How much does fixing a scratched photo cost?

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

Can I colorize a photo after repairing the scratching?

Yes, and the order matters: repair the scratched print first, then colorize the clean result so the inferred colors are not confused by fine white or dark lines across the emulsion, often clustered in one direction.

What causes scratching on old photos?

Usually loose storage in a shoebox, a drawer shared with keys and coins, or a print dragged across scanner glass. Once you see fine white or dark lines across the emulsion, often clustered in one direction, move the print somewhere cool, dry and dark and scan it before it gets worse.

Can scratched photos be repaired at home?

Physically, very little can be done without a conservator, and cleaning a scratched print can make it worse. Digitally, Scratch & Tear Repair removes the scratching from a scan in seconds and the original stays untouched.

Damage

Fix scratched photos

Scratched photographs almost always trace back to loose storage in a shoebox, a drawer shared with keys and coins, or a print dragged across scanner glass. The scratching shows up as fine white or dark lines across the emulsion, often clustered in one direction, and it worsens the longer the print stays where it was damaged.

Repairing scratching is a matter of separating the damage layer from the image layer, and Scratch & Tear Repair is written to do that on a scratched scan. The result arrives in seconds and leaves everything the scratching did not touch alone.

Standard handles most scratched prints headed for a screen; Pro and Max recover more texture where the scratching was heavy and the print will be reprinted. Every result keeps the shape of the scratched upload, so nothing is cropped away.

Open with these settings Scratch & Tear Repair

Fix scratched photos, the original print

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

Fine white or dark lines across the emulsion, often clustered in one direction
Scratching caused by loose storage in a shoebox, a drawer shared with keys and coins, or a print dragged across scanner glass
Faces and clothing under the scratching that need rebuilding from what survives
Scratched prints that are the only copy in the family

Suggested order of passes

01
Remove the scratching
Scratch & Tear Repair is written for fine white or dark lines across the emulsion, often clustered in one direction and rebuilds the area beneath from the surrounding image.
Scratch & Tear Repair
02
Run a full restoration on the scratched print
Picks up the fading, scratches and softness that usually travel with scratching.
Photo Restoration
03
Restore the faces
Recovers eye and skin detail where the scratching had softened it; use strong only for tiny faces.
Face Restoration
04
Upscale for reprinting
Adds the pixels a reprint of the scratched photo needs, with the shape of the upload unchanged.
Image Upscaler