Scan cleanup
Foxing, stains, show-through and scanner noise removed without flattening the line work.
Book illustration
Old book illustrations
Scanned engravings and antique plates rarely survive a reprint unaided. Foxing, broken lines, show-through from the reverse page and a century of paper yellowing all end up in the scan, and enlarging the file only enlarges the damage.
Overview
What this service covers
We restore and, where needed, redraw historical illustrations so they can be printed again cleanly. That covers wood engravings, steel plates, lithographs, botanical and zoological illustration, maps and decorative ornament.
There is a choice to make on every job: restore the scan, keeping the original marks and character, or redraw it as vector line art that can be scaled and recoloured freely. We will tell you which suits the intended use.
What we provide
Everything included in the scope
Line restoration
Broken and faded lines rebuilt in keeping with the original engraver's hand.
Vector redraw
Plates rebuilt as editable vector art for unlimited scaling and recolouring.
Colourisation
Historically plausible colour applied to monochrome plates where a colour edition is wanted.
Background separation
Illustrations isolated from page texture for reuse on new layouts.
Facsimile preparation
Whole-page reproduction prepared for facsimile and reprint editions.
Process
How the work runs
01
Source assessment
We review your scans and advise on resolution, and on restore-versus-redraw for each image.
02
Sample treatment
One image is treated both ways where useful, so you can compare before committing.
03
Batch restoration
The set is processed to the agreed approach and reviewed in groups.
04
Delivery
Cleaned raster files, vector versions where commissioned, and archived sources.
Benefits
What you get out of it
Prints cleanly at size
Restored line work that holds up when enlarged rather than falling apart.
Character preserved
Restoration keeps the engraver's hand instead of smoothing it into blandness.
Scalable versions available
Vector redraws can be used at any size and recoloured freely.
Batch consistency
A whole plate set treated to one standard rather than image by image.
Portfolio
Related work from the studio
A sample of studio work in this category.
Who it suits
Typical clients for this service
Briefs come from single projects and from teams commissioning at volume.
Reprint and facsimile publishers
Libraries, archives and museums
Antiquarian booksellers
Heritage and academic presses
Designers using public-domain imagery
Questions
Before you brief us
Anything not answered here, ask directly and you will get a straight answer.
Ask a question600 dpi or better for line engravings, grayscale or colour rather than bitmap. Lower-resolution scans can still be redrawn as vector, but restoration options narrow considerably.
Often yes, by redrawing the missing sections in the style of the surviving line work. We will show you a sample section first and flag any area where reconstruction would become invention.
No. Rights clearance is yours to confirm. Many antique plates are in the public domain, but a modern scan or edition may carry its own rights, so check before commissioning.
Yes. New illustrations can be drawn in the same technique so a modern addition sits convincingly in a historical set.
Ready to brief this project?
Send the details and a scope, schedule and fixed quote come back within one working day.