How to restore an old family photo
Restoring an old photo comes down to three stages: digitise it properly, repair it, then keep or print it. Here is what matters at each stage, what an automatic tool can do, and what is better left to a professional retoucher.
Where do you start when restoring an old photo?
Start by digitising it, without correcting anything: a good starting file matters more than anything that follows. A flatbed scanner gives the best result, but a photo taken with your phone in daylight, with the flash off, works for most family prints.
Leave the original as it is: no sticky tape, no water, no glue to reattach a torn piece. Brush off dust with a soft brush, and once it is digitised, store it somewhere dark.
What does automatic AI restoration fix?
Automatic restoration handles grain, noise, light blur, flat contrast and damaged faces well, and it can colourise a black-and-white photo. It takes a few seconds per photo and there is nothing to adjust.
On Souvenotte, each photo goes through a series of automatic steps:
- gentle contrast recovery, applied to brightness only;
- a 2× enlargement that cleans grain, noise, JPEG compression blocks and light blur;
- every detected face rebuilt, then blended back into the photo with a soft edge;
- colourisation when the photo is black and white, sepia or faded to almost one tint, or when you ask for it.
What can't an automatic tool repair?
It does not fill tears, sharp creases, long scratches, missing corners or stains over a face. Those areas need to be rebuilt by hand, which the tool cannot do.
The table below sums up the usual cases. For a badly damaged photo, the free preview quickly shows you what still needs a retoucher.
| Problem | Fixed automatically? | Otherwise |
|---|---|---|
| Grain, noise, slight blur | Yes | Nothing more to do |
| Pale or flat photo | Yes, mostly | Nothing more to do |
| Damaged but visible face | Yes, if detected | Check the likeness |
| Tear, crease, long scratch | No | A retoucher |
| Missing corner or piece | No | A retoucher |
| Negative (inverted colours) | No | Invert the file before uploading |
Will the AI change people's faces?
Slightly, mostly when the original face is very blurred or very small, because the model then has to guess part of the detail. On a sharp face the change is usually limited to smoother skin.
Before paying, compare before and after, looking at the eyes and mouth, and show the preview to someone who knew the person. We go into this in Does AI change faces?.
Should you colourise an old photo?
You don't have to: colour makes a photo feel closer, but the colours are imagined rather than recovered. For family history or archives, always keep a black-and-white version as well.
When uploading, you choose automatic colour, colourise, or keep black and white. Redoing a photo with the other choice is free, and a photo already unlocked in HD stays unlocked. To see where the tints come from, read the real colours of old photos.
How do you print and keep the restored photo?
Download the HD version and keep it in more than one place: photos and results uploaded to Souvenotte are deleted automatically 7 days after upload. A simple method to avoid losing anything is in backing up family photos.
For a print, the Studio warns you when a photo is a little small for the chosen size. Prices, VAT included:
- HD photo without watermark: €1.99; pack of 10: €9.99; pack of 30: €19.99, no subscription
- 10×15 cm print: €1.90; 20×25 cm fine art print on matte paper: €19.90
- Frames 20×25, 28×35 and 40×50 cm: €35, €55 and €79
- 30×40 cm canvas: €59; 14×14 cm sticker: €6.90
Frequently asked questions
How much does restoring a photo cost on Souvenotte?
The full preview is free, with a watermark. The HD photo without a watermark is €1.99, or €9.99 for a pack of 10 and €19.99 for a pack of 30, with no subscription.
How long does it take?
A few seconds per photo. The very first one can take an extra 15 to 20 seconds while the processing server starts up.
Do you keep my photos?
No: photos and results are deleted automatically 7 days after upload. Files for a print order are kept for 60 days. Your photos are never used to train a model.