How Photo Restoration Works: What to Expect & How to Send the Best Photos

Bringing Old Memories Back to Life

Old, damaged, or faded photographs hold irreplaceable memories. Professional photo restoration uses skilled digital artistry to carefully reconstruct torn edges, remove scratches and stains, restore faded colours, and breathe new life into cherished images — producing a result that looks as though the photo was taken yesterday.

At Glossy Images, every restoration is handcrafted by our team, not simply run through an automated filter. This means we can handle even severely damaged photographs that automated tools cannot.

What the Restoration Process Involves

Once you send us your photo, here's what happens:

1. Assessment — We review the image to understand the level of damage and the work required.
2. Digital reconstruction — Our artists carefully repair tears, fading, discolouration, and missing areas using professional editing tools.
3. Colour restoration — Where original colours have faded, we restore them faithfully using context clues within the image and period-accurate references.
4. Quality review — The finished restoration is reviewed to ensure it meets our standards before being sent back to you.

What Results Can You Expect?

The final result depends on the condition and resolution of the original photo. Lightly faded or scratched photos can typically be restored to near-perfect condition. Heavily torn or water-damaged photos may require more creative reconstruction, and we'll always discuss the scope of work with you upfront.

You'll receive a high-resolution digital file suitable for printing at large sizes — ideal for framing, gifting, or preserving as a digital archive.

How to Send the Best Photos

The quality of the restoration depends heavily on what we have to work with. Follow these tips to give us the best possible starting point:

• Scan, don't photograph. Use a flatbed scanner at 600 DPI or higher rather than taking a photo with your phone. Scanners capture far more detail.
• Clean the original first. Gently remove dust or loose debris from the surface of the photo before scanning.
• Use good lighting if scanning isn't possible. If you must photograph the image, use bright, even, natural daylight and avoid flash, which creates glare.
• Send the largest file you can. Higher resolution gives our artists more detail to work with. Never compress or resize the image before sending.
• Include context. If you know the approximate era the photo was taken, or details about subjects (e.g. eye or hair colour), let us know — it helps with authentic colour restoration.

Ready to Restore Your Photographs?

Whether it's a single treasured portrait or a collection of family images, we'd love to help you preserve them for generations to come. Explore our Photo Restoration service and upload your photo to get started.