Will a serviceman or servicewoman in uniform, often taken just before deployment still look like themselves after the water damage is removed?

The prompts keep every face, age and expression in the water-damaged service photo as photographed. Where the water-damaged area covered a face, compare the result with other military photos and with family memory before you print.

Do I need to scan water-damaged military photos?

A flat scan is best, but a phone photo of the water-damaged service photo works too; run Photo-of-a-Photo Fixer first to crop and remove glare, then repair the water damage.

How many credits does a water-damaged service photo take?

The 4 free credits on a new account cover one Standard restoration of water-damaged military photos. Pro and Max return more detail on the insignia, ribbons, unit patches and cap badge where the water damage was heavy; see pricing for the current amounts.

Can I colorize the service photo after fixing the water damage?

Yes. Repair the water-damaged service photo first, then run the Photo Colorizer on the result. Colors are inferred from the era and the materials in the repaired water-damaged military photos, so type any remembered colors into the hints field.

Military Photos

Water-Damaged Military Photos

Water-damaged military photos usually come out of a flooded basement, a burst pipe, a leaking roof or a damp garage. On a service photo the water damage shows as brown tide lines, blotches where the emulsion swelled and prints stuck face to face or to the album sleeve, right across a serviceman or servicewoman in uniform, often taken just before deployment.

Upload a scan or a phone photo of the water-damaged service photo and the AI-powered repair comes back in seconds with the insignia, ribbons, unit patches and cap badge left as they were. Where the water damage covered a face in military photos, check the result against family memory before you print it.

If the water damage on the service photo is worse than it looks, run Stain & Spot Remover twice rather than reaching for a heavier setting. Then upscale the water-damaged military photos for a reprint, since the output keeps the shape of the upload.

Open with these settings Stain & Spot Remover

Water-Damaged Military 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

Water-damaged military photos that a copy shop refused to touch
A water-damaged service photo needed for a memorial, an anniversary or a reprint
Brown tide lines, blotches where the emulsion swelled and prints stuck face to face or to the album sleeve, spread over a service photo
A water-damaged service photo that is the only copy anyone has

Suggested order of passes

01
Remove the water damage
Stain & Spot Remover targets brown tide lines, blotches where the emulsion swelled and prints stuck face to face or to the album sleeve while keeping the insignia, ribbons, unit patches and cap badge in the service photo untouched.
Stain & Spot Remover
02
Repair the rest of the service photo
Face Restoration addresses the usual wear on military photos, foxing from a footlocker, folds from a shirt pocket and rank insignia faded into the cloth, once the water damage is gone.
Face Restoration
03
Sharpen the faces of a serviceman or servicewoman in uniform, often taken just before deployment
Recovers the eye and skin detail the water damage softened; keep it at natural strength on military photos unless the faces are tiny.
Face Restoration
04
Upscale the service photo for reprinting
Adds the pixels a wall print needs after the water damage repair, with the shape of the water-damaged military photos unchanged.
Image Upscaler