AI Photo Scratch Remover

Just describe the scratches. AI removes them without manual clone stamping or selection.

1950s family portrait with white scratches across faces — Before

→

Restored family portrait with all scratches removed — After

Remove Scratches from Photo

Drop your photo here

or click to browse

Release to upload

Free • No signup

Popular use cases:

old photo restoration
scanned photo repair
vintage photo repair
family photo restoration
damaged photo recovery
photo scanning cleanup
historical photo preservation
heirloom photo repair

Cost: Free No signup required
Time: Instant results in 15-30 seconds
Works on: Any device - browser, phone, tablet, desktop
Powered by: AI-powered photo editing

Scenario	Prompt	Time
All scratches	`remove all scratches and scratch marks from the entire photo completely`	20s
White scratch lines	`remove the white scratch lines running across the photo and fill seamlessly`	25s
Hairline scratches	`fix all fine hairline scratches throughout the photo while preserving original texture`	30s
Scan lines	`remove vertical scratch lines and scan artifacts from the scanned photo`	25s

How it works

Upload your scratched photo

Drop your image into EditThisPic. JPG, PNG, WebP up to 7MB. Works best with clear scans or photos where scratches are visible. Higher resolution scans (300+ DPI) give the AI more detail to work with when filling scratches.

Expect: Light scratches: 20-30 seconds. Heavy damage across entire photo: may need 2-3 passes focusing on different areas.
Describe the scratch damage

Type your instruction: 'remove all scratches from the photo' or 'fix the white scratch lines across the face.' Be specific about what type of damage—fine hairline scratches, deep gouges, or scan lines. No marking needed—the AI detects scratches automatically and fills them with matching texture from surrounding areas.

Tip: Include location details like 'scratches on the face' or 'vertical scratches on the left side' if damage is concentrated in one area for better targeting.

Copy one of these to get started:

Remove all scratches remove all scratches and scratch marks from the entire photo completely
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Fix white scratch lines remove the white scratch lines running across the photo and fill seamlessly
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Hairline scratches fix all fine hairline scratches throughout the photo while preserving original texture
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Vertical scan lines remove vertical scratch lines and scan artifacts from the scanned photo
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3 more prompts

Face scratches remove scratches from faces and skin areas, blend naturally with surrounding texture
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Deep gouges fix deep scratch gouges by filling with matching color and texture from nearby areas
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Corner damage remove scratches and damage concentrated in the corners and edges of the photo
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Generate and review

Click Generate and watch the AI analyze the damage. It identifies scratch patterns, fills each scratch with texture matching surrounding areas, blends edges seamlessly, and preserves original photo detail. Zoom in to verify scratches are completely gone and fills look natural.
Refine with markers for stubborn scratches

If some scratches remain or if the AI missed damage in complex areas, tap markers on those specific scratches and regenerate. This helps the AI focus on problem areas it may have missed on the first pass.

Tip: For photos with both scratches and other damage (tears, stains), fix scratches first, then address other damage in separate edits.

Try it free ↓

Remove Scratches from Photo

Drop your photo here

or click to browse

Release to upload

Free • No signup

"Found my grandparents' wedding photo completely scratched. One prompt fixed 30+ years of damage. Looks like it was taken yesterday." @familyhistory

See it in action

1950s family photo restoration

Removed multiple white scratches crossing faces and background in a vintage family portrait. The AI filled each scratch with matching skin tone and texture.

Prompt: remove all scratches and scratch marks from the entire photo completely

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Scanned 1970s photo with vertical scratch artifacts — Before

Scanned photo with vertical lines

Fixed scanner artifacts and vertical scratch lines from a poorly scanned old photograph. One prompt removed all the scan damage.

Prompt: remove vertical scratch lines and scan artifacts from the scanned photo

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Wedding photo covered in fine hairline scratches — Before

Restored wedding photo with scratches removed — After

Wedding photo surface damage

Removed fine hairline scratches covering an entire wedding photograph. The AI preserved all original detail while fixing the damage.

Prompt: fix all fine hairline scratches throughout the photo while preserving original texture

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If something looks off

AI changed the wrong area or something I didn't want changed

Why: The AI couldn't determine exactly which area you meant from description alone.

Try: Tap a marker on the specific area you want to change, then regenerate with the same prompt

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Tip: Markers tell the AI 'I mean THIS one specifically.' Use them when description alone is ambiguous.

AI removed important photo details thinking they were scratches

Why: The AI confused thin lines in the actual photo (like wires, hair strands, or architectural details) with damage.

Try: Be more specific: 'remove only the white damage scratches, preserve all photo detail like hair and lines'

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Tip: If the photo has lots of thin legitimate details, describe the scratches by color or direction to help the AI distinguish.

Scratches removed but fills look blurry or smudged

Why: The AI filled scratches but didn't have enough surrounding detail to match texture accurately, creating soft blurry fills.

Try: Try: 'remove scratches and fill with sharp matching texture from surrounding areas, no blur'

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Tip: Mentioning 'sharp' and 'matching texture' helps the AI create cleaner fills that match the photo quality.

Some scratches remain after first attempt

Why: Very faint scratches or damage in complex textured areas may be missed on the first pass if they blend with photo detail.

Try: Mark remaining scratches and use: 'remove these specific marked scratch lines completely'

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Tip: Markers help the AI focus on stubborn scratches it missed. You may need 2-3 passes for heavily damaged photos.

Filled scratch areas don't match surrounding color

Why: The AI filled the scratch but didn't sample the correct adjacent area for color matching, creating visible patches.

Try: Regenerate with: 'remove scratches by sampling and matching color from the immediate surrounding areas'

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Tip: Emphasizing 'immediate surrounding areas' helps the AI use the closest matching pixels for fills.

Scratch removal worked but photo looks softer overall

Why: The AI may have applied slight blur to blend scratch fills, affecting the entire image sharpness.

Try: Try: 'remove scratches with sharp fills, maintain all original photo sharpness and detail'

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Tip: Specifically mentioning 'maintain sharpness' prevents the AI from softening the entire image during repair.

Quick answers

Do I need to mark scratches before describing?

No! Just describe what you want: 'remove all scratches from the photo' or 'fix the white scratch lines.' The AI detects scratches automatically. Only use markers if some scratches remain after the first attempt or if you need to point out very faint damage the AI might miss.

How do I remove scratches from old photos for free?

Upload your scratched photo to EditThisPic and type 'remove all scratches and scratch marks from the entire photo completely.' The AI finds all scratches, fills them with matching texture and color in 20-30 seconds. Free to try with no signup, no watermark, and no credit card required.

Is there a free scratch remover that doesn't require login?

Yes. EditThisPic removes scratches without requiring an account. Just upload your damaged photo, describe the scratch removal you need, and download the restored result. No email, no signup, completely free for your first edit.

Can this fix severely scratched photos?

Yes, but heavily damaged photos may need 2-3 editing passes. First pass: 'remove all major scratches.' Review the result. Second pass: mark remaining damage and regenerate. The AI can fix even severe damage, but working in stages produces better results than trying to fix everything at once.

Does this work on color photos and black-and-white photos?

Yes. The AI handles both color and black-and-white photographs. It matches the texture and tone of surrounding areas whether that's color or grayscale. Scratch removal works the same way regardless of photo type.

Ready to fix your scratched photos?

Free to try. No signup required.

AI Photo Scratch Remover

How it works

Upload your scratched photo

Describe the scratch damage

Generate and review

Refine with markers for stubborn scratches

See it in action

1950s family photo restoration

Scanned photo with vertical lines

Wedding photo surface damage

If something looks off

Quick answers

Related Tools

Ready to fix your scratched photos?