AI Photo Colorizer

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Last updated September 2026

Color a black-and-white family or historical photo in 15–30 seconds — name any known colors for a truer match.

Upload photo to colorize photo

"colorize this vintage portrait with natural skin tones, subtle lip color, and period-appropriate clothing colors"

Free to try · no sign-up · never used for AI training

Release to upload

<30stypical edit

1 freeedit weekly

Photo on your phone? Scan to open this editor there — free edit works on your phone too.

1 free edit every week·paid packs after

How it works

Upload your photo

Drop your black and white image into EditThisPic. JPG, PNG, WebP up to 7MB. Higher resolution scans produce better colorization—scan at 300 DPI or higher when possible.

Expect: Simple portraits: 30-40 seconds. Complex scenes with many elements: 40-55 seconds and may benefit from color guidance.
Describe the colorization you want

Type 'colorize this photo with realistic natural colors' for automatic colorization, or guide specific elements: 'colorize this photo, make the sky blue, the grass green, and keep the skin tones warm and natural.' The AI understands color context—no painting or selection needed.

Tip: If you know what colors were real, mention them: 'the uniform was olive green and the flag was red, white, and blue' makes the interpretation more faithful to your reference.

Copy one of these to get started:

Automatic realistic colorization colorize this black and white photo with natural-looking colors, warm skin tones, and muted scenery
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Vintage portrait colorization colorize this vintage portrait with natural skin tones, subtle lip color, and period-appropriate clothing colors
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Landscape with specific colors colorize this landscape photo with blue sky, green grass and trees, and warm golden sunlight
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Historical military photo colorize this military photo with olive green uniforms and brown leather boots; use the supplied period reference for equipment colors
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3 more prompts

Family gathering colorization colorize this family photo with varied natural skin tones, different colored outfits for each person, and warm indoor lighting
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Street scene with many elements colorize this old street scene with red brick buildings, grey pavement, green awnings, and warm afternoon lighting
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Wedding photo from old era colorize this vintage wedding photo with a white wedding dress, dark suit for the groom, natural skin tones, and soft warm lighting
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Review the colorization

Check that skin tones look natural, clothing colors are consistent, and the overall palette feels authentic. Look at transitions between different colored areas—they should blend smoothly without sharp color boundaries.

See it in action

Vintage wedding portrait brought to life in color

A black and white wedding portrait of a bride and groom colorized with warm skin tones, a subtle navy tint on the suit, and warm tones in the rose backdrop.

Prompt:

colorize this black and white wedding portrait with natural warm skin tones, a navy suit, and warm tones in the floral backdrop

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Black and white studio portrait of a boy in a knit vest seated on a wooden stool — Before

Same portrait colorized with blond hair, an olive-green vest, and brown shoes — After

Vintage studio portrait of a boy colorized

A black and white studio portrait of a boy seated on a wooden stool colorized with blond hair, an olive-green knit vest, and brown shoes.

Prompt:

colorize this black and white studio portrait with blond hair, blue eyes, an olive-green knit vest, and brown leather shoes

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More before-and-after examples

Each pair shows the photo going in and the result EditThisPic produced from a one-line prompt.

Before After

1950s family portrait brought to life
Before After

Vintage wedding photo colorized
Before After

Historical street scene colorized

What it can and can’t do

Colors are an AI estimate. Skin, sky and foliage usually look natural, but clothing and objects may not match the real original.
If you know a color (a red dress, a blue car), say so in the prompt for a truer result.
It works from a black-and-white or sepia image; heavily damaged photos may need restoring first.
Fine details like eyes and text can shift slightly when the picture is redrawn.
There is no brush to color one area by hand.
One free edit per week with no account; more attempts use credits.

Free vs. paid for colorizing

Colorizing a whole album takes more than the weekly edit.

	Free edit	Paid credits
Many photos	One photo per week	Credits cover as many photos as you have
Cost	One free edit per week, no account needed	One-time credit packs (12-month validity), no subscription required
Result	Free to preview	Purchased downloads are clean, with no watermark
Versions	One result per edit	Paying users can generate several versions of an edit at once
Pro mode	Not available on the free edit	Available with credits; costs more credits than a Fast edit

Quick answers

Do I need to paint or select areas before colorizing?

No! Just type 'colorize this photo with realistic colors' and the AI adds color to the entire image automatically.

How do I colorize a black and white photo for free?

Upload your black and white photo to EditThisPic and type 'colorize this photo with realistic natural colors.' The AI adds color to skin, clothing, scenery, and backgrounds in 30-45 seconds. You can guide specific colors too. Free to use, no account required.

Is there a free AI photo colorizer that doesn't require login?

Yes, EditThisPic colorizes photos for free with no account needed. Upload your black and white image, describe what you want, and preview the colorized result free — purchased downloads are clean, full quality. Works on portraits, landscapes, and historical photos.

Can I control which colors the AI uses?

Yes! Add specific color instructions: 'make the dress blue and the background green' or 'use olive green for the uniform.' The AI follows your guidance while keeping everything else naturally colored. You can control as many or as few elements as you want.

Can I colorize photo on my phone?

Yes. EditThisPic works in any mobile browser — iPhone, Android, tablet. No app download needed.

What photo formats does the AI photo colorizer support?

JPG, PNG, WebP, and HEIC. Upload any common photo format and EditThisPic handles the rest.

How long does it take to colorize photo?

Usually 15-30 seconds. Upload your photo, describe what you want, and the AI delivers the result.

Do I need to create an account to colorize photo?

No. You can try your first edit without signing up. You can preview an edit without an account; keeping the clean download requires buying credits.

What is the best free AI photo colorizer online?

EditThisPic is a free AI photo colorizer that works in your browser. Upload a black and white photo, type 'colorize with realistic natural colors,' and download the result in seconds. No account needed, and you can guide specific colors if you know what they should be.

How do I add color to old photos without Photoshop?

Use EditThisPic instead of manually painting colors in Photoshop. Upload your black-and-white photo and type 'colorize this photo with natural-looking colors.' The AI proposes colors for skin, clothing, sky, and scenery. Add any colors you know to the prompt because grayscale alone cannot prove the original color.

Can AI convert black and white photos to color automatically?

Yes. EditThisPic analyzes the grayscale image and proposes plausible colors for objects such as skin, sky, grass, and clothing. Type 'colorize this photo' for an automatic interpretation, or guide known details such as 'make the uniform olive green.' Verify historical colors against records or references.

How much does EditThisPic cost?

You get 1 free Standard edit per week — no account needed. After that, one-time credit packs start at $4.99 for 10 credits, valid 12 months, no subscription. A Standard edit uses 1 credit, Pro 2 and Ultra 3. Purchased downloads are clean with no watermark.

Ready to colorize your photos?

Free to try. No signup required.

1 free edit included·paid credit packs after

How it works

Upload your photo

Describe the colorization you want

Review the colorization