№ 73 · RESTORATION

Restore an old photo with ChatGPT, step by step

BeforeAfter

№ The prompt

Here is a scan of an old photo. Restore it conservatively: repair visible scratches, creases, and fading, and gently recover detail that is genuinely present. Keep every face exactly as it is — do not redraw, beautify, or change anyone's features. Do not invent missing detail; if part of the photo is too damaged to recover, leave it neutral rather than fabricating it. After this pass, tell me what you could not recover so I can decide whether to keep it.

Open ChatGPT

№ How to use it

  • Input

    The highest-resolution scan of the old or damaged photo, uploaded into ChatGPT's image tool.

  • Preserve

    Original facial identity and authentic detail; repairs stay conservative.

  • Avoid

    Hallucinating missing features, beautifying faces, or regenerating the photo as a new image.

More prompts to try

№ 03

Repair scratches and creases, recover faded detail, add period-accurate color while keeping the original grain.

Restore and colorize a damaged old family photo

RESTORATION

Repair scratches and creases, recover faded detail, add period-accurate color while keeping the original grain.

№ 07

Recover edge detail from a blurred capture, sharpen the face that is already there, suppress noise without plastic skin.

Sharpen and deblur a motion-blurred snapshot

RESTORATIONAI

Recover edge detail from a blurred capture, sharpen the face that is already there, suppress noise without plastic skin.

№ 12

Neutralize the aged yellow cast, rebalance contrast, recover shadow detail, keep the photo's original character.

Remove yellow tint and fading from a scanned print

RESTORATION

Neutralize the aged yellow cast, rebalance contrast, recover shadow detail, keep the photo's original character.