How to remove small black dots from text page - selecting pixel radius via script

Question

I have thousands of antique pages of text and some of them have little black dots on them. These are not text layers but rather all the text is a single image layer. I am trying to remove the dots without damaging or altering the text in anyway but I don't have time to do it manually by erasing each dot with the eraser tool. I have tried every tutorial and tool I can find to solve the problem but they all seem to

1. Removes to much of the text I am trying to keep

2. Has to be selected manually one by one

3. Effects the text I am trying to preserve

Here is an example of what I am working with

Notice all the small black dots that don't belong.

Perhaps there is another tool available that I have missed but I can't seem to find one so here is what I am thinking and asking.

If I separate the black text from the white background in the layer is it possible to create a script that can select any parts of the layer/image that are a radius of say 5 pixels or less?

If I could I could then select the small dots and delete them and the main text would be preserved because off of those items will be larger than only 5 pixels.

If there is another tool I don't know about that would work I am open to that, please keep in mind I have thousands of pages so I am looking at running a script or action to accomplish this and not manually selecting all of them.

Thanks for reading this and any help that might follow,

Dan

Kukurykus · Accepted Answer

Sorry for the delay but I wanted to let you know that the script is working amazingly.

Let us know if we can email you small gift,

Dan

Actually I do it for free as I'm enthusiast of Photoshop Scripting, so that was great pleasure to have another task that is other than rest I tried I could find a method for I haven't been honoured by any means yet and haven't supposed I can. Well, if you guys want to be nice for me this way - that is completetly ok if I take some little payback 2nd chance can no happen, someone is so greatful for my work that would like to emphasize this cooperation must also convey some values. I wonder what that is, but whatever it will be I'm happy to recieve it. After all I saved weeks of your time making those texts readable.

For full automation replace last two paragraphs to this code. It's going to let you choose folder which (.psd/.jpg) files (also those nested in all level subfolders) will be processed. Then each saved as .jpg in autocreated subfolder of its parent folder:

function FSf(sF, i) {
     sF = Folder(sF).getFiles()
     for(re = /\.(jpe?g|psd)$/i; i < sF.length; i++) {
          if (sF instanceof Folder) FSf(sF, 0)
          else if(re.test(sF.name)) {
               if (!((fld = Folder(sF.path + '/processed'))).exists) fld.create(); open(sF)
               cR2('shadows'), pat(2.7), SfP('set'), pD(), (sel = (aD = activeDocument).selection).grow(23, true), sel.invert()
               sel.grow(23, true), sel.invert(), cTL(), aD.activeLayer = (lyr = aD.layers)[1], sel.selectAll(), rst(), sel.fill(backgroundColor)
               sel.deselect(), aD.activeLayer = lyr[0],  str(25, 15, 5, 'foregroundColor', 1, 'MULTIPLY', false), aD.flatten()
               cR2('shadows'), BaC(25, 75), sel.contract(1), sel.smooth(1), sel.expand(1), lyr[0].applyUnSharpMask(500, 1000, 250)
               sel.feather(1), sel.grow(25, true), cTL(), BaC(150, 100), aD.selection.fill(backgroundColor, ColorBlendMode.BEHIND)
               lyr[0].applyGaussianBlur(.3), aD.flatten(), aD.saveAs(File(fld + '/' + aD.name), jpg), aD.close()
          }  
     }   
}  
displayDialogs = DialogModes.NO
jpg = new JPEGSaveOptions(); jpg.quality = 12
FSf(Folder.selectDialog('select folder'), 0)

Kukurykus · Answer

It assumes there is only background in your file, if that has to work. Tests were done only on 648*391 pixels dimension and 72 px/in resolution document. It removes 100% black dots (not beeing 'flying' parts of letters), and doesn't affect scripture, but make it unremarkably thinner & contrastive and still remarkably similar to original Ask me question if you have any.

function sTT(v) {return stringIDToTypeID(v)}
function cR2(v1, v2, v3, v4) {// UNSAMPLED COLOR RANGE:
     eval("(dsc1 = new ActionDescriptor())" + (v1 == 'skinTone' ? ".putInteger(sTT('fuzziness'), v4)" : ""))
     dsc1.putEnumerated(sTT(C = (c = 'color') + 's'), sTT(C), sTT(v1))
     for(i = 0; i < (arr = ['invert', 'UseFacesKey']).length; i++) dsc1.putBoolean(sTT(arr), eval('v' + (i + 2)) || false)
     dsc1.putInteger(sTT(c + 'Model'), 0), executeAction(sTT(c + 'Range'), dsc1, DialogModes.NO)
     // v1: 'radius', 'cyans', 'yellows', 'graininess', 'blues', 'magenta'
     // 'highlights', 'midtones', 'shadows', 'skinTone', 'outOfGamut'
     // v2: boolean; v3: boolean, v4: number (0 - 200)
}
function pat(v) {// PATH FROM SELECTION
     (ref1 = new ActionReference()).putClass(sTT('path'));
     (dsc1 = new ActionDescriptor()).putReference(sTT('null'), ref1);
     (ref2 = new ActionReference()).putProperty(sTT('selectionClass'), sTT('selection'))
     dsc1.putReference(sTT('from'), ref2)
     dsc1.putUnitDouble(sTT('tolerance'), sTT('pixelsUnit'), v)
     executeAction(sTT('make'), dsc1, DialogModes.NO)
     // v: (.5 - 10)
}
function SfP(v1, v2) {// SSELECTION FROM PATH:
     (ref1 = new ActionReference()).putProperty(sTT('channel'), sTT('selection')); (dsc1 = new ActionDescriptor()).putReference(sTT('null'), ref1)
     eval("(ref2 = new ActionReference()).put" + (!v2 ? "Enumerated" : ((wP = v2 == 'workPath') ? "Property" : (isNaN(v2) ? "Name" : "Index")))
     + "(sTT('path'), " + (!v2 ? "sTT('ordinal'), sTT('targetEnum')" : (wP ? "sTT(v2)" : "v2")) + ")")
     dsc1.putReference(sTT('to'), ref2), dsc1.putInteger(sTT('version'), 1), dsc1.putBoolean(sTT('vectorMaskParams'), true)
     try{executeAction(sTT(v1), dsc1, DialogModes.NO)} catch(errPth) {}
     // v1: 'set', 'addTo', 'subtractFrom', 'interfaceWhite'; v2: null, 'workPath', path name
}
// LAYER FROM LAYER:
function cTL() {executeAction(sTT('copyToLayer'), undefined, DialogModes.NO)}
function pD(v) {// PATH DELETION:
     eval("(ref1 = new ActionReference()).put" + (!v ? "Enumerated" : ((wP = v == 'workPath') ? "Property" : (isNaN(v) ? "Name" : "Index")))
     + "(sTT('path'), " + (!v ? "sTT('ordinal'), sTT('targetEnum')" : (wP ? "sTT(v)" : "v")) + ")");
     (dsc1 = new ActionDescriptor()).putReference(sTT('null'), ref1), executeAction(sTT('delete'), dsc1, DialogModes.NO)
     // v: null, 'workPath', path name / index
}
function rst() {// COLORS RESET
     (ref1 = new ActionReference()).putProperty(sTT('color'), sTT('colors'));
     (dsc1 = new ActionDescriptor()).putReference(sTT('null'), ref1)
     executeAction(sTT('reset'), dsc1, DialogModes.NO);
}
function str(v1, v2, v3, V1, V2, V3, V4) {// THREE STATES OF STROKE:
     for(i = 0; i < (arr = ['INSIDE', 'CENTER', 'OUTSIDE']).length; i++) {
          eval('sel.stroke(' + V1 + ',' + V2 + ', StrokeLocation.' + arr +
          ', ColorBlendMode.' + V3 + ',  ' + arguments + ', '  + V4 + ')' )
     }
}
cR2('shadows', false, false, 27), pat(2.7), SfP('set'), pD(), (sel = (aD = activeDocument).selection).grow(23, true), sel.invert()
sel.grow(23, true), sel.invert(), cTL(), aD.activeLayer = (lyr = aD.layers)[1], sel.selectAll(), rst(), sel.fill(backgroundColor)
sel.deselect(), aD.activeLayer = lyr[0],  str(25, 15, 5, 'foregroundColor', 1, 'MULTIPLY', false), aD.flatten()

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