How to Remove Scratches from Old Photos (Free Methods, 2026)

White scratches and creases are the most common damage on old prints — a photo dropped in a drawer for decades comes out with fine white lines across every face. The good news: scratch removal is the easiest repair the AI handles well, and you can do it free.

Why scratches are easy for AI

A scratch is a narrow strip of missing information. AI inpainting models look at the surrounding pixels — skin texture, fabric, sky — and rebuild the strip so it blends in. The result is invisible on most scans, which is why repair-first is the right order: restore scratches before colorizing or upscaling.

Method 1 — Free AI scratch removal (recommended)

1. Scan at 300–600 DPI as TIFF or PNG. Higher resolution gives the model more to work with.
2. Upload to a repair tool. OldPhoto includes scratch & crease repair in the free tier — select “Scratch repair” alongside any other fixes you need.
3. Run the restore. The AI detects and inpaints scratches, stains and creases automatically. Most photos finish in under 30 seconds.
4. Check the Before/After slider. Zoom into faces and edges — if one deep scratch survived, run a second pass or spot-treat it (see Method 2).
5. Download the high-res master. Keep the repaired scan as TIFF/PNG; the free tier includes a watermarked download, subscriptions unlock print-quality exports.

Method 2 — Manual spot repair (for stubborn scratches)

For one or two deep scratches the AI misses, free editors like GIMP or the clone/heal tools in most photo apps work well:

• Duplicate the layer before editing.
• Use the heal/clone tool with a small brush sampled from adjacent clean pixels.
• Work along the scratch direction, not across it.
• Feather and zoom to 100% before judging the result.

What about dust spots and mold?

Dust spots respond to the same AI inpainting. Mold stains are trickier — treat the print gently, scan at the highest DPI, and let the AI rebuild the stained area. Severely mold-damaged photos may need a professional scan service; never wipe the original with liquids at home.

Prevent future scratches

Once digitized, store the original in an archival sleeve, flat and away from light and humidity. Your repaired digital master is then the copy you share, print and back up — the full preservation workflow is here.

FAQ

Can I remove scratches from old photos for free? Yes — OldPhoto’s free tier includes scratch & crease repair with the full pipeline.

Does scratch removal damage the rest of the photo? No. AI inpainting only rebuilds the scratched strip from surrounding pixels; untouched areas stay identical.

Should I remove scratches before or after colorizing? Before. A clean base makes colorization and upscaling more accurate.

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