If your precious memories are fading, torn, or wrinkled, don’t panic! You can easily undo years of damage using photo restoration software. Alternatively, you can enlist the help of a professional photo repair service if you aren’t confident in your digital skills. 

Whether you opt for a digital or DIY fix, take the steps below to preserve your family heirlooms with photo restoration techniques. 

Sort Your Old Photographs & Select The Best Ones 

Photos trapped between “protective” plastic sheets and chemical adhesives can be challenging to remove. Thus, you’ll want to select the images you want to preserve and restore carefully. 

Not every photo in a twenty-year-old album will be worth saving – you might come across something blurry, dull, or totally ruined. Identify images that incite an emotional response, and select ones that are well-framed and thoughtfully captured.

Scan & Archive Your Images

Once you have all your photos picked out, it’s time to scan and archive your images. Before digitizing your pictures, dust them gently with a soft-bristled brush and cotton gloves. Then, scan at the highest resolution possible.

Scanning With A Scanner

How you upload your image will influence how accurately you can restore it. The best way to scan a photo is with a dedicated machine from a supply store.

When you scan you have to choose the DPI (dots per inch). Anything less than 600 won’t allow you to enlarge your photo for printing; however, it will suffice if you only want a back-up of your photograph. 

Finally, play around with different colors, contrast, sharpness, and retouching settings until you achieve your desired scan. 

Scanning With Your Mobile Phone

If you don’t have a scanner, a smartphone with a high-resolution camera and free scanning app will usually do the trick. 

Download Pic Scanner, Google PhotoScan, CamScanner, or similar mobile applications that best suit your camera settings. You can even use some of these apps to retouch and manipulate the photo directly, making retouching that much quicker!

Use A Photo Restoration Software

Now that you’ve correctly scanned your photos, it’s time to restore them. Software options are abundant online, including our favorite:  PhotoWorks. This software is user-friendly and easy to install. When using it to restore photographs, keep the following tips in mind. 

Cropping

Cropping your image can alter the way it is already framed. If you want to focus on a particular subject, you can trim the photo to your liking. Cropping also helps keep worn and damaged ends out of the frame.

Healing & Retouching

The healing brush tool allows you to eliminate imperfections such as scratches, undesirable texture, and tears. After applying the healing brush tool on specific areas of your photograph, use the retouch feature to smooth out the surface. 

Effects & Other Edits 

Finally, you can sharpen, enhance, or saturate your photo according to your preferences. Use PhotoWorks’ brush size tool to adjust the area of the effect you want to apply.

Send Your Photos To A Professional Photo Restoration Service

If you aren’t confident in your ability to restore your photographs yourself, you might consider a professional photo repair service instead. By hiring an expert, you can save dozens of hours learning how to use complex software and features yourself. You’ll be surprised to find out how time-consuming it is to restore just a few old photographs!

Plus, professionals can fully colorize any black-and-white or sepia photographs that you have. Experts have the skill and knowledge to incorporate hues to create natural-looking results. 

Through a restoration service, you can digital copies of your old photo that you can easily store, share, and upload online. Some photo restoration services also deliver prints directly to your home address.

Print, Share, & Display Your Restored Photographs

Congratulations, your damaged photographs are good as new! How you share and display them now is entirely up to you. 

If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can have your images printed into a stunning album or framed above your mantle. Or maybe you’d prefer something more playful, like a family calendar or customized mugs. Whatever the case, today’s printing solutions make it easy to turn your restored photographs into charming works of art. 

Conclusion 

If your old family photos are gathering dust, it doesn’t mean you have to watch them go to waste. Photo restoration techniques have evolved tremendously, allowing users to return damaged images to pristine conditions. Thanks to new software and technology, you can quickly revive your unforgettable moments in just a few clicks!