at great distances. In the Ngorongoro Crater, our guide identified a black rhino in the distance. To me, it looked about the size of a sesame seed.

Everyone that we met in Tanzania was friendly and aiming to please their guests. This was my wife's first experience "roughing it" unless you consider a Hyatt roughing it. She now wants to do Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia!

Sorry for running on.