Complete guide · updated September 2026
How to restore old photos, step by step
From the shoebox to a restored print: how to handle and scan old photos like an archivist, repair scratches, tears and fading with AI or by hand in Photoshop and GIMP, and keep them safe for the next generation.
- Archive-grade scanning
- AI or manual repair
- Photoshop & GIMP paths
- 3-2-1 backups
Updated by the Kenerate AI team
On this page
Quick answer
How do you restore old photos?
To restore old photos, scan the print at 300 ppi (400–600 ppi to enlarge), keep the untouched scan, then repair the damage with an AI restorer such as Kenerate AI's Phota Enhance or by hand in Photoshop or GIMP. Fix faded colour with Levels or Auto Color, and back up the files using the 3-2-1 rule.
Key facts
- Scan at
- 300 ppi (400–600 to enlarge)
- AI restore
- Phota Enhance · about 40 s
- Photoshop
- Photo Restoration filter · Dust & Scratches
- Free manual
- GIMP Heal + Despeckle
- Backups
- 3 copies · 2 media · 1 off-site
The whole process
The 5 steps to restore an old photo
Step 1: Handle and clean the print
Wear gloves, hold prints by the edges and remove loose dust with an air bulb — never wipe the surface.
Step 2: Scan it
300 ppi for 4×6 and 5×7 prints, 400–600 ppi if you'll enlarge; save a TIFF or PNG master and keep the original print.
Step 3: Repair the damage
One-click with AI (Kenerate Phota Enhance), or by hand in Photoshop or GIMP with healing and clone tools.
Step 4: Fix faded colour and contrast
Correct the red cast of faded colour prints and restore contrast with Levels, Curves or Auto Color — or let the AI do it.
Step 5: Print, share and preserve
Print the restored copy, and keep 3 copies of the files on 2 kinds of media with 1 off-site.
Step 1
Handle and clean the original
Most damage to old prints happens while handling them. Advice from the US National Archives and NEDCC.
Step 1: Wear gloves
The US National Archives says to handle photographs with gloves because fingerprints can cause permanent stains.
Step 2: Hold by the edges
Support fragile prints from underneath; don't flex curled or cracked prints flat.
Step 3: Dust gently
Remove loose dust with an air bulb blower, not a cloth or canned air.
Step 4: Remove harmful attachments carefully
Rubber bands, paper clips and pressure-sensitive tape damage photos over time — NEDCC advises avoiding them.
Step 2
Scan old photos the right way
A good scan is the foundation of every restoration.
Step 1: Choose the resolution
The Library of Congress suggests 300 ppi for 4×6 and 5×7 prints and 400–600 dpi if you plan to enlarge to 8×10 or bigger.
Step 2: Check the fit
Make sure the print sits fully on the glass — the National Archives warns a scanner lid can crush an oversized original.
Step 3: Save a master
Save the untouched scan as TIFF or PNG. Archival FADGI guidelines keep dust removal and colour correction off the master file.
Step 4: Keep the original
The National Archives advises keeping originals after digitising, because digital files have their own preservation risks.
Tip: No scanner? Lay the print flat by a window in soft daylight, hold the phone parallel to it and turn the flash off to avoid glare. Then run the photo through the restorer.
Step 3 · the fast way
Repair the damage with AI
Real Phota Enhance restorations. Each took about 40 seconds, with no watermark.
- Before · Scanned print, tornAfter · Restored · 2304 px
Tears and scratches
A torn 1940s wedding portrait, repaired and kept black-and-white.
Phota Enhance
Try this photo 
Before · Scanned print, fadedAfter · Colour restored · 2400 px
Before · Scanned print, stainedAfter · Restored · 2304 px
Before · Scanned printAfter · Restored · 2400 px
At 100%
Before and after, zoomed in
The same area of each scan before and after Phota Enhance.
Step 3 · by hand
How to restore an old photo in Photoshop
The professional route — slower, with full control.
Step 1: Duplicate the layer
Work on a copy so the original scan stays untouched.
Step 2: Try Photo Restoration
Filter → Neural Filters → Photo Restoration, then adjust the image enhancement, enhance face and scratch reduction sliders; output to a new layer.
FilterNeural FiltersPhoto Restoration
Step 3: Remove dust and specks
Filter → Noise → Dust & Scratches: use the smallest Radius that removes the specks, and raise Threshold as high as it will go while still removing them.
FilterNoiseDust & Scratches
Step 4: Heal scratches and tears
Spot Healing Brush for small marks; Healing Brush (Alt/Option-click to sample) for bigger ones; the Patch tool for areas; Clone Stamp for hard edges and missing corners.
Step 5: Fix colour and contrast
Add a Levels or Curves adjustment layer; Alt/Option-click Auto for Auto Color Correction Options on faded colour prints.
Step 3 · free
How to restore an old photo in GIMP
Free on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Step 1: Remove specks
Filters → Enhance → Despeckle — made for dust and scratches on scanned images.
FiltersEnhanceDespeckle
Step 2: Heal and clone
Tools → Paint Tools → Heal (H) or Clone (C); Ctrl-click to pick the source, then paint over the damage.
ToolsPaint ToolsHeal
Step 3: Fix colour
Colors → Auto → White Balance for colour casts; Colors → Levels → Auto Input Levels for contrast.
ColorsAutoWhite Balance
Checked 26 September 2026
AI vs Photoshop vs GIMP for restoring photos
Three ways to do the repair step.
| AI restorer · Kenerate Phota Enhance | Photoshop · filters + healing | GIMP · free, manual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time per photo | About 40 seconds | 30 min to hours | Hours |
| Skill needed | None | Medium to high | High |
| Faces | Rebuilt by AI — check them | By hand | By hand |
| Faded colour | Corrected automatically | Levels / Curves / Auto Color | White Balance / Levels |
Step 5
Print, share and preserve
Restoring is wasted if the files are lost. The archivists' rules.
Step 1: Follow the 3-2-1 rule
The National Archives: three copies, on two different media, with one copy off-site.
Step 2: Check and refresh
The Library of Congress: check your photos at least once a year and create new media copies every five years.
Step 3: Store the originals well
NEDCC recommends about 65–70°F and 30–50% relative humidity with small daily changes; decay roughly doubles with every 10°F rise.
How it works
How it works in the app
Step 1
Add the image to upscale
Open Image Upscaler and upload a photo, or pick one from your library or a link.
Step 2
Pick an upscaler and mode
Choose one of the upscalers, then Precise for a faithful copy, Creative for extra detail or Restore for old photos.
Step 3
Click Upscale
Press Upscale to create a sharper, larger copy of your image.
Step 4
Compare and download
Slide between the original and the upscaled result, then download the full-resolution file.
See it in the app
Open Image Upscaler and upload a photo, or pick one from your library or a link.
FAQ
Restoring old photos — FAQ
7 questions
How do I restore old photos?
Scan the print at 300–600 ppi and keep the untouched scan. Then repair the damage — in one click with an AI restorer such as Kenerate's Phota Enhance, or by hand in Photoshop (Photo Restoration filter, Dust & Scratches, healing tools) or GIMP (Despeckle, Heal, Clone). Fix faded colour and contrast, print the restored copy, and keep backups using the 3-2-1 rule.
Link to this answerHow do I restore old photos for free?
GIMP is free: Despeckle for dust, Heal and Clone for scratches, and Auto White Balance and Levels for faded colour. It takes practice and time. AI tools do it in under a minute; Kenerate gives free credits on sign-up to test Phota Enhance, with no subscription required.
Link to this answerWhy do old colour photos turn red or pink?
The cyan dye in colour prints usually fades first, leaving a reddish tinge. NEDCC notes many early colour prints lost about 30% of their dyes within 10–15 years.
Link to this answerWhat resolution should I scan old photos at?
300 ppi for normal 4×6 and 5×7 prints, 400–600 ppi if you'll print them larger (Library of Congress). Save a TIFF or PNG master.
Link to this answerShould I keep the original photo after scanning?
Yes. The US National Archives advises keeping originals, because digital files have their own risks. Store them cool, dry and away from light.
Link to this answerCan AI restore a badly damaged photo?
It can remove scratches, stains, creases and fading, and sharpen faces. Where large parts are missing it has to invent them, so check faces and details against the original.
Link to this answerHow do I restore old photos on my phone?
Photograph the print flat in soft daylight without flash, then open kenerateai.com in your phone's browser and run Phota Enhance on it.
Link to this answerIn depth
Why old photos deteriorate — and how repairs work
The science of fading, what the tools do, and archival rules — with sources.
On this page
Why prints fade, stain and crack
The Northeast Document Conservation Center explains that in colour prints the cyan dye usually fades first, leaving a reddish tinge; many early colour photos lost about 30% of their dyes within 10–15 years [1]. High humidity drives fading, discoloration and silver mirroring, and chemical decay roughly doubles with every 10°F rise in temperature [2].
What the repair tools actually do
Photoshop's Healing Brush paints with a sample to repair imperfections and the Patch tool repairs a selected area from a sample [3]; Dust & Scratches removes specks by changing dissimilar pixels within a radius [4]. GIMP's Heal tool does the same kind of repair, taking surrounding pixels into account [5]. AI restorers go further by rebuilding faces from a learned face prior, as research models like GFPGAN do [6] — faster, but a guess where damage is heavy.
The archivists' rules for your files
The US National Archives recommends keeping originals after scanning and following the 3-2-1 rule — three copies, two media, one off-site [7]. The Library of Congress adds: check your photos at least once a year and copy them to new media every five years [8]. Keep the untouched scan as your master; restore a copy.
By the Kenerate AI teamLast updated and reviewed
Written by the Kenerate team from US National Archives, Library of Congress, NEDCC, Adobe and GIMP documentation. Every restoration shown is a real Kenerate output.
Sources: US National Archives — Digitizing family papers and photos · Library of Congress — Personal archiving: photos · NEDCC — Care of photographs · Adobe — Neural Filters · GIMP 3.0 — Heal tool
Restore your first old photo
Phota Enhance — about 40 seconds, no subscription required, no watermark.
Tried it? Tell us how it went
