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Overview
Image cleanup turns flawed captures into production-ready assets. This guide focuses on practical methods you can repeat across large sets without trading speed for quality.
Build a non-destructive base: work from RAW when possible, keep layers editable, and prefer masks over erasing. Start with intake checks (exposure, white balance, focus), then remove distractions: dust/scratches, stray reflections, sensor spots, and background spill. Use precise selections for cutouts, refine edges for hair and soft materials, and decontaminate colors to avoid halos.
Control noise before sharpening; recover detail selectively with masks. Fix color casts with a neutral reference, Curves, or Selective Color, keeping everything in sRGB unless a print profile is required. Standardize crops and aspect ratios, add safe margins, and export with the right compression for destination. Close with a quick QA pass: zoomed edge checks, banding/halo scan, and file weight review.
