A photograph printed in a magazine is already made from a pattern of printed dots. When scanned, that pattern can produce visible ripples or a grid that was not obvious on the paper. This calls for a different comparison from correcting the colour of a faded photographic print.

Confirm the pattern belongs to the scan

Inspect the original and a saved baseline scan. Look at a smooth area such as a face, sky or shaded background. Keep the original in the same position for a second sample so you can compare the same image area.

Epson Scan 2 describes Descreening as a control for ripple patterns in shaded areas, particularly when scanning magazines or newspapers. Its documentation says the effect appears in the scanned image, not in the preview. An unchanged preview therefore does not prove that the option failed.

Enable Descreening where the scanner and current mode support it, then complete and save a second scan. Use a different filename so the baseline remains available. Avoid changing sharpening, colour restoration and resolution at the same time, because that would make the result harder to interpret.

Balance smoothness against detail

Open both saved files at the same display size. Check the originally affected area, then inspect small text, hair, fabric and fine outlines elsewhere on the page. Prefer the result that preserves the information you need while reducing the distracting pattern.

If the image is for a printout, compare a small printed proof at its intended size. A pattern that is prominent at extreme screen magnification may not be relevant to the final use, while excessive smoothing may be visible at normal size.

Keep the baseline and record the accepted setting for similar pages. Do not apply the same correction automatically to original photographs, line drawings and every other item in the scanning batch. Descreening addresses a particular kind of printed pattern; the saved comparison establishes whether it helps this particular source.

Sources: Epson Scan 2 Descreening.