Remove Scratches from Old Photos Online
Erase scratches, creases, dust spots and surface marks from scanned prints while keeping faces and photographic detail intact.
BeforeAfter
Sample demo — fixed before/after pair · Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Try the tool
Each bundled sample is a fixed before/after pair from a public-domain photograph with programmatically added scratch damage (documented in ASSET_SOURCES.md), so you can judge scratch removal on evidence, not promises.
Try a sample demo
Or upload your own photo
JPEG, PNG or WebP up to 10 MB, between 64 and 8192 px per side · Kids welcome with a parent's OK · no celebrities. Remove scratches, creases, dust spots and surface marks from scanned prints.
What scratch removal fixes — and what it does not
Scratch removal targets physical surface damage recorded in the scan: white or dark scratch lines, fold creases, dust and lint spots, and small emulsion cracks. These are local defects, so a good repair removes them without redrawing the photograph underneath.
The repair should be invisible at normal viewing distance. If you can tell where a scratch used to be because the texture changed, the repair was too aggressive.
Honest limitations
- Deep tears, missing pieces and mold damage remove photographic content itself; automated repair can only approximate those areas.
- Scratches crossing a face are the hardest case and should be checked at full zoom with the slider.
- Custom uploads proceed only when Google sign-in, server-side validation, input/output moderation, atomic budget and quota controls, and the configured private processing storage are all available; otherwise the request fails closed.
Typical scratch-removal jobs
Wallet and frame prints
Photos carried in wallets or kept in frames pick up fine scratches and rub marks that scan prominently.
Folded and creased photos
A hard fold leaves a bright crease line across the print; removal makes the scan presentable again.
Dusty flatbed scans
Dust on the print or scanner glass appears as spots and hairs — cleaned in the same pass as scratches.
Album damage
Prints pulled from sticky albums often carry surface tears and marks that respond well to scratch repair.
How it works
1
Upload the damaged scan
JPEG, PNG or WebP up to 10 MB. Browser-side validation checks type, size and dimensions first.
2
Run scratch removal
The scratch-removal preset focuses on local surface defects and leaves global color and contrast alone.
3
Inspect with the slider
Drag across faces and detailed areas to confirm the repair removed the scratch without smearing texture.
4
Download the cleaned scan
Save the repaired copy and keep the original scan unchanged.
Best practices for scratch removal
Clean the scanner glass
Half of all “scratches” are dust and hair on the glass. Wipe the print and the bed, then rescan.
Scan in color even for black-and-white prints
A color scan separates silvering and stains from image detail, which helps the repair.
Check faces at full zoom
The slider is the quality gate: zoom into eyes and edges before you accept the repair.
Common problems and how to fix them
A faint trace of the scratch remains
Wide creases sometimes need a second, gentler pass. Deep gouges may require manual retouching.
Texture looks smeared after repair
Over-repair flattens grain. Prefer the lightest repair that hides the defect.
The scan has a moiré pattern
Moiré from printed halftones is a scanning problem, not a scratch. Rescan with descreening enabled.
Frequently asked questions
Does scratch removal also fix fading?
No — scratch removal only repairs local surface defects. Use the restore-faded page for contrast and tone, or the general restore page for combined damage.
Is this scratch-removal tool free?
The bundled sample demos are free. Google sign-in gives each account one low-resolution watermarked preview per UTC day (up to 512 px), with no card required. Previews have no finished-image download.
How much does it cost?
Paid packs cost $4.99 for 10, $9.99 for 30 or $19.90 for 80 photos, as one-time purchases with no subscription. The 10-photo pack is $0.50 per photo after rounding. Choose paid processing explicitly for a full-size download with no watermark. Failed generations automatically refund your credit (up to 3 times a day); after that, failures go to support review.
Can it repair a tear or a missing corner?
Not reliably. Tears remove actual image content; automated repair can blur over them but cannot reconstruct a missing face or hand.
Where is my photo processed?
When you press restore, the photo is uploaded to this site’s server for validation and processing. SeeAPI reviews the input and result for safety, and Kie Nano Banana 2.1 restores the photo. Approved results are stored in owner-scoped private R2. The Privacy Policy lists the configured access and deletion periods. Kie keeps uploaded copies for 24 hours and generated media for 14 days; we cannot immediately delete its copies, including media blocked by our review.
What are the upload limits?
JPEG, PNG or WebP, up to 10 MB, between 64 and 8192 pixels per side.
Can I upload photos of my kids, or old photos of me as a child?
Yes, if you are their parent or guardian or have permission. Childhood photos of yourself are fine too. Tick the confirmation box before each restoration.
What happens to a photo of my child?
It is used only to restore that photo. No face recognition, no age detection, no public gallery, and it is never sold or used for training. Our copy stops being accessible after 15 minutes and is removed by storage expiry within about two days; our restoration provider Kie keeps its own copy of the upload for up to 24 hours and of the result for up to 14 days. Email hello@heirloompix.com and we delete our copies within 24 hours.