Guide to Restore Old Photos in Photoshop: 5 Mins to Repair Your Images

Being able to restore old photos using Photoshop can bring cherished memories back to life, but it often feels complicated. Thankfully, the steps to restore old photos are simple. In this guide, we'll show you how to use Photoshop's powerful tools to repair your photos, making them look as good as new.

How to repair old photos in Photoshop

Restoring old photos in Photoshop is a straightforward process that combines powerful tools with easy-to-follow steps. With Photoshop's built-in features, you can bring faded or damaged photos back to life with professional-level results. Let's walk through the steps to restore your old photos with Photoshop.



Steps to fix old photos in Photoshop

Step
1. Prefilter
2. Open Photoshop on your PC and upload the photo you'd like to restore. We'll start with two quick but important preparation steps. First, crop your image to remove any badly damaged or washed-out areas—this helps Photoshop work more effectively with your photo.
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4. Then, since older photos often appear faded, we'll enhance the brightness by clicking "Image" followed by "Auto contrast." These simple preparations will set us up for success with the rest of the restoration process.
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Step
6. Restore the photo
7. Now, let's bring your photo back to life. Select your layer, go to "Filter," click "Neural filters," and enable "Photo restoration." You'll see three main tools to work with: "Photo enhancement" for overall image quality, "Enhance face" for improving facial details, and "Scratch reduction" for removing damage marks. 
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9. Adjust the photo enhancement carefully to maintain important details while improving the image. Set the face enhancement to a level that looks natural, and use scratch reduction at 100% to remove unwanted marks. 
10. Click "Adjustments" to find additional helpful tools: "Noise reduction" removes graininess, "Color reduction" helps with color photos, "Halftone artifacts reduction" removes printing dots, and "JPEG artifacts reduction" fixes compression issues. Once you're satisfied, click "Output," select "Smart filter," and confirm with "Okay." This creates a mask that allows you to restore any details that need attention.
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Step
12. Repair the background
13. Now, we'll focus on improving the background of your photo. Use the lasso tool to draw around your main subject—you can hold the space key to move around the image while drawing if needed. 
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15. Once you've drawn around the subject, release your mouse to complete the selection. Since we want to work on the background instead of the subject, press "Ctrl+shift+I" on Windows or "cmd+shift+I" on Mac to invert your selection. Create a new layer using the "+" icon, then select "Edit" followed by "Content Aware Fill." 
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17. Photoshop will now repair the background using information from the surrounding areas. Use your mouse to remove any parts of the subject that appear in green (these are the areas Photoshop uses as reference). If you remove too much, hold the alt or option key to add areas back. Make sure "Output to" is set to "New layer" and click "Okay" to complete the background repair.
Step
18. Download
19. You've now successfully restored your photo! Take a moment to review your work and make sure you're happy with the results. Save your restored image in your preferred format, and it's ready to be shared with family and friends.
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Review of image restoration in Photoshop

Photoshop offers a powerful set of tools for restoring old photos, but it comes with some challenges. Considering that, we take a full review here:

To be fair, Photoshop is a powerful tool for photo restoration. However, for beginners or those short on time, it may not be the perfect choice due to its steep learning curve and time investment. Then, you may ask if there is an easier alternative. Here is the solution: Dreamina, an AI-driven image editor. Let's explore how its advanced algorithms revitalize your photo in seconds.

An easy alternative: Meet Dreamina's AI restoration magic

Designed as an AI image editor, Dreamina boasts fast processing and user-friendly UI and features. Using cutting-edge algorithms like deep learning and neural networks, its Retouch function automatically enhances and repairs old photos in seconds. Dreamina can sharpen details, remove scratches, and restore faded colors—all in just a few clicks. Whether you want to fix family photos or restore vintage images, Dreamina provides a quick, professional solution.



Steps to restore old photos with Dreamina

Restoring old photos on Dreamina is easy; you can do it in 3 easy steps. First, click the link below to create a free account on Dreamina:

Step
1. Upload your photo
2. After creating an account, click on "Canvas" to enter Dreamina's canvas editor. Next, click "Upload image" and select the photo you want restored using AI.
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Step
4. Restore your photo
5. To begin, click on "Retouch," and Dreamina's AI will analyze your photo, automatically restoring imperfections and improving overall clarity.
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7. If you'd like to enhance your image further, you can use Dreamina's "HD Upscale" tool. This tool increases the resolution of your photo, making it sharper and more detailed.
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Step
9. Download
10. If you are satisfied with the final result and ready to save it, click on "Export" and select your preferred file type (JPEG or PNG), size, and export option. Finally, click on "Download" to save it on your device.
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Find more AI magic:

• Creative inpainting
• Dreamina's inpainting tool lets you add or modify specific parts of your photo, healing missing details or creating entirely new elements seamlessly.
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• Smart remover
• With advanced algorithms, it effortlessly removes unwanted objects or people from your images. Whether it's a distracting blemish or a photobomber, Dreamina makes it vanish with a single click.
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• HD upscaling
• Dreamina's HD image upscaler enhances the quality of your images, boosting resolution without losing detail—perfect for enlarging older, low-quality photos.
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• Image blender
• Blend two images together smoothly or composite images, giving you full control over creative edits. Users can also enter a prompt to create a personalized blending effect.
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Conclusion

In this guide, we first talked about how to restore old photos in Photoshop. Then, from its pros and cons, we lead in a new alternative, Dreamina, and explore its use steps and key features. As we mentioned, while Photoshop offers advanced tools, Dreamina simplifies the process with its powerful AI. It helps anyone bring their cherished memories back to life with just a few clicks. So, if you prefer a shortcut to restore old images, simply head over to Dreamina and experience AI magic for yourself.

FAQs

1. What is the restoration tool in Photoshop?
2. Photoshop's restoration tool, primarily the Neural Filters, allows users to repair old photos by enhancing image quality, fixing facial details, and removing scratches. Options like Photo Enhancement and Scratch Reduction offer detailed control over the restoration process. These advanced options indeed lend users free control of images, but it will cost users time to get used to them. For those who find this drawback, Dreamina provides a simpler alternative. With Dreamina's AI-powered restoration tool, you can achieve high-quality results with just a few clicks. So what are you waiting for? Try Dreamina for free today!
3. How to sharpen an old photo in Photoshop?
4. To sharpen an old photo in Photoshop, go to Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask or use Smart Sharpen for more advanced settings. Adjust the sliders to enhance the clarity of your image without adding too much noise. Photoshop's sharpening tools give you precise control, but for a quicker, more automatic solution, Dreamina's AI can help. Dreamina's HD Upscaling tool enhances image resolution and sharpness without the need for manual adjustments. Sharpen your old photos with ease—visit Dreamina now to get started!
5. How to convert an old photo to a new photo in Photoshop?
6. Converting an old photo to look like new in Photoshop involves steps like restoring colors, enhancing sharpness, and removing blemishes. You can use tools like Neural Filters for automatic restoration or Curves for manual adjustments. But if you prefer a way easier solution, like automatic AI, choose Dreamina. You can automatically restore and enhance old photos using AI in just a few clicks—saving time and effort. Bring your old photos to life with Dreamina! Create an account today to get started for free.