How much does fixing a moldy photo cost?

A new account has 4 free credits, enough for one Standard run on a moldy print. Pro and Max use more credits and recover more texture under the mold; the pricing page has the current numbers.

Can I colorize a photo after repairing the mold?

Yes, and the order matters: repair the moldy print first, then colorize the clean result so the inferred colors are not confused by fuzzy grey or white patches, brown foxing spots and a musty smell that comes with the print.

Can moldy photos be repaired at home?

Physically, very little can be done without a conservator, and cleaning a moldy print can make it worse. Digitally, Stain & Spot Remover removes the mold from a scan in seconds and the original stays untouched.

Damage

Fix moldy photos

Q: What causes mold on old photos?

Usually years in a humid attic, a cardboard box on a concrete floor or a plastic sleeve that trapped moisture. Once you see fuzzy grey or white patches, brown foxing spots and a musty smell that comes with the print, move the print somewhere cool, dry and dark and scan it before it gets worse.

Mold is one of the most common reasons a print reaches this site, and the cause is usually years in a humid attic, a cardboard box on a concrete floor or a plastic sleeve that trapped moisture. Look closely at a moldy print and you will see fuzzy grey or white patches, brown foxing spots and a musty smell that comes with the print.

The AI-powered repair for moldy photographs treats fuzzy grey or white patches, brown foxing spots and a musty smell that comes with the print as something to remove, not something to paint over. Faces the mold destroyed come back as plausible reconstructions, so compare them with other photographs of the same people.

Below are the subjects people most often bring in moldy: each page describes what mold does to that kind of print and the order of tools to run. The 4 free credits on a new account cover one Standard pass at mold.

Open with these settings Stain & Spot Remover

OriginalRestored

Original on the left, restored on the right; hover to see more of the repair. Made in the Studio from a scan of the print.

What matters for these photos

Fuzzy grey or white patches, brown foxing spots and a musty smell that comes with the print
Mold caused by years in a humid attic, a cardboard box on a concrete floor or a plastic sleeve that trapped moisture
Faces and clothing under the mold that need rebuilding from what survives
Moldy prints that are the only copy in the family

Suggested order of passes

01
Remove the mold
Stain & Spot Remover is written for fuzzy grey or white patches, brown foxing spots and a musty smell that comes with the print and rebuilds the area beneath from the surrounding image.
Stain & Spot Remover
02
Run a full restoration on the moldy print
Picks up the fading, scratches and softness that usually travel with mold.
Photo Restoration
03
Restore the faces
Recovers eye and skin detail where the mold had softened it; use strong only for tiny faces.
Face Restoration
04
Upscale for reprinting
Adds the pixels a reprint of the moldy photo needs, with the shape of the upload unchanged.
Image Upscaler