How to Restore Old Photos with AI — Free Photo Restoration Guide

Old family photos fade. They get scratched, torn, and discolored. For decades, restoring them meant hiring a professional retoucher — a slow and expensive process. AI photo restoration changes everything: upload a scan, and in seconds, you get a beautifully restored photo.

How AI Photo Restoration Works

Our restoration tool uses GFP-GAN, a deep learning model specifically designed for face and photo restoration. It has been trained on thousands of degraded/clean photo pairs to learn how to:

• Remove scratches, dust, and noise
• Sharpen blurred faces and features
• Enhance faded colors and contrast
• Upscale low-resolution scans

How to Restore a Photo (3 Steps)

1. Scan or Photograph Your Old Photo

For best results, use a flatbed scanner at 300 DPI or higher. If you don't have a scanner, a smartphone photo in good lighting works too — just make sure the image is straight and well-lit.

2. Upload to the Restoration Tool

Open PixelForge Photo Restoration and drag your scanned image onto the upload area. The AI starts processing immediately.

3. Download the Restored Photo

Within seconds, you'll see a side-by-side comparison of the original and restored versions. Click Download to save the enhanced photo.

Tips for Best Results

• Scan at 300+ DPI for the most detail to restore
• Avoid heavily creased or torn areas if possible — the AI works best with moderate damage
• Black-and-white photos often produce the most dramatic results
• Try multiple scans of the same photo and pick the best input