What kind of damage can it fix?

Thin damage best: scratches, cracks in the emulsion, creases, dust, hairs and small spots. A torn corner or a larger missing patch can be brushed on and is filled too, though a big gap in a face cannot be rebuilt faithfully by any tool. Fading and a yellow cast are a different problem; the colorizer gives a black-and-white photo new colour.

Does it change the parts of the photo that are not damaged?

No. Only the pixels marked in red, and a two-pixel soft edge around them, are replaced. Saved as PNG, everything else keeps its exact values, so grain and detail are untouched; a JPG is compressed again as it is saved. A scan larger than 3000 pixels a side is scaled down to that first.

Why does it mark things that are not scratches?

Fine bright lines that belong to the picture - a strand of hair, a lit edge, a fence wire - can look like scratches to the detector. Lower the sensitivity, or brush those marks off, before you mend.

Can it colorize the photo too?

Yes: after mending, Colorize it opens the photo in the Colorize Photo tool, and Enlarge it in the AI Image Upscaler, which sharpens small or soft prints. Mending first gives both a cleaner start.

Are my family photos uploaded?

No. Both AI models run in your browser, on your graphics card where it can, and the photo never leaves your computer or phone.

Stays on your computer Downloads 67 MB of models (scratch finder and fill-in) from this site the first time; the browser keeps themNeeds a desktop or laptop browserHow this works

Restore old photos

Remove the scratches, cracks, creases and dust from an old photo: they are found for you, you can correct what is marked, and the gaps are filled to match the picture around them. Then colorize or enlarge it. In your browser, with nothing uploaded

Drag & drop a scan or photo of an old print, or browse

JPG, PNG or WebP · black and white or colour · nothing is uploaded

Works best on a straight, even scan of the print. The first time, the two AI models (68 MB together) are downloaded and kept by your browser.

About this old photo restoration tool

Old prints pick up scratches, creases, cracks, dust and spots, and scanning shows every one of them. This tool finds them with the scratch detector Microsoft Research published with its "Bringing Old Photos Back to Life" work, shows you what it found in red so you can add or take away marks with a brush, then fills each mark with picture made to match its surroundings, using the same AI as the Remove Objects tool. Only the marked pixels change: the rest of the photo keeps its scanned values. Photos are worked on at up to 3000 pixels a side (a larger scan is scaled down to that), and saving as PNG keeps every unmarked pixel exact, while JPG saves the photo again with light compression. It is free to use, with no account and no upload limit, and it runs entirely in your browser: nothing is uploaded, and while the page stays open, a feature you have already used keeps working offline.

What you can do

Find scratches, cracks, creases and dust on an old photo automatically
See what was found in red, and brush marks on or off before anything changes
Set how sensitive the finding is, from clear scratches only to faint marks
Mend the marks with AI fill that matches the picture around them, at up to 3000 pixels a side
Compare before and after with a slider, then mend anything left
Colorize the mended photo or enlarge it, in one click, with the site's own tools
Save as PNG or JPG, with no watermark and no account

How to restore an old photo

Scan the print, or photograph it flat and straight in even light, and drop the file onto the page.
Wait while the scratches are found; the first time, the models download once.
Check the red marks: brush on anything missed, brush off anything that belongs to the picture.
Press Mend, compare before and after, and save - or go on to colorize or enlarge it.

Questions

What kind of damage can it fix?: Thin damage best: scratches, cracks in the emulsion, creases, dust, hairs and small spots. A torn corner or a larger missing patch can be brushed on and is filled too, though a big gap in a face cannot be rebuilt faithfully by any tool. Fading and a yellow cast are a different problem; the colorizer gives a black-and-white photo new colour.
Does it change the parts of the photo that are not damaged?: No. Only the pixels marked in red, and a two-pixel soft edge around them, are replaced. Saved as PNG, everything else keeps its exact values, so grain and detail are untouched; a JPG is compressed again as it is saved. A scan larger than 3000 pixels a side is scaled down to that first.
Why does it mark things that are not scratches?: Fine bright lines that belong to the picture - a strand of hair, a lit edge, a fence wire - can look like scratches to the detector. Lower the sensitivity, or brush those marks off, before you mend.
Can it colorize the photo too?: Yes: after mending, Colorize it opens the photo in the Colorize Photo tool, and Enlarge it in the AI Image Upscaler, which sharpens small or soft prints. Mending first gives both a cleaner start.
Are my family photos uploaded?: No. Both AI models run in your browser, on your graphics card where it can, and the photo never leaves your computer or phone.

Built by John McMillan, a senior full-stack engineer. Open to remote roles: hire me.

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