The photo restoration library

Everything we know about bringing old photographs back — collected from real restorations, not rewritten from other blogs. Start with the damage you see, or read the complete guide first.

What happened to your photo?

Or just upload the photo — damage, color and sharpness are handled in one pass.

Damage

Fixing a scratched photoWhy old prints get scratched, what never to do to the original, and how AI removes scratches and dust from a scan of the print in about a minute.
Repairing a torn photoWhat to do with a ripped photograph: how to handle the pieces, why tape makes it worse, and how a torn print is reconstructed digitally from a scan.
Restoring a faded photoWhy photographs fade toward red, yellow or ghost-gray, which fading is reversible from a scan, and how restoration rebuilds contrast and color.
Saving water-damaged photosA flood or a leak hit your photos: how to dry wet prints safely, what to do with stuck-together stacks, and how water stains are removed digitally.
Fixing a creased photoA folded photo leaves a white crack through the image. Why the line appears, why ironing makes it worse, and how the fold is erased from a scan.
Saving a photo stuck to glassPeeling, freezing or heating a photo stuck to glass usually tears the image away. Take the frame apart, then scan or photograph through the glass.
Removing mold from old photosMold feeds on the gelatin in old prints, and moisture feeds the mold. Dry the photo, digitize it first, then let restoration remove the stains safely.
Rebuilding a photo’s missing piecesA missing corner rebuilds reliably from the photo around it. A missing face is a guess — here is how to tell which one you are looking at before you pay.
Restoring photos after a fireA fire damages photos three different ways — flame, soot and the water used to fight it. What to save first, and what smoke and char cannot give back.
Fixing a yellowed photoYellowing comes from chemistry, not age — residual fixer or an acidic album turning the print on itself. Why it happens, and what restoration can undo.
Restoring a 1970s color castCyan dye fades first in 1970s prints, pulling the image toward red and magenta. What color balance can rebuild, and when it becomes colorizing instead.
Foxing: the small brown spots on old photographsFoxing is scattered rust-brown dots, not a mold colony or overall yellowing. What causes it, what not to do to the print, and how it comes off a scan.
Flattening a curled or rolled photographA curled or rolled photo cracks if you force it flat. Why prints curl, the safe way to scan one as it is, and when real humidification helps.
Pen and ink marks on an old photographA ballpoint line or ink stain on the front of a print looks like ordinary damage, but rubbing or solvent turns it into a permanent, spreading mark.
When an old photo turns into a mirrorA bluish, metallic sheen in an old print’s shadows is silver mirroring — why it forms, and how to photograph it so restoration can see past it.

How-to

Occasions

Compared

Formats

Cost & choice

Glossary

A small glossary of photo restorationShort, plain-language definitions of the words that come up around old photos and their restoration: emulsion, halftone, DPI, sepia, film grain and more.