Restoring pencil writing

[Samantha2657730813h1]

My grandmother passed away and I am trying to restore the pencil handwriting on the back of a photo. Any help is appreciated thank you 

 

 

[Peru Bob]

This is the Using the Community forum (which is the forum for issues using the forums).

Please tell us what Adobe application you are using so that this can be moved to the proper forum for help.

[kglad]

https://makeitcenter.adobe.com/en/blog/how-to-digitize-handwriting.html

<moved from using the community>

[c.pfaffenbichler]

I recommend you do a scan at RGB 16bit with a flatbed scanner. 

But in some particularly affected areas it may come down to guesswork … 

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Do you have access to a scanner? 

I am afraid some of the damage in the upper right quadrant of the sheet may just be too severe to reconstruct the handwriting. 

[kglad]

@c.pfaffenbichler, i'm not so sure about that.  this looks worse at the start, https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/how-can-i-enhance-faded-writing/m-p/1...

but @Myra Ferguson found writing i could barely detect (let alone read) in the original.

[Semaphoric]

I did a quick attempt with duplicating the Background, running the High Pass filter on it, and setting its blending mode to Linear Light, with a Curves layer above to bump up the contrast on the paper.

If possible, I would reshoot, propping the print and the camera against something solid, or use a tripod, to get a sharper copy.

[kglad]

@Semaphoric, wow - good job. (now i feel like i'm prying.)

[Myra Ferguson]

@kglad I don't know that I did any better than @Semaphoric, but here's what I got using a variety of features which mostly included levels, curves, blend modes, and combining various results and applying more levels, curves, and blend modes:

[kglad]

imo, both you ( @Myra Ferguson and @Samantha2657730813h1 ) did a terrific job.  but i wouldn't recommend putting more effort into this, at least, until the op responds.