Fix scratches, fading and blur in family pictures without losing the faces you love. These AI prompts for restoring old photos tell an image-editing AI what to repair and what to leave alone, so grandma still looks like grandma. Replace anything in [brackets] with your own details.
Before you start
- Scan or photograph the old print in good light, and keep the original safe. Work only on a copy.
- Use an AI tool that can edit images you upload. Features differ between tools and change often.
- Use photos of your own family, or photos where the people or their families would agree. Handle the paper print carefully; the Library of Congress explains how to care for and store photographs.
What to tell the AI
Good AI prompts for restoring old photos always say what to repair, what to keep and how far to go. The most important line is usually: “Keep the faces and expressions exactly as they are.”
AI prompts for restoring old photos you can copy
Remove scratches and dust
Restore my uploaded old photo. Remove scratches, dust and small marks. Keep the faces, clothes and expressions exactly as they are. Do not add anything new.
Repair fading
My uploaded photo has faded. Improve the contrast and brightness gently so details are easier to see. Keep the original black and white or sepia look.
Fix a tear or missing corner
My uploaded photo has a tear across [location] and a missing corner. Repair the damage so the picture looks complete, and keep everyone’s faces unchanged.
Sharpen without changing faces
Make my uploaded old photo clearer and slightly sharper. Do not change anyone’s facial features, age or expression. If a detail is too blurry to know, leave it as it is.
Add colour carefully
Add natural, soft colour to my uploaded black-and-white photo. Use muted, realistic tones for skin, clothes and background. I know the colours are guesses.
Remove a stain
Remove the [brown stain or water mark] in the [location] of my uploaded photo and match the surrounding area. Do not change the people.
Tell me what changed
After you restore my photo, list every change you made in short bullet points, so I can check that nothing important was altered.
Check the result against the original
AI restorations can look sharp and still be wrong. It may smooth a face, add a detail that was never there or change a date on a sign. Compare with the original, ask a relative who knew the person, and save both versions. Our guide on how to fact-check AI answers works for images too.
Save the story, not only the picture
Write names, dates and places on the back of the original or in the file name. A restored picture without its story is much less useful to the next generation.
Next steps
Copy more from the Photo tab of our free Prompt Library. If a result looks off, read How to Write Better Prompts and 5 Common AI Prompt Mistakes and How to Fix Them.
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