Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and systems for processing signals, particularly signals encoding two-dimensional images, such as photographs, video frames, graphics, and other visually displayed information. Rather than attempting 3D-boosting by attempting a global contrast enhancement, method and system embodiments of the present invention generate a soft-segmented image that is separately contrast enhanced, segment-by-segment, to produce an enhanced soft-segmented image. A details image is then computed, and is combined with the enhanced soft-segmented image to produce an intermediate image, the brightness of which is adjusted to produce a 3D-boosted output image. Local contrast enhancement provides for proportional enhancement of homogenous regions, resulting in 3D-boosting without introduction of anomalies, artifacts, and distortion.