How to Scan Old Photos for the Best Restoration Results

Most restoration quality is decided before any software touches the photo. A clean, sharp, glare-free scan keeps detail that no tool can invent later. These steps apply whether you use our restorer, another app, or a professional retoucher.

Steps

1. Handle and clean gently
   Hold prints by the edges. Remove loose dust with a soft brush or air blower. Do not wipe with water or cloth; it can lift the emulsion. Leave prints stuck to glass or albums to a conservator.
2. Use a flatbed scanner if you can
   Scan at 600 DPI for normal prints (300 DPI is a minimum). Scan small prints and wallet photos at 1200 DPI. Save as PNG or high-quality JPG and turn off the scanner's auto "dust removal" and sharpening, which can smear faces.
3. No scanner? Photograph it properly
   Lay the print flat next to a window with indirect daylight, turn off the flash, and hold the phone exactly parallel to the photo to avoid keystone distortion. Fill the frame and tap to focus on a face. Shoot several and keep the sharpest.
4. Kill glare on glossy or framed prints
   Take the print out of the frame. If you must shoot through glass, angle the light from the side, not behind you, and check for reflections before shooting.
5. Line up torn pieces first
   Place torn pieces together on the scanner bed as closely as possible. Restoration fills a thin gap much better than a missing chunk.
6. Keep the original scan
   Always keep the untouched scan. Restore a copy, so you can try again later or with a different tool.

Limits to know

Honest limits: if a face is mostly missing or completely out of focus, any AI restorer will guess, and the result may not look like the person. Colorization is a plausible guess, not historical fact; clothing, uniforms and signage colors can be wrong. Compare against what family members remember.

Last checked: 2026-10-16