# Is there a way to enhance faded pencil and ink pen writing on a wall? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 8, 2021, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-enhance-faded-pencil-and-ink-pen-writing-on-a-wall/950341 "2021-09-08T23:16:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dolfinwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@dolfinwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolfinwriter)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2021, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-enhance-faded-pencil-and-ink-pen-writing-on-a-wall/950341/1 "2021-09-08T23:16:32Z")
Bottom line–I’ve tried to enhance digital images of this in GIMP with no success. There just isn’t enough detail to work with, AND it’s a textured wall that interferes as well. I need to enhance the writing itself and THEN take photos. We’re selling our house after 23 years and wife wants to save the kids’ growth chart, but by now most of the marks have faded and are no longer visible to naked eye. The local forensics lab doesn’t even have a method for this, so I’m hoping someone out there has an idea in chemistry or special light spectrum or something that I can use at home. I’m willing to pay an expert if need be, but if it costs a LOT of money (thousand$), then we have to consider this a lost cause. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2021, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-enhance-faded-pencil-and-ink-pen-writing-on-a-wall/950341/2 "2021-09-08T23:56:32Z")
I have no idea if this would work but you might research using a blacklight (ultraviolet light). ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2021, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-enhance-faded-pencil-and-ink-pen-writing-on-a-wall/950341/3 "2021-09-09T00:00:16Z")
> [@dolfinwriter](#): > > There just isn’t enough detail to work with If you are taking photos from a distance trying to get the whole thing, you could get more detail by taking close macro shots one section at a time and stitching them together. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2021, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-enhance-faded-pencil-and-ink-pen-writing-on-a-wall/950341/4 "2021-09-09T01:02:49Z")
There are a whole lot of additional questions. So, painted wall? The markings were done in a mix of pencil and different inks? The markings have been eroded by years of cleaning or have they just somehow faded? Problem is likely that the markings have physically been removed. Pencil does not fade. But it easily rubs away. There may be residual scratch marks impressed into the paint. Danger is that cleaning may polish these out over time. I would be inclined to try a very angled light source so see if any marks in the paint are visible. Pencil marks won’t be helped by trying UV light, but any residual dye used in some markers might show up. Cheap UV LED lights are available now, so worth a shot. When trying photo enhancement you want to be sure you are working with the RAW images, and not any sort of compression of the image. You might want to try forcing a range of exposures as well to try to get the range of possible light values in the middle of the exposure range, not at an extreme. You want to be enhancing stuff that is in the mid-greys. A mix of angled lighting and photo enhancement might get you there. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2021, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-enhance-faded-pencil-and-ink-pen-writing-on-a-wall/950341/5 "2021-09-09T03:51:38Z")
Have you tried looking at the individual channels in GIMP or GraphicConverter? ---
**Author:** ![dolfinwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@dolfinwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolfinwriter)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2021, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-enhance-faded-pencil-and-ink-pen-writing-on-a-wall/950341/6 "2021-09-09T08:36:47Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > research using a blacklight (ultraviolet light). Tried that and it doesn’t help. > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > If you are taking photos from a distance trying to get the whole thing, you could get more detail by taking close macro shots one section at a time and stitching them together. I already did that with the images I have. ---
**Author:** ![dolfinwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@dolfinwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolfinwriter)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2021, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-enhance-faded-pencil-and-ink-pen-writing-on-a-wall/950341/7 "2021-09-09T08:41:56Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > There are a whole lot of additional questions. > So, painted wall? Yes, painted and textured, which makes it even more of a mess. > [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > The markings were done in a mix of pencil and different inks? Yes > [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > The markings have been eroded by years of cleaning or have they just somehow faded? Not entirely certain. Could have been bodies rubbing on them while turning the corner over a period of 23 years. Could have been cleaning. Could have just naturally faded. > [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > Pencil marks won’t be helped by trying UV light, but any residual dye used in some markers might show up. Cheap UV LED lights are available now, so worth a shot. > [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > When trying photo enhancement you want to be sure you are working with the RAW images, and not any sort of compression of the image. Are you saying use something like a TIFF format rather than .jpg? ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2021, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-enhance-faded-pencil-and-ink-pen-writing-on-a-wall/950341/8 "2021-09-09T09:35:15Z")
> [@dolfinwriter](#): > > Are you saying use something like a TIFF format rather than .jpg? Yes. Don’t let anything compress the image. Once compressed, the information is gone forever. So get a RAW or other uncompressed format directly from the camera. Maximum bit depth as well. Everything you can do to keep information. However it does look like a difficult task. Years of wear may have polished out any trace. ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2021, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-enhance-faded-pencil-and-ink-pen-writing-on-a-wall/950341/9 "2021-09-09T10:42:13Z")
This might not be the answer you are looking for but I would consider simply taking a ‘nice’ shot of the wall showing it in context to the room / house itself. Then simply redo the markings as retouching in the graphics programme / software of choice. Refer to such markings you can see on the wall by eye as guidance. If necessary get someone with artistic talent to help. Any half decent artist, graphic designer or even a tattooist who has even the vaguest experience with graphics software could be hired. If appropriate never reveal this ‘enhancement’ stage to the rest of the family. Some might say this is cheating. Others would suggest you are aiming to create an image that captures the spirit of the piece. Remember you are not physically removing and preserving the actual wall itself as some treasured historically significant artefact. You are looking to end up with a memento of the kids childhood. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2021, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-enhance-faded-pencil-and-ink-pen-writing-on-a-wall/950341/10 "2021-09-09T13:52:41Z")
You could give this a go - [Android app used to enhance rock art](https://www.binaryearth.net/RockArtEnhancer/) - sounds like a possible contender. Personally I’d get a nice new bit of architrave and try to transfer the legible marks across to it [obviously setting it on the same zero point, otherwise why bother]. Install it in the new house and carry on the tradition, and use decent fine-point indelible markers this time [or scratch them in with a pen knife]. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2021, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-enhance-faded-pencil-and-ink-pen-writing-on-a-wall/950341/11 "2021-09-09T14:11:39Z")
Let’s get radical here–is this a chunk of material (like a single board in a doorframe) that you can cut out and take with you? (There would be repair costs, of course, but it might be worth it to you.) ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2021, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-enhance-faded-pencil-and-ink-pen-writing-on-a-wall/950341/12 "2021-09-09T15:11:16Z")
> [@dolfinwriter](#): > > Yes, painted and textured, which makes it even more of a mess. I was going to recommend just removing and replacing the trim but I guess that’s not an option. We put our growth chart on the trim for exactly this reason. I don’t have any advice for you but maybe someone else reading this thread will pick up a small tip. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![dolfinwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@dolfinwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolfinwriter)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2021, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-enhance-faded-pencil-and-ink-pen-writing-on-a-wall/950341/13 "2021-09-09T15:39:20Z")
> [@TCMF-2L](#): > > Then simply redo the markings as retouching in the graphics programme / software of choice. Thank you, but that’s the problem. There isn’t enough visible to redo the markings. ---
**Author:** ![dolfinwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@dolfinwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolfinwriter)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2021, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-enhance-faded-pencil-and-ink-pen-writing-on-a-wall/950341/14 "2021-09-09T15:42:05Z")
> [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > I was going to recommend just removing and replacing the trim but I guess that’s not an option. It’s not an option. It’s sheetrock on the end of a wall and probably spans the joint at the 4’ height mark of the first piece of sheetrock from the floor up. I’ve thought about trying to cut off just the sheetrock from the end, but it would probably fall apart and would also require a significant repair effort. ---
**Author:** ![dolfinwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@dolfinwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolfinwriter)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2021, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-enhance-faded-pencil-and-ink-pen-writing-on-a-wall/950341/15 "2021-09-09T15:43:02Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Let’s get radical here–is this a chunk of material (like a single board in a doorframe) that you can cut out and take with you? (There would be repair costs, of course, but it might be worth it to you.) If it was that easy I would already be done with it and moved on. It’s sheetrock on the end of a wall and probably spans the joint at the 4’ height mark of the first piece of sheetrock from the floor up. I’ve thought about trying to cut off just the sheetrock from the end, but it would probably fall apart and would also require a significant repair effort. ---
**Author:** ![dolfinwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@dolfinwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolfinwriter)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2021, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-enhance-faded-pencil-and-ink-pen-writing-on-a-wall/950341/16 "2021-09-09T15:45:39Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > You could give this a go - [Android app used to enhance rock art](https://www.binaryearth.net/RockArtEnhancer/) - sounds like a possible contender. > > Personally I’d get a nice new bit of architrave and try to transfer the legible marks across to it That’s the problem. There isn’t enough visible to transfer the markings. I will check out the Android app though. Maybe there is an iOS equivalent? Otherwise I have an Android tablet. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2021, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-enhance-faded-pencil-and-ink-pen-writing-on-a-wall/950341/17 "2021-09-09T17:12:36Z")
If it’s not visible to the naked eye, then you may be SOL. I mean, you can enhance details and bring them out, but if they’re just not there anymore, they’re not there. You can try shining a light obliquely onto the marking to see if there is some texture and something is visible. Wait until you can get the area suitably dark and take a flashlight or iPhone light and rather than front lighting it, light it at an extreme angle to bring out any imperfections. I think that’s your best bet. I don’t think changing the file format is going to make much of a difference. If you have a high-quality JPEG, yes, it’s lossy compression, but my guess is that it’s doubtful that a raw file will yield much better results if it’s simply not visible to the human eye. You have to try something with the lighting – and you’ve already tried UV – in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2021, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-enhance-faded-pencil-and-ink-pen-writing-on-a-wall/950341/18 "2021-09-10T12:08:10Z")
I have absolutely no experience doing this, but if I had a friend with this problem, I’d grab my (non-professional) DSLR camera bag and try a few things. Like a lot of amateurs, I have all sorts of IR, UV, and color filters. Maybe a mix of lighting sources matched with a filter? Maybe a rotating polarized filter to reduce the reflection from the surrounding paint? Also, quite a few photo editing programs have tools that allow you to emphasize a range of pixel color values, so you may be able to identify the pencil marks by measuring a few pixels here and there and then make them more prominent. Certainly get the highest resolution image you can to work with. ---
**Author:** ![dolfinwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@dolfinwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolfinwriter)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2021, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-enhance-faded-pencil-and-ink-pen-writing-on-a-wall/950341/19 "2021-09-10T23:40:33Z")
At this point in my life I can only wish that I had all that stuff. When I had a Canon AE-1, I was pretty good with it, and I could have probably easily found the filters you talk about, but that was a film camera and I’m probably dating myself even more. I’ve never had a digital SLR.