How to Restore Old Photos in Photoshop to Make It Look New Again

Old photos can get damaged over time. Water, sunlight, or poor storage can cause fading, stains, or cracks. Learning how to restore old pictures is essential to keep these memories alive.

Good thing tools like Photoshop make it easy to fix damaged photos. You can sharpen blurry images, repair scratches, and return lost colors. With Photoshop’s powerful tools, you can make old pictures look new again.

Now, let us go through the steps to restore old photos in Photoshop!

Part 1: Can Old Photos Be Restored by Photoshop

Scratches, stains, and faded colors are typical in old photographs. Some have creases or torn edges. Others have dust and age-related spots or appear blurry. These images become less detailed and sharper with time. Can they be restored using Photoshop?

Yes, old images can be restored using Photoshop. It can repair scratches, stains, and fading. It can also enhance and sharpen image details to make the image more readable. The proper edits can make old photos look brand new again. But to get good results, you need to be patient and skilled.

Part 2: How to Restore Old Photos in Photoshop

In the first section, we addressed whether Photoshop can restore old photos. Yes, that is the response. Do you want to know how it operates now? And so in this part, we will guide you on how to restore old photos in Photoshop.

Photoshop gives you complete control over the edits. The spot-healing brush helps erase minor scratches and dust spots. The clone stamp lets you copy parts of the image to cover missing or damaged areas. The neural filters make restoration easier. The photo restoration filter improves sharpness and detail with just one click. If the picture has too much grain, the noise reduction filter helps smooth it out. You can also use the colorize filter to add natural colors to old black-and-white photos.

The final result will be a high-quality, restored image that looks as good as new. Here is how you can do it in just five steps:

Step 1Import & Prepare Your Photo

First and foremost, scan your old photo and save it on your computer. After that, open Photoshop and load the image. It will be your background layer. Lock it so you will not make any changes to the original.

Step 2Duplicate the Layer & Crop the Image

Right-click on the image and choose Duplicate Layer. It enables you to make edits without affecting the original picture. Next, pick the Crop Tool from the toolbar and erase any unwanted parts of the image.

Step 3Fix Major Damages

Use the Spot Healing Brush Tool to delete scratches, dust, and minor marks. If the photo has large tears, use the Lasso Tool to select a clean area, then copy it with the Clone Stamp Tool to cover the tear. You can fine-tune the brush size and sample different areas for a natural look.

Step 4Apply Filters for Enhancement

Go to Filter, Neural Filters, and then Photo Restoration. You can download the filter if needed. This tool sharpens details and improves faded colors. You can also adjust Photo Enhancement, Scratch Reduction, and Enhance Face to improve clarity. If the image has too much noise, go to Filter, Noise, then Reduce and fine-tune the settings.

Step 5Colorize & Export the Photo

If your image is black and white, go to Filter, Neural Filters, and then Colorize. It adds color automatically. You can adjust the tones if needed.

Once you are happy with the result, save your work by going to File, Export, Export As, and choose JPG, PNG, or TIFF. Now, your old photo looks new again!

Part 3: The Best Photoshop Alternative to Restore Photos Online

The guide above shows how to restore old photos in Photoshop. However, Photoshop is mainly for professional photographers and designers. It can be hard to use for beginners. But do not worry; you can use the Photoshop alternative to restore old photos online. Here, we recommend AVAide Image Upscaler to you.

With its powerful AI photo restoration technology, you can effortlessly fix and enhance your old, damaged, faded, or scratched images in seconds. It removes noise, fixes blurriness, and sharpens details. It works best on pictures of people, products, animals, cars, and graphics. Moreover, it lets you enlarge images up to 8× without losing quality. Plus, it is safe and does not add watermarks to your restored old photo. Are you excited to try it? If so, check out the steps below!

Step 1Open a web browser and go to AVAide Image Upscaler. Once on the homepage, click the Choose a Photo button. It will open your file folder. Choose the old photo you want to restore. You can also restore many old images at once by clicking the Upload Images in Batches.

Step 2After uploading, the tool will automatically upscale your photo by 2×. You can select 4×, 6×, or 8× if you want better quality. The higher the level, the clearer the image will be.

Step 3Check the preview of your restored photo. Hover over the image to see the details. Look at how much it has improved. The blurry parts now look sharp. Faded details are clearer. The colors look more vibrant. The difference is huge compared to the old photo. If you need more changes, adjust the upscale level again.

Step 4If you are satisfied with the changes, click the Save button at the bottom right. The restored photo will be downloaded to your device without a watermark. If you want to work on another image, click New Image to start again.

Now, your old photo looks much better. AVAide Image Upscaler makes old photo restoration simple and fast. With a few clicks, it enhances faded areas, sharpens edges, and eliminates blur. Advanced editing abilities are not required. You may revive your priceless memories in a matter of seconds with this tool!

By Jane Pineda on May 14, 2025