How to: Apply Enhancement Effects on Images for Visualization

Overview

CaseGuard offers its users 28+ enhancement effects that can be used in both Manual and Automatic Image Redaction. With both features, you can apply enhancements to one image, a set of images through creating an album, or in bulk within the Bulk Processing.

Enhancement Effects provide an additional benefit for industries seeking editing tools for investigative purposes. We are proud to assist law enforcement agencies in solving crimes utilizing enhancements effects. In situations where users need to highlight a part of an image for better visualization such as a license plate on a car in a dark environment, we recommend layering multiple enhancement effects. For example, adding “Magnify,” “Sharpen,” “Grey Scale” and “Contrast” on dark images have proven to clear a dark license plate.

As a result of Enhancement Effects, images can be highlighted, blurred, corrected for imperfections, and organized by categories within CaseGuard. Based on each user’s redaction requirements, it is recommended to explore what enhancement effect applies to their project needs.

Follow the Steps to Layer Enhancement Effects on an Image!

  • Open or Create your project in CaseGuard Studio.
  • Select the “Manual Image” button from the left toolbar and draw a redaction box by clicking and dragging over the license plate in need of enhancement.

manual-toobar

  • Click on the + sign and select “Magnify” from the list of Effect/Enhancements
  • Click the X next to Adaptive Blur to remove it.

Screenshot of an image editor UI showing an effects dropdown with Magnify highlighted; controls include a Level slider (set around 1.5) and a 'Boxes in frame' indicator (0).

Per your enhancement needs, you can choose the intensity level of the effects you applied using the level bar.

Video editing tool: Magnify effect settings with a Rectangle shape, Level slider set near 1.5, and tabs for Adaptive Blur and Magnify visible on a dark UI.

Select the “Sharpen” effect to improve the pixels of the selected area.

Photo editing UI with a Sharpen filter selected; level slider set to 1.5 and 'Boxes in frame (1)' visible.

Rear view of a dark blue sports car on a street at dusk with red taillights; a photo editing panel is visible on the left edge.

  • Select “Gray Scale” to make differentiating the characters on the license plate easier.

Screenshot of a video editor with a grayscale effect (Gray Scale) applied to a car photo on a street at dusk.

  • Select “Contrast” to brighten the selected area.

Screenshot of video editing software showing the contrast adjustment panel and a blue nighttime car scene in the preview area.

  • Once you are able to read the license plate, click  Export iconExport” from the Shortcuts Bar to process the file. The redacted file will appear in the Project Files Panel.