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How to Restore Old Photographs for Free

Old photographs, whether they be family snapshots or photos of pivotal events, are a link to our past. Long before digital photography and the ability to reprint a picture as easily as clicking a mouse, photos were printed on special photo paper. Over time these pictures begin to fade from exposure to light and air. You can spend a considerable amount of money to have these photos professionally restored to their original condition. You can also try to restore these pictures yourself using any one of number of free photo editing programs.

Things You'll Need

Flatbed Scanner

Instructions

- 1
  Turn your home computer on and download GIMP or Paint.net. Both programs are free versions of Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop is the powerful photo editing program that is used by a numerous photographers.
- 2
  Scan the picture you want to restore. Before you can work on the picture, you will need to convert it into a digital file. You can use a flatbed scanner to complete this step. Place the picture face down on the scanner's platen, and click "Scan" in the scanner's software. Save the scanned image as a "TIFF" file. While this file is larger than "JPEG" images, the format retains more of the image.
- 3
  Open the software you downloaded, and select the scanned picture you want to edit. The restoration work you will complete will depend on the condition of the photograph. It is possible to replace parts of a photograph that have been damaged, ripped or torn. In most cases your photo will need to be restored to compensate for fading and color loss.
- 4
  Click "Levels" in the navigation bar of the program. Since both of these programs are versions of Photoshop, a number of the functions use the same name.
- 5
  In the new pop-up box, you can click "Auto," and the program will automatically adjust the levels back to the original condition. You can also adjust them yourself by individually adjusting the three sliders in the pop-up window. When you are happy with the adjustment, click "Ok" to save your changes.
- 6
  Click "Enhancement" from the navigation bar, and select "Color variations" from the drop down menu. Like the adjustment for exposure, this will allow you restore the picture back to its original color density and hue. The tool has both an automatic feature, and the ability to allow you to adjust the color yourself. Once you are satisfied with the adjustment, click "Ok" to save your work.
- 7
  Click "File," then select "Save as." Give your restored photo a new name, and click "Ok" to save your restored photograph.

Photography