Print retouching can enhance an image by toning down or completely hiding small shiny spots and fine white or gray lines.
Retouching of a photographic print works well on small reflections, spots and fine lines. Reflections and spots are easy to tone down or even illuminate, while lines can be difficult, due to the fact that unlike reflections and spots, lines are generally in sharp focus.

I don't recommend that you attempt to retouch negatives, especially 35mm. You can attempt the larger format negatives if you have nerves of steel and lots of patience, but otherwise, I would retake the photo if possible, or just write that particular image off as a mistake.

What You Can Expect To Achieve

• To tone down, and possibly eliminate reflections from objects and water.

• To tone down, and possibly eliminate reflections in facial features such as eyes.

• To eliminate, or blend fine white or gray lines and spots into the surrounding image.

Materials

• Artists Brush - #00 or #0 - something very fine - you want an extremely fine point.

• Retouching dyes - I use "Spotone" liquid dyes, manufactured by "Retouch Methods Company" in New Jersey, USA. They can be purchased individually or in sets of 3 or 6 different tones. I use their dyes # 1, 2 & 3.

  • Number 1 is a blue black color.

  • Number 2 is a warm brown color.

  • Number 3 is a neutral black color.

• Mixing pallet - I use a sheet of ordinary glass that is 4 inches x 6 inches. Cover the sharp edges with masking tape. Take a couple of drops of each color of dye and place them on separate spots on the glass and allow to dry completely (this might take a few days to dry). The dyes may also be mixed on the pallet, but keep all mixed areas separate from the original colors. The bottles have written instructing for mixing, too achieve tones for various shades of papers.

Technique

First, choose a good bright work area. Always work with the dyes in a dry state. Moisten your brush and then using paper towel or something similar, dab the brush until it is barely moist. Touch the tip of your brush to the pallet of dry dyes, picking up very little dye on the brush. The color match does not have to be exact, as the area to be retouched is very small and a slight difference in color will not be noticeable in the final product.

Apply the dye to the print by using only the very tip of the brush, to dot the dye onto the paper. The biggest mistake that you can make here is to try and stroke the dye onto the print. If you are retouching correctly, then at first you won't see much happening, as you want to gradually build up the density in the area to be retouched. Continue slowly dotting the area, until the flaw gradually disappears, but don't overdue it, just proceed until it blends in nicely with the surrounding area.

Fiber based and resin coated papers respond differently to retouching dyes. Due to their more porous nature, fiber based papers show the effect of retouching faster than does resin coated paper. Resin coated paper will also allow you to wash most of the dye off of the print after retouching it, which can be helpful if your technique was not good and you want to try again. Washing a fiber based print after retouching, will have little effect, as the dye will have soaked into the paper.

Retouching takes a great deal of practice and patience, but can be well worth the effort and sometimes can make even a good print, just that little bit better.