Can PS remove seal and gridlines from old passport photo?

[Des37292603zqnd]

The only copy of an old photo of my wife I'm very fond of is on an old out-of-date passport. However  the image is ruined by being covered with a physical plastic seal that has green physical wavy grid lines and also the seal/photo is heavily embossed. See first scan attached to show the exact image I have to work with. Ignore pink square added by me to protect privacy.  I used Photoshop years ago, so have some (very) basic knowledge.  Before buying or trialling Photoshop, do you guys reckon it can sort this image? Thanks so much guys!!! 

[Lumigraphics · Accepted solution]

Content-aware or generative fill, maybe. You'd just have to try it.

[Des37292603zqnd]

Thanks Lumingraphics. That's the answer I expected, but the only alternative is to try and physically remove the gridded passport film which I'm sure is not a runner.  

[D Fosse · Accepted solution]

It could be possible to remove the wavy grid lines, but you would need a better photographic reproduction of the passport. The lines need to be crisp, and the lighting needs to be even so the lines have consistent color. Here they blur and bleed into the photo itself, and that makes everything more difficult.

It's still not a walk in the park. You still have to replace those "missing pixels", and that can only be done by extrapolation. You'd select > color range targeting that cyan color, and content-aware fill. Photoshop's new ai-based algorithms can probably recognize that this is a face - but it won't know whose face. You may not be happy with the result.

Wish I could give you a better answer. Even if it works it will take some time and cleaning up after. But this is probably worth a little extra effort.

[Lumigraphics · Accepted solution]

And just a reminder that ANYTHING can be done manually. With sufficient skill, you could recreate this photo by hand, pixel by pixel. I'm not advocating this, just saying what is possible. You could always commission a digital painter to recreate this image for your wife.

[Des37292603zqnd]

Great folllow-up point.  I can use PS to recreate it pixel by pixel, but don't think I have the artistic eye to accurately replace missing pixels. In my experience AI photo enhancers mess up face recreation. My daughter is an excellent artist. I will commission her to produce an oil painting based on the gridded photo. Thanks.

[Des37292603zqnd]

Thanks for responses and you're right D.Fosse. The photo I uploaded was a quick scan just using my iPhone. I will start by using my Flatbed scanner at it's highest possible dpi. I'm quite prepared to zoom in and work pixel by pixel, but I too worry about the outcome of the face even thought of course I know it quite well (after thirty years married).