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Photo repair

Old photo repair, by type of damage

Every damaged photo is damaged in its own way, but the causes repeat: light, water, heat, handling and time. These guides take one kind of damage at a time and explain what caused it, what restoration can and cannot bring back, how to handle the original so it gets no worse, and how to photograph it for repair.

Start with your photo
Example of a damaged old photo, a studio portrait of a man in a flat cap, before restoration
Example of a damaged old photo, a studio portrait of a man in a flat cap, before restoration
Photo repairColorizing black and white photosHow colorizing a black and white photo works, why the colors are an informed estimate, how to ask for known colors, and when to keep it black and white.Photo repairRepairing cracked and flaking photosWhy old photos crack and flake, how cracked photo repair mends the surface and rebuilds flaked edges, and how to handle and copy a fragile print.Photo repairRestoring faded photosWhy old photos fade, what faded photo restoration can recover, and how to copy a washed out print so the tones come back. With a before and after example.Photo repairRepairing torn photosHow torn photo repair works: rejoining rips, rebuilding missing corners, what to do with the pieces now, and how to copy a torn print without damaging it.Photo repairRestoring water damaged photosWhat to do right away with wet or water damaged photos, what restoration can fix (stains, tide lines, stuck prints), and how to copy them for repair.

More from Old Photo Prints

Photo types and erasOld photo types and erasTintypes, cabinet cards and snapshots decade by decade: how to recognize an old photo, the damage typical of each kind, and how to restore and print it.GuidesGuides for old family photosPractical guides for family photos: how to scan old prints with a phone, how to store originals, paper finishes, print sizes and what restoration costs.

Ready when your photo is.

Start with a scan or a phone photo of the print. You see the restored photo before you pay, and prints ship free.

Start with your photo