Surface defects are an ongoing problem for professional and amateur scanner users alike, and previous correction products have been tedious to use or have produced unacceptable degradation of the image. Unlike software solutions that alter the original photo, Image Correction Enhancement (Digital ICE™) technology automatically removes surface defects and leaves the image intact. Digital ICE™ is a proprietary hardware and software technology that is incorporated into a scanner during development. It works by reading surface defects (dust, fingerprints, scratches, etc.) and recording them on a fourth scanner channel (D for defect). This channel is separate from the RGB channels used by traditional scanners. Software in the scanner then uses proprietary algorithms to erase the defects and reconstruct the underlying image. Since the output is in the form of a traditional RGB image, post-scanner processing software, such as Adobe PhotoShop™ and Microsoft Picture It!™, can be used without modification. Using Digital ICE™ requires modifications of the hardware and firmware that can be accommodated by almost any scanner, often at low cost.