Printed photos are fragile items that hold priceless memories. Exposure to humidity, sunlight, or improper storage over the years can cause significant damage to them. If you want to preserve old pictures of your ancestors for future generations, here you will find 3 methods to do so. To learn more about how to restore old damaged photos, follow the link. Let’s begin!

1. Restore Photos Manually Yourself

Manual restoration at home is not as complicated as you might think, but it does take time. But still, it is much more basic than a professional restoration. 

First, you need to carefully clean the surface of your old photo from dust and dirt with a soft-bristle brush. If some photos are stuck together, don’t try to separate them. Instead, soak the images in distilled water for 30 minutes, then gently pull them apart and let them dry. If the image has torn corners, buy some acid-free tape at your local office supply store to fix them, as the regular tape will ruin your photo over time. 

2. Seek Professional Help

If your family photos are in pretty bad shape and you’re worried about ruining them by trying to restore them yourself, get some help from the experts. Fortunately, it is not difficult to find a retouching master or online service, as there are countless options on the market these days. You can either choose digital or manual restoration. 

Speaking of drawbacks, this method is the most expensive of all the others and might be unaffordable for some people. Plus, if you choose the manual method of restoration, there is a risk of irreversible loss of the originals. And finally, pictures of your ancestors will be exposed to strangers. But it’s a good option nonetheless.

3. Fix Digital Copies with Specialized Software

If you’re afraid of messing up your originals, make digital copies and edit them with PhotoGlory. This photo restoration software lets you repair your old photos quickly and easily, even if you are new to photo editing. You can remove stains, scratches, and creases as you like — automatically in a click or manually with content-aware tools. You can also straighten tilted photos, crop damaged corners, reassemble pictures that are torn apart, turn negatives into positives, and even turn black-and-white photographs into color. 

This method is much cheaper than a professional one. You just buy a lifetime license and can fix an unlimited number of photos. Whereas with professional services, you have to pay a high fee per photo. In addition, this program offers a 5-day free trial period, so you can try out the available features and test your skills before buying.

Summing up

Now you know how to restore old family photos in 3 different ways. Choose the one that best matches your requirements, budget, and skill level. Don’t be afraid of restoration. Surprise your relatives by refreshing their old photos, or preserve such pictures for future generations.