After reading these free slide scanning tips, you'll learn how to...

• Quickly remove dust using the Healing Tool
• Make sure you don't remove any important details
• Become a pro at GIMP so you can do this faster (or show your kids so they can do it!)

Let me show you what I mean...

Before dust and scratch fix with GIMP.

After dust and scratch fix with GIMP.

Ready? Here's how...

Step One: Open Your Digital Image(s) In GIMP And Zoom In

This step is easy, but important. You want to zoom in. But not too far. If you go to far you won't know what's dust or what's important detail.

Here's how...

Press your "Z" key, and left mouse button to zoom in.

Next...

Step Two: Find The "Heal Tool"

The Heal Tool is the best way to get rid of dust, debris, and scratches. You'll find the Tool in your Tool Box, or press "H"...

Open your file. Zoom in. Find your "dust" spots. And click on the "Heal Tool".

Next, here's how to use the Heal Tool...

Step Three: How To Use The "Heal Tool"

Here's the proper technique to use...

• Go to a dust spot
• Don't click on the dust yet
• Go NEAR to your dust spot in a "clean area"
• Click CTRL and left mouse button
• What you are doing is telling the Heal Tool, "This spot is clean, I want you to use this area to cover up the dust"
• Now you can start left clicking the dust spot

Let me who you what I mean...

You need to "Set" your Heal Tool. Press CTRL and left mouse button BESIDE the dust you want to fix.

Move onto the next dust spot. Again, find a clean spot around the dust, and click CTRL and left mouse button to set the area. Once set, just left mouse click around the dust...

Once your Heal Tool is set, use your left mouse button clicking around the dust to clean it off.

What If Dust Cover More Than One Little Spot?

Here's another example where dust covers more than one little area.

First, I want to get rid of these dark smudges. Using CTRL and left click, I set the Heal Tool on the white area. Then I start left clicking on the smudged area...

Set your Heal Tool just beside the dust / debris you want to clean: CTRL and left mouse button. Then start clicking away at the dust to get rid of it.

But be careful! If you do not reset the Heal Tool, you will get this...

Yikes. You need to re-set the Heal Tool so you don't end up doing this.

So, remember to reset the Heal Tool. Here I would CTRL and left click the green area to work on the smudge that is on the green...

I continue like this around the whole images -- starting from top left and work down.

What If Your Heal Tool Is Too Big Or Small?

Sometimes you'll find that the Heal Tool is too large to clean up very minute dust, or vice-versa.

In your Tool Box, you will find "Scale". Change the Scale above 1 and your Heal Tool will become a bit bigger...

Here's The Before-And-After, Again...

Before dust and scratch fix with GIMP.

After dust and scratch fix with GIMP.

How To Fix Your Slide Scans Using GIMP -- Table Of Contents

Here's those full tutorials again...

Step 1: Fix Dull, Flat, Unnatural Colours Using GIMP

Step 2: Adjust Exposure Levels Using GIMP

Step 3: Remove Dust And Scratches Using GIMP