Old photo curvy edge fix

Question

Hello,I am scanning my old negatives from the '70s and the images have curvy edges.How can I fix this? I tried using AI, but it ruined the whole picture.As a novice, I would be grateful for a step-by-step explanation.For example, the right side and bottom are curvy:

CORCTON34033231 · Accepted Answer

Thanks for clarifying - that helps. First, on step 3: that step does not straighten the bow, it simply crops it away. You move the Crop boundary just inside the curved edge, so the bowed strip and the white area outside it are removed. You lose a thin strip, but the remaining edge is straight. If you want to keep that strip and actually unbend the edge instead, try Warp on a copy of the scan: 1. Select the layer in the Layers panel. 2. Select Edit > Free Transform, or press Ctrl + T (Windows) or Command + T (macOS). 3. Select the Switch Between Free Transform And Warp Modes button in the Options bar. 4. Drag the control point on the bowed right or bottom edge until it lines up with the rest of the edge. 5. Press Enter (Windows) or Return (macOS) to commit. Guide: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/desktop/crop-resize-transform/resize-adjust-resolution/transform-images-shapes-and-paths.htmlPlease try the Warp step on a copy first, as it will stretch the picture near that edge a little. Let me know if the bow is in the middle of the edge or at a corner, and I can suggest which handle to drag.

CORCTON34033231 · Answer

Hi, good news — you do not need AI for this. Try the Crop tools first, step by step:

1. Straighten the tilt: Select the Crop tool, then in the Options bar select Straighten and drag a line along an edge that should be straight. Press Enter (Windows) or Return (macOS). See: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/desktop/crop-resize-transform/crop-straighten/straighten-tilted-photos.html

2. Fix a skewed rectangle: Hold down the Crop tool and select Perspective Crop. Draw a marquee around the photo, drag its corners to match the photo's edges, then press Enter (Windows) or Return (macOS). See: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/desktop/crop-resize-transform/crop-straighten/transform-perspective-while-cropping.html

3. If a small bow is still left at the right side or bottom, drag the Crop boundary just inside that curved edge and press Enter, so the bow is cropped out rather than filled in.

Work on a copy of your scan, and do the straightening before any retouching. Let us know how the Perspective Crop step looks on your scan!

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