16,602
edits
Changes
m
While researching your family tree, you will come along old sources that need careful handling. Pictures from these taking in an archive are often not optimal, and need cleaning up to make the text readable. Some pictures are snapshots of microfilm screenreaders. Here we show how you can work on your picture to make the text come out better, improving readability. All with open source software, off of course! [[Category:Genealogy]]
→Tutorials on the internet
{{languages}}
While researching your family tree, you will come along old sources that need careful handling. Pictures from these taken in an archive are often not optimal, and need cleaning up to make the text readable. Some pictures are snapshots of microfilm screenreaders.
== The sample picture 1==
A good application to view these files is ''Gwenview'' (KDE) or ''GQviewer'' (Gnome).
=== Cleaning 1: obtaining Obtaining a nicer picture with GIMP===
==== Step 1 ====
To edit it, [http://www.gimp.org The Gimp(GNU Image Manipulation Program)] comes to the rescue.
# Open the file.
# Select the relevant portion with the <code>rectangular select tool</code>. Copy and paste into a new canvas: type respectively, {{man key press|CTRL+|C}}, {{man key press|CTRL+|N }} + click {{man button|OK}}, {{man key press|CTRL+|V}}.# Save the file in the GIMP xcf format.
==== Step 2 ====
In Gimp, the Filters menu has the correctly named 'Enhance' submenu.
# Choose <code>2x2 Contrast Enhance</code>.
# Select the <code>Destripe</code> option, and set the value to 50.
# Now, in the ''Tools menu'', go to the ''Colour Tools'' submenu, and choose ''Curves''. You can now play with the curve level to get a better contrast on the picture. <br />[[Image:adjust_colour_curve_example1.png]]<br /> We see here that the picture lacks in white and in black, but has a second peak of darkgrey pixels. We enhance the white to make the contrast larger, and we downgrade the importance of the darkgrey peak. We also cut out completely the black.
Open the jpeg file with [http://www.digikam.org Digikam]. Via the crop tool you cut out the relevant section of the picture. Next you go in the ''Fix->Colors'' menu, and select ''Auto-correction''.
Choose as type: ''Equalise''.
==== Step 2: brightness Brightness contrast improvement with GIMP ====
[[Image:Unclean_picture_example1_digikam2_gimp.jpg|thumb|Step 2]]
Digikam only allows brightness correction on the entire picture, so right-click on the picture of step 1, and open it with GIMP. In Gimp, we will make a rectangular selection of the different regions: left, center, right and bottom, and we adjust brightness/contrast separately via ''Tools menu--> Colour Tools'' then ''Brightness-contrast''.
This particular act was dated the 2nd of July 1657 (folio #46)
=== What does it say? ===
The reason of editing the picture is to have a nice picture going with the source. However, in some cases, cleaning up is paramount to be able to read the source. Here this is not really the case, but reading might nevertheless be enhanced by the sharper contrast.
Once you decipher how this priest writes ''B'' and ''P'' and ''s'', reading becomes possible.
=== Some comments on the name ===
Starting from the early 1600 the name changed with the different interpretations of the priests. The name was recorded orally. Lens, Lensen, Lenssen(s), Lenz(e), Lentz, Lensch, Linsing(h), Lince(ns), Len(t)zen and Leyns(e) all refer to the same name. Earliest recording date dates back to 1326. It is a patronymic name: origin : Laurentius.
== Tutorials on the internet ==
If you have found a nice tutorial on the net, add it here.
The following are for cleaning with the aim of getting a better result, not to make it more readable.
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20090813222038/http://www.gimpguru.org/AskTheGuru/G20040808/ Cleaning an old sepia picture]
*[http://www.holoweb.net/~liam/pictures/howto/clean-up-a-scan/ Cleaning a scan of an engraving]
'''Other:'''
*[http://script.byu.edu/ Script Tutorials] offers guidance in the deciphering of manuscripts and other old documents that were printed in old typefaces or written in old handwriting styles.
[[Category:Genealogy]]
