Fine moire correction in images

A method of noise removal from a digital image, especially moiré noise, comprising providing a three-dimensional representation of a at least one image color channel as a surface over the plane of the image, creating a virtual surface patch, placing the surface patch against topography in the three-dimensional surface mapping of the image so that the virtual surface patch intersects topography of the three-dimensional surface with respect to at least some pixels of the image surface region, adjusting the height, tilt and curvature of the surface patch with respect the image surface in order to optimally represent the surface, then estimating a palliative value for the image surface for at least one pixel within the area of the surface patch from the adjustment of the surface patch, and replacing the value of the at least one pixel in the at least one image color channel with the palliative value.