You want to see scenes from the past in the old photos, but just find that the old photos are faded, torn, scratched, or stained. Fortunately, there are some opportunities for you to restore them. You can get a clear picture by taking it to a professional photo shop or restoring it by online old photo restoration editors. Of course, if you want to save money, it is better for you to fix your old photos by using online photo restoration editors, such as AI photo editors and manual operation tools on your phone or computer. In this article, we will show you some common and practical free or paid photo restorers on the market to fix your old photos.
Factors that cause your old photos to fade
Before you look for ways to restore the quality of old, faded photos, you need to know some reasons why you got a faded photo. So you can avoid these situations next time and keep your printed picture clear for a longer life. Here are the basic reasons:
- Exposure to too much light
- Inappropriate heat and humidity
- Exposure to dust/debris for a long time
- Accidental damage/abrasion
The aging of the printed photo is the most unavoidable reason. But if you have a negative film, the possibility of restoring your old photos will be enhanced. The details in the photo are still in the film. Here you can scan the film or printed photo and get a digital one on your phone or computer. Then use old photo restorers to bring those old memories to life.
Old Photo restoration tools
GIMP Photo Editor (free)
- Available on Mac, desktop
As an open source image editing software, GIMP can offer professional restoration of old photos. It’s a totally free photo tool for every user. In addition, you can easily customize the interface or complex according to your needs. It not only supports old photo restoration such as color correction and noise reduction, but also contains 3D transform image tools and other intelligent AI tools. However, you need to spend more time practicing and mastering the skills to manually restore your old photos.
- Install GIMP on your computer.
- Open the photo and create a duplicate layer.
- Then manually adjust brightness, contrast, repair damaged areas, remove noise, correct color, and sharpen the image.
- Once done, save your new photo.
Pros:
- Free to use.
- customizable interface.
Cons:
- Time-consuming practice.
Pixlr(free&paid)
- Available on any device
Compared to Adobe Photoshop, Pixlr X is a beginner-friendly photo editor for repairing and healing old photos. In addition, it is advanced and professional software, offering deep and detailed editing options. With the paid version, there are some features to make your old photo vivid. You can follow the easy steps below to restore old photos in Pixlr.
- Launch Pixlr website and select the Advanced PIXLR E option.
- Upload a photo by clicking OPEN IMAGE.
- Select the Heal tool to remove scratches.
- Use the Clone tool to make the photo more natural.
- Once done, save this photo on your device.
Pros:
- 30 day free trial.
- Simple user interface
Cons:
- I need to pay for more restoration work.
- With ads on the page.
VanceAI (paid)
- Available on any device
VanceAI, a useful online photo restorer, can instantly remove scratches, tears, dust, sepia, spots and cracks to make your old photos look new and clear. It can support batch photo editing, which meets your needs for dealing with lots of old photos. They also offer you simple steps to get your old photo restoration done quickly and easily.
- Visit VanceAI and click the “Upload Image” button to upload a photo.
- Then click the “Start processing” button and wait for the AI to process your old photo.
- Choose the more photo edition you want.
- Once you’re done, you can see a new picture and download it.
Pros:
- Restore old photos with AI technology
- Support batch editing
Cons:
- The free version is limited and you need to pay for it or register on your desktop.
AiPassportPhotos (Free & Paid)
- Available on any device.
Powerd by AI technology, AiPassportphotos can detect and enhance the human face 100% automatically to restore old, damaged and faded pictures in seconds. It will offer excellent realistic photo restoration to bring vintage and antique photos to life. You can remove stains, tears and scratches from your old portrait photos. In addition, it provides new users with five free credits and you will get an extra five credits if you share it with your friends. What’s more, you can restore your photo with easy steps.
- Launch AiPassportPhoto on your device.
- Upload an old image by clicking the “Restore Photo Now” button and wait for AI technology to process your picture.
- Once done, you will see the new clear picture in color and get it now on your device.
Pros:
- AI technology processes your photos in seconds.
- Free trial available to restore your old photo
- Additional customization
Cons:
- With banner
Snapseed(free)
- Available on iOS and Android
If you often edit your photos taken on your phone, Snapseed, a highly effective photo editing app, will be a good choice. Provides various auto-filters and advanced editing tools. And there are no in-app purchases required, which means all professional features are free. In addition, the simple interface makes it easy to repair photos in a few steps.
- Download and launch Snapseed.
- Open the old photo you want to restore from your library.
- Choose the healing tool to repair damage and enhance photo quality.
- Use Tune Image to adjust exposure and contrast to sharpen edges and restore the original crispness of the photo.
- Once done, save the restored image.
Pros:
- Auto-fix photos in one click.
- Free to use.
Cons:
- Need manual adjustment.
Conclusion
There are a lot of photo editors out there for you to restore your old photos. So no matter what tool you choose, you can fix them anytime without any hassle. If you hate manual and complicated operation, then choose old AI technology photo editors like AiPassportPhotos to bring old memories to life.
Erin Lo