Short answer: upload a clean scan, pick Standard Restoration, wait under a minute, download. Standard mode repairs damage without changing identity — exactly what you want for family memories. If a photo is more severely damaged, step up to Comprehensive (premium) mode. The rest of this article explains the why, the how, and the small choices that make a meaningful difference.
What "AI photo restoration" actually does
Modern AI restoration uses a chain of trained models to do four things in sequence: de-noise (remove film grain, scanning artefacts, dust), repair (in-paint scratches, creases, water stains, missing corners), resolve (recover lost detail in faces and texture), and optionally upscale (output 2× or 4× the original resolution). The whole pipeline runs in under 60 seconds. Behind the scenes Photo Repair Lab routes through purpose-built models — we don't use a single generic "make it pretty" filter.
Step 1 — Scan the original (or photograph it well)
This is the step most people skip and most pay for later. The AI can recover detail that's still in the print but can't invent detail that was never captured. Use a flatbed scanner at 600 DPI minimum. Anything less and you're not giving the AI enough pixels to work with. Save as JPEG at 95+ quality or TIFF.
Turn off everything that says "enhance":
- Auto-tone / auto-colour — interferes with the AI's own colour restoration
- Dust removal (Digital ICE etc.) — fine for negatives, but on prints it smudges fine detail
- Sharpening — never apply sharpening before restoration; it locks in noise the AI would otherwise remove
If you don't have a scanner, your phone is the next best thing — but follow the rules. Lay the print flat on a dark surface, near a window with soft side-light (curtain-filtered north light is perfect), phone parallel, no shadow from your body, no flash. Crop to the print only, then upload the un-edited original.
Step 2 — Pick the right mode
This is where most people overshoot. Default to Standard. Step up only when the result needs it.
Standard Restoration (10 credits, ~$1)
The everyday choice. Good for: faded colour photos, mild scratches, dust, general age. 95% of family albums.
Conservative Restoration (10 credits, ~$1)
Gentler. Closer to "clean and unfade". Good for: pre-1950s portraits where you want minimal AI intervention, or photos whose grain is part of the period feel. Less aggressive on detail recovery.
Comprehensive Restoration (20 credits, ~$2, premium)
Chains multiple AI passes. Good for: severe damage, very low-resolution originals, photos where Standard's first pass came back blurry. Slower (1–3 minutes) but the headroom is real.
Studio Upscale 2× (15 credits, ~$1.50)
Run this after restoration, not instead of it. Doubles the resolution so the result prints cleanly to 12×16 inches and bigger.
Step 3 — Run it, then judge it
The first restored version is rarely the final version. Look at it honestly:
- Is the face right? If something feels off about identity, you've over-enhanced. Re-run on Conservative.
- Are there any obvious artefacts? AI sometimes hallucinates a missing earlobe or merges two background figures. Re-run, or accept the original is too damaged for fully automated work.
- Is colour believable? If colourisation gave great-grandfather a 1990s teal shirt, override colour. Conservative mode is more restrained.
Failed jobs auto-refund the credits — Photo Repair Lab only bills for successful results.
Step 4 — Colourise (optional)
Modern colourisation AI is astonishingly good at skin tones, sky, foliage and natural light — and surprisingly bad at uniform colours, period-correct dyes, and military regalia. If colourisation matters for your photo, read our dedicated guide: How to colourise black-and-white photos with AI. The short version: trust it on faces, double-check it on clothes.
Step 5 — Print or share, but keep the original
Always keep both the original scan and the restored version. Restoration is a creative interpretation; the original is the historical record. We recommend:
- Cloud backup (Dropbox, iCloud, Google Photos) of both versions
- External drive copy of both (the cloud is not enough)
- Send a copy to one trusted family member — geographic redundancy beats one perfect backup
The mistake people make: skipping the scan
Restoration quality is roughly 70% the scan, 30% the AI. If you photograph an album page with your phone, you're feeding the AI a blurry, glare-streaked, perspective-warped image and asking it to perform miracles. Spend an hour with a scanner first; you'll save weeks of re-runs.
Cost vs hiring a retoucher
A professional photo retoucher charges $30–$80 per photo and turns around in 2–5 business days. Photo Repair Lab charges $1 and turns around in under 60 seconds. Both have their place — see our full comparison: AI photo restoration vs professional services. The honest summary: AI for the album, retouchers for the one or two photos that absolutely matter to a family event.
Where to start
Pick your most damaged photo — the one you've been putting off because it felt hopeless. Run it through Photo Repair Lab's Standard restoration with the 20 free credits we give every new account. If the result wins you over, work down to the easier photos. If it doesn't, you've spent nothing and learned what you're dealing with.