# How to restore old photos > To restore old photos: handle prints with gloves by the edges, scan at 300 ppi (400–600 ppi to enlarge) and keep the untouched scan, then repair — in one click with an AI restorer like Kenerate's Phota Enhance (about 40 seconds), or by hand in Photoshop (Neural Filters → Photo Restoration, Dust & Scratches, healing tools) or GIMP (Despeckle, Heal). Fix faded colour with Levels or Auto Color, then back up 3 copies on 2 media with 1 off-site. URL: https://kenerateai.com/how-to-restore-old-photos Publisher: Kenerate AI (https://kenerateai.com) Last updated: 26 September 2026 ## Key facts - Scan at: 300 ppi (400–600 to enlarge) - AI restore: Phota Enhance · about 40 s - Free manual: GIMP Heal + Despeckle - Backups: 3 copies · 2 media · 1 off-site ## Steps 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. 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. 3. Repair the damage — One-click with AI (Kenerate Phota Enhance), or by hand in Photoshop or GIMP with healing and clone tools. 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. 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. ## In depth ### 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. References: [1] NEDCC — Photographic prints (colour dye fading): https://www.nedcc.org/preservation101/session-5/5photographic-prints [2] NEDCC — Care of photographs: https://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/preservation-leaflets/5.-photographs/5.3-care-of-photographs [3] Adobe — Retouch tools overview: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/desktop/repair-retouch/remove-objects-fill-space/retouch-tools-overview.html [4] Adobe — Applying specific filters (Dust & Scratches): https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/applying-specific-filters.html [5] GIMP 3.0 — Heal tool: https://docs.gimp.org/3.0/en/gimp-tool-heal.html [6] Wang et al. — GFPGAN (CVPR 2021): https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.04061 [7] US National Archives — Digitizing (3-2-1 rule): https://www.archives.gov/preservation/family-archives/digitizing [8] Library of Congress — Personal archiving: photos: https://digitalpreservation.gov/personalarchiving/photos.html ## FAQ Q: How do I restore old photos? A: 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. Q: How do I restore old photos for free? A: 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 25 free credits on sign-up to test Phota Enhance, with no subscription. Q: Why do old colour photos turn red or pink? A: 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. Q: What resolution should I scan old photos at? A: 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. Q: Should I keep the original photo after scanning? A: Yes. The US National Archives advises keeping originals, because digital files have their own risks. Store them cool, dry and away from light. Q: Can AI restore a badly damaged photo? A: 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. Q: How do I restore old photos on my phone? A: Photograph the print flat in soft daylight without flash, then open kenerateai.com in your phone's browser and run Phota Enhance on it. ## Related pages - AI image upscaler: https://kenerateai.com/ai-image-upscaler - Upscale image: https://kenerateai.com/upscale-image - AI image enhancer: https://kenerateai.com/ai-image-enhancer - Upscale image to 4K: https://kenerateai.com/upscale-image-to-4k - Increase image resolution: https://kenerateai.com/increase-image-resolution - HD photo converter: https://kenerateai.com/hd-photo-converter - Unblur image: https://kenerateai.com/unblur-image - Sharpen image: https://kenerateai.com/sharpen-image - Unpixelate image: https://kenerateai.com/unpixelate-image - Photo restoration: https://kenerateai.com/photo-restoration - Uncensored image enhancer: https://kenerateai.com/enhance-ai - Enhance AI art: https://kenerateai.com/enhance-ai-art - Anime upscaler: https://kenerateai.com/anime-upscaler - Bulk image upscaler: https://kenerateai.com/bulk-image-upscaler - Remove glare from photo: https://kenerateai.com/remove-glare-from-photo - Best photo restoration software: https://kenerateai.com/best-photo-restoration-software - Denoise photos: https://kenerateai.com/how-to-denoise-photos - Increase image resolution: https://kenerateai.com/how-to-increase-resolution-of-an-image - Sharpen an image in Photoshop: https://kenerateai.com/how-to-sharpen-an-image-in-photoshop - All upscaler alternatives: https://kenerateai.com/image-upscaler-alternatives - Remini alternative: https://kenerateai.com/remini-alternative - Let's Enhance alternative: https://kenerateai.com/lets-enhance-alternative - upscale.media alternative: https://kenerateai.com/upscale-media-alternative - Upscayl online: https://kenerateai.com/upscayl-online - Bigjpg alternative: https://kenerateai.com/bigjpg-alternative - VanceAI alternative: https://kenerateai.com/vanceai-alternative - waifu2x alternative: https://kenerateai.com/waifu2x-alternative - Magnific AI alternative: https://kenerateai.com/magnific-ai-alternative - Topaz Labs alternative: https://kenerateai.com/alternatives/topazlabs-alternative ## Sources - US National Archives — Digitizing family papers and photos: https://www.archives.gov/preservation/family-archives/digitizing - Library of Congress — Personal archiving: photos: https://digitalpreservation.gov/personalarchiving/photos.html - NEDCC — Care of photographs: https://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/preservation-leaflets/5.-photographs/5.3-care-of-photographs - Adobe — Neural Filters: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/desktop/effects-filters/neural-filters/use-neural-filters-to-enhance-images.html - GIMP 3.0 — Heal tool: https://docs.gimp.org/3.0/en/gimp-tool-heal.html