Restore a Faded Photo

How it works

1. 1

   Scan or photograph the faded print

   Scan at 300 DPI if you can, or photograph the print flat in even daylight with no glare — JPG, PNG, or WebP up to 7MB. Include the whole print rather than cropping to one face, so the AI can read the fading across the entire image.

   Expect: A print that is evenly faded restores in one pass. A print faded unevenly, with one bright edge, usually needs a second pass that names the uneven side.
2. 2

   Describe the fading

   Type what age took out of the photo: 'restore the faded colors and contrast, bring back the natural skin tones and the green of the grass.' Naming two or three things you know the real colors of gives the AI an anchor for the rest of the frame.

   Tip: If you remember a specific color — a red coat, a blue front door — say it. A named color you actually remember beats any generic 'make it vivid' instruction.

   Copy one of these to get started:

   General fading restore the faded colors and contrast in this old photo, keeping the result natural rather than oversaturated

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   Pale skin tones restore the natural skin tones in this faded photo and bring back the contrast in the faces

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   Colors you remember restore the faded colors in this photo — the coat was deep red and the door behind it was dark green

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   Flat, low-contrast print bring back the contrast and depth in this flat faded photo — restore the blacks and highlights without crushing detail

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   3 more prompts

   Unevenly faded print restore the faded colors in this photo and even out the fading — the left side is much paler than the right

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   Faded and low detail restore the faded colors and contrast in this photo while keeping the original film grain and print texture

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   Faded slide or transparency scan restore the faded colors in this scanned slide, correcting the overall color shift and returning the original saturation

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3. 3

   Check the skin tones first

   Zoom in on faces before anything else. Restored color goes wrong on skin first — a green or magenta cast on a cheek is the signal to retry. Then check that the background did not get pushed past what the original could have looked like.

4. 4

   Refine one area with a marker

   If a single patch — a sun-bleached corner, one washed-out shirt — is still pale, tap a marker on it and describe just that area. Markers are optional; the main restoration does not need them.