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I did make a duplicate layer and multiplied it. It didn't get much darker I can read it if I zoom on it. Here is a copy of it. You can't really tell the difference between the two on here but on PS you have more of a saturation of color.
Hi
You could try switching to Lab mode (Image >Image Mode Lab)
Add a curve adjustment layer and use quite an extreme curve setting on the lightness and set the blending mode to darker colour.
Right click the adjustment layer and in Blending options set the Blend If slider to remove the effect from the lighter areas
Click on the mask (next to the adjustment layer in the layers panel) and paint with black where you don't want the curve to impact (and white where you do)
I duplicated this layer (Ctrl+J)
Dave
Dave here's what I got I'm sure I missed something.
For starters, try making a duplicate layer of it, and set the Blending Mode to Multiply.
(Click on image to enlarge)
To maintain the character of the type, consider using a specially created K of the CMYK set and using that as Layer in the RGB file, as follows.
1. Duplicate the file. In the Duplicate:
2. Choose Edit > Color Settings > CMYK > Custom (at the top)
3. In the drop-down panel Black Generation change Medium to Maximum (note the effect in the ramp. )
4. In Channels add an alpha channel of the black, then Select All of this channel and Edit > Copy
Move to the RGB file and Paste this special K as a layer above the Background layer.
1. Use Curves to create a white surround and crisp dense black. (Paint away the leaves.)
2. Change the Blending Mode to Multiply. (Not shown: If desired, add a second Multiply layer of low opacity to add density. Dona't overdo it. We don't want to plug the drop shadows.)
Last: Return your CMYK Color Settings to their original settings.
(Building the handwritten elements is a separate challenge.)
I tried both calculations and curves layers. Neither gave me much to work with. Maybe the green channel has a slight edge over the blue channel. I settled on a combination of curves and B&W, and copy merged that to a new layer. I used the brush set to Overlay to firm up the blacks, and reduce the background, and set that layer to Multiply. I then added a 'hide all' mask, and painted the text back in.
The result is a bit clunky, but more readable
I tried smoothing out the text by copy merging again, and adding a tiny blur (0.7) and then firming back up with a levels layer
In Post 9 I numbered the steps required to produce the sample I posted. If any particular step is difficult to understand, let me know and I will provide a more detailed description.
Regarding the particular version of Photoshop that I used, it was 20.0.4, but don't attribute any special significance to that. I would provide the very same instructions even if you used a pre-CC version.
In Post 11 I referred to Lab Color and, as a novice, you may not be familiar with that Mode, particularly the a and b. channels in Curves. I wrote "...using the a and b channels to eliminate the color (a zero, b zero) and contrast was increased using Curves...". In that regard a zero value in those two channels reads 50 here:
Note that the a and b curves bisect the graph. The 50 reading here is equivalent to zero in in the Info Panel when referring to color values. Just drag the end-points of the curve vertically until each displays 50, as shown here.
Next, contrast is increased by choosing the Lightness curve and increasing the slope of the curve much the same as you would handle an RGB curve. I hope this explanation is helpful.
When you click on Edit > Color Settings you will see Color Settings of which Fig 1 is a part.
Click the choice shown by the arrow, It will display a list of which Custom CMYK is an option. Click on it.
It will dis[play Fig 3. Note that Black Generation probably reads Medium.
Change Medium to Maximum as shown in Fig 4 and ok
Important: When you have completed this project be sure to return the Black Generation to its previous setting.
Recovering the handwriting:
Once again the black was recovered from the modified K of CMYK set to Maximum Black Generation brought into the RGB file. This time the file was changed to Lab Color, using the a. and b channels to eliminate the color (a zero, b zero) and contrast was increased using Curves. The image above is the result. It should be taken to pure white, retouched and used in the image with its Blending Mode set to Multiply at which time the the white will disappear. The pen stroke remains thin and maintains its character.
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