How to Repair Scratched Photos (AI Inpainting, Step-by-Step)
A scratch across a face. A crease through a wedding smile. A coffee stain on a baby photo. Physical damage is the most common reason old prints look "ruined" — and the most fixable, thanks to AI inpainting.
What AI inpainting actually does
Inpainting models look at the pixels around a damaged area and reconstruct what was likely there: a smooth cheek where a scratch cut through, a continuous background where a crease broke it. Unlike old clone-stamp methods, AI understands the image and fills naturally. This pairs well with the broader fix blurry, faded & damaged photos workflow.
Step-by-step: repair a scratched photo
- Scan at high resolution. Damage is easier to remove from a 600 DPI scan than a small JPEG. See how to scan old photos.
- Upload to a repair tool. Open OldPhoto's restore page and drop in the scan.
- Let AI detect damage. Most tools auto-find scratches, dust and creases. You can often adjust strength.
- Review the before/after. Drag the slider. Stubborn spots may need a second pass or a manual mask.
- Download the clean master. Save it before any colorization or upscaling.
When to go further
After repair, you usually want to upscale for print and colorize if the original was black and white. Our AI restoration guide ties these steps together.
Think of inpainting as "undo" for decades of wear — it reconstructs, it doesn't just paint over.
FAQ
Will it remove a large missing corner? Small-to-medium damage, yes. A big missing area may be reconstructed plausibly but not accurately — treat it as artistic recovery.
Does it work on faded color photos too? Yes — fading is a different fix (tone/color recovery), but the same tools often handle both. See restoring faded color photos.