Many of us have old photographs or film negatives safely hidden in a trunk or cupboard collecting dust. Although we have good intentions to get the film scanned or restored, the task can sound time-consuming and intimidating.
The good news is it doesn’t take a tech-savvy professional to utilize the technology and digital tools that will give your beloved images a new life. Even better, you can easily digitize and restore your own developed negatives from the comfort of your home without any experience, at an affordable cost.
Are you ready to learn how to release those analog memories from their dark box and make digital copies for future generations to easily access, cherish and share?
Do Film Negatives Degrade or Fade Over Time?
In short, yes. One consequence of film sitting for decades is it does slowly degrade. Film is not meant to be an archival storage medium. There are many factors that contribute to film and photos degrading over time including:
- Exposure to light
- Heat and humidity
- Age of film
- How they were originally developed
- Exposure to dust/debris
- Physical damage/abrasion
You may scan some film that now looks different than when you originally printed it. Aside from storage of the film, one reason film scans can look different is the dyes in the film fade over time. This results in less color, detail and sharpness.
So what can you do? The first thing is to scan your photos as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more degradation that can occur to your film negatives.
Even with some degradation already occurring the good news is there are a lot of things you can do to edit and restore your photos fairly closely to their original appearance. Not only can you “fix” old photos, you can also make creative modifications.
How to Fix and Repair Old Photos?
It can be difficult to bring the quality and life back into old photos that were taken before technology advancement. Thankfully, digitizing and preserving our photo collection has never been easier.
1. Scan your film negatives and slides into digital files using a good quality film scanner
Be glad you didn’t throw those original negatives away. Making fresh digital copies with a film scanner is a good choice over scanning your photo prints. Over time photo prints can degrade and change optical appearance, therefore the negative/slide may still have photographic details that were partially lost when the print was made. Especially if these photographs are faded, torn, creased, scratched, or stained.
2. Save the files to a folder on your mobile device or computer
Each film scanner will have its own instructions to transfer your scanned photos to a PC or mobile device. Follow the directions provided by the manufacturer’s manual.
3. Open the photograph in a free photo editing software on your mobile device or computer to restore
After your cherished photos have been digitized using the film scanner, take the restoration process to the next level using a free photo editing software.
Below we have put together a list of FREE mobile and PC photo editing software that contain a diverse range of quality editing tools specifically targeted at photo repair and enhancement.
Free Mobile Photo Editing Apps (3)
1) Snapseed
Available on iOS and Android | Best for detailed photo editing on a mobile device
Snapseed is a highly effective and sophisticated photo editing app that allows users to easily upload and repair images via mobile. The wide spectrum of auto-filters and advanced editing tools make the app suitable for anyone, from beginners looking to improve or restore a photo to professional photographers on-the-go. The simple interface and slider controls make it easy to get lost for hours experimenting with all the unique tools to improve your image. The best part? There are no in-app purchases required; all the professional features are included. For those who want to modify photos but have no editing experience, we highly recommend this app.
Pros
- Quality pre-set photo filters and auto-editing
- Over 28 professional editing tool options
- Minimalist interface and slider controls
- Edits can easily be undone in layers
- Saves editing history to use on other photos
- Can import RAW file images
- Export as JPG, PNG or share to social media
Featured Tools
- Auto-fix photos in one click
- Spot healing; remove and erase imperfections or clone
- Selective editing; focus on editing specific spot
- Perspective correction; fix crooked and distorted camara angles
- Tone and color correction; dodge and burn, temperature, exposure, grainy film
- Image tuning; brightness, contrast, saturation, ambiance, highlights, shadows, warmth
- Portrait mode; auto-edit face spotlight, smoothness, and eye clarity
- Head pose editing; adjust position of person’s head, pupil size, smile and focal length
- HDR scape; opens up shadows and pulls detailed highlights for even exposure
- Add text, stickers, borders and frames
and much more!
Cons – some advanced tools have specific photo restrictions to work
Paid version: No in app purchases required.
2) Adobe Photoshop Express
Available on iOS, Android and Windows| Best for all-around photo editing on-the-go
If you’ve ever used the web version of Adobe Photoshop, this mobile app will come naturally for you. Adobe Photoshop Express incorporates many of Photoshop’s best photo editing tools you’ll need for basic image restoration and correction. Although Photoshop is known to be an advanced post-processing editing program, don’t let that intimidate you. The low learning curve makes this app a great option for beginners looking for a good set of tools to fix image embellishments, crookedness, grain, and color correction. The array of advanced editing tools allows for deep refinements and retouching to be made that will transform your photo and bring old memory back to life. You can even personalize your beloved photos for social media sharing by adding text, stickers, borders, frames, or creating picture collages.
Pros
- Lots of advanced filters and embellishment features
- Powerful photo manipulation and edits
- Minimalist interface and slider controls
- Export as JPG, PNG or share to social media
Featured Tools
- Auto-fix photos in one click
- Spot healing; remove and erase imperfections or clone
- Selective editing; focus on editing specific spot
- Perspective correction; fix crooked and distorted camara angles
- Image tuning; brightness, contrast, saturation, ambiance, highlights, shadows, warmth
- Face touching; skin smoothing, blemish healing, red-eye correction
- Head pose editing; adjust position and size of person’s head and smile
- Add text, stickers, borders and frames
- NEW: Caricature feature; change face to look like a drawn character
Cons
- Doesn’t supposed more than 16mp
- Can’t import RAW files without paid subscription
- Many desired features require subscription
- Must create an Adobe ID account to use
Paid version: Photoshop Express Premium starts at CA$6.49/mo or CA$45.99/yr ($CA$3.83/mo). Premium features and content include:
- Advanced healing, spot removal and cloning
- Selective editing with auto object selection
- Edit RAW and TIFF file formats
- Advanced corrections; dehaze, denoise and HSL
- more!
3) Adobe Lightroom CC
Available on iOS and Android | Best for professionals and those wanting to make quick pro adjustments.
Adobe Lightroom is best for users looking for a quick and efficient editing tool that doesn’t require an extremely detailed image refining makeover. Many users who are looking to tune an image and conduct basic healing edits prefer Lightroom over regular Photoshop due to its simpler editing options. Lightroom is a great option to retouch the look-and-feel of an image without needing any tedious graphic design experience.
The main question asked is what is the difference between Photoshop and Lightroom? Although both software’s have many advanced photo adjustment tools, Lightroom offers image management and batch processing, which photoshop does not. Lightroom is great for basic image retouching, but Photoshop will suit your needs better for photos that require extreme detail changes. You may find Photoshop and Lightroom work best together, as each program’s capabilities compliment the other.
Pros
- Image management and batch processing tools
- Includes image SEO capabilities; metadata, keywording, searching
- Non-destructive RAW file editing
- Featured Tools
- Auto-fix photos in one click
- Spot healing and clone; remove and erase imperfections
- Selective editing; focus on editing specific spot
- Perspective correction; fix crooked and distorted camara angles
- Image tuning; brightness, contrast, saturation, ambiance, highlights, shadows, warmth
- Face touching; skin smoothing, blemish healing, red-eye correction
- Head pose editing; adjust position and size of person’s head and smile
- Image management; organize images into folders and subfolders
- Batch processing tools; save your edits as a preset to save time
Cons
- No image layering capabilities
- Need premium version to use many desirable features
Paid version: Photoshop Express Premium starts at CA$6.49/mo or CA$45.99/yr ($CA$3.83/mo). Premium features and content include:
- Healing brush; easily remove blemishes and correct imperfections
- Selective adjustments; adjust or correct a specific area of the photo
- Geometry tool; fix distorted geometric perspectives
- Batch editing; apply same adjustments to multiple images
- Edit RAW photos directly on mobile device
- Access to photos across devices
- Cloud storage and backup
Free PC Photo Editing Software (5)
1) darktable
Available on Web (Windows, Mac, and Linux and more) | Best for editing negatives in digital darkroom
darktable (yes, it’s spelt all lower case) is an excellent user friendly photo editing program with the goal to retouch and refine images with less effort. The layout and features of darkroom are similar to Adobe Lightroom, which is advantageous for those who have experience editing in Adobe programs. If you’ve never used an editing program, don’t worry. darktable has been classified by professional photographers as one of the best free editing platforms in the industry.
The unique benefit of darktable is it’s an open source application developed by a group of professional photographers, meaning the program code is consistently updated by volunteer community creators. With over 60+ image editing tools available, darktable has all the tools you need to fix and restore photos of the past and present. Simply import a single or folder of images, use the image editing tool to modify your photo, then export your final masterpiece to share with your friends and family.
Pros
- User-friendly design, color tabbing system and slider adjustments
- Photo editing and organization management
- Saves adjustment history and editing versions
- Open source; non-destructive RAW file editor
- Featured Tools
- Color correction; removing stains from old photos and cloning
- Adjustable contrast, brightness, saturation, exposure and grain
- Correction tools; dehaze, denoise, equalizer, sharpen, dithering,
- Perspective correction; fix crooked and distorted camara angles
- Spot removal; correct a certain spot on the image
- Color mapping; transfer colors from one image to another
- Clipping indicator; indicates when data from image is being removed due to edits
- Filtering and sorting; image collection tabs, color labels and star rating
- Geotagging photo location on digital map
Cons
- No pop-up explanations of functions for beginners
Paid version: No subscription or pro version available.
2) Pixlr X
Available on Web and | Best for both beginners and expert editors
Pixlr X is a beginner-friendly software known for having advanced photo editing capabilities that are very comparable to Adobe Photoshop. The extensive image manipulation options and comprehensive background removal tool make this program a great choice for restoring old photos that need some healing and repair. Pixlr X is well-known in the professional editing world, and is put on a high pedestal for being one of the best free intro editing software on the web.
The best part about Pixlr X is it is fully functional in the web browser, no download required. Pixlr also offers a more advanced software, called Pixlr E, recommended for professional users looking for deep and detailed editing options. For more details on Pixlr X software functions and effects, check out this video.
Pros
- Very simple user interface with sliders
- Simple drag and drop, one-click editing
- Works well for photo repair and subtle image changes
- No download required; all in web browser
Featured Tools
- AI smart background removal tool
- Four image retouch options; heal/repair, clone stamp, sharpen/blur, dodge/burn
- Image detailing; sharpen, clarity, smooth, blur, bloom, glamour, liquify, grain, dehaze
- Color correction; vibrance, saturation, temperature, tint, hue
- Image toning; change highlight, shadow and colors
- Light correction; brightness, exposure, contrast, black, white, highlight, shadows
- Image correction; alter aspect ratio, straighten, and resize photo
- Image graphic design templates and collage frames
Cons
- Less functions than other programs, but enough to retouch and repair old photos
- Ads on page in free version
Paid version: Premium version of Pixlr X is available starting at USD$7.99/month or USD$58.80/year | 30 day free trial
Premium features and content include:
- Additional features; resize image
- AI CutOut and smart editing tools; remove backgrounds, objects or people in one-click
- Thousands of extra overlays, text and icons/stickers
- Supports 8196 x 1896 image resolution
- Video tutorials
- Ad-free
3) GIMP Photo Editor (desktop version)
Available on Web (Windows, Mac, and Linux and more) | Best for advanced users
GIMP is another community built open-source image editing software known for its professional-quality features comparable to Adobe Photoshop. The powerful image manipulation capabilities and available tools embedded in this program are often only found in expensive programs. The customizable program interface makes the program as easy or complicated as the user chooses.
Pros
- 39 high quality image manipulation tools
- Array of professional AI powered function tools
- Open source code; can add free photoshop plug-ins
- Reads any file format, including RAW and TIFF
- Supports third-party fonts, brushes and patterns
Featured Tools
- AI smart tools; path outline, background removal, object/layer move
- Retouch tools; heal, clone, warp, dodge/burn unified transform, cage transform
- Image details; blur, sharpen, smudge
- Color correction and noise reduction
- Select by color; change colors of specific areas of photo
- Perspective correction; fix crooked and distorted camara angles
- 3D transform image tool; locks onto aspect ratio for perspective correction
- Selective layers; extract and move specific area of a photo
- Foreground select tool; outline subject of photo that isn’t easily defined by edges or colors
- Fullscreen mode for large preview
Cons
- Interface can appear cluttered; customizable
- Frequent errors; mostly freezing
- Doesn’t fully support CMYK color modes
Paid version: No
4) inPixio Photo Editor
Available on Web and mobile iOS | Best for quick, creative edits
Inpixio is a simple and modern photo editing software packed with over 60 image editing tools and a wide range of one-click corrections. Easily fix dull or overly bright photos making it a great tool for restoring old photos.
Pros
- Customizable interface and Easy Mode; add and remove widgets
- Easy to change settings via slider
Featured Tools
- One-click AI correction and auto-erase background
- Healing and clone tool; easily remove spots and correct imperfections
- Remove blemishes, gradient and dark spots
- Perspective correction; fix crooked and distorted camara angles
- Background removal, replacement and blur
- Image adjustments; temperature, tint, clarity, highlights, shadows, sharpness, noise reduction
- Color balance; shadows, midtones, highlights, hue, saturation
- Batch editing; apply same adjustments to multiple images
- Switch between before and after photo
- Text, stickers, borders and frames
Cons
- InPixio trial version is only available with watermarks
- No built-in photo management system
- Can’t import RAW file images without purchase
Paid version: InPixio Pro $59.99 | Free trial available
Premium features and content include:
- Advanced auto-erase
- Professional clone stamp
- Noise reduction, fog correction
- One-click background removal, replacement and blur
- AI and selective color correction and sky replacement
- Batch mode; apply to several photos at once
InPixio also offers a Photo Transfer app for both iOS and Android mobile devices.
5) Photo Pos Pro
Available on Web | Best for beginners and experts alike
Photo Pos Pro image editor is an advanced photo retouching tool built with powerful adjustment and enhancement capabilities. This program was specially designed for graphic designing and photo manipulation, making it a great software for retouching and restoring images.
Pros
- Choose custom interface upon download
- Upload and export any file format
- Help and tutorials available
- Featured Tools
- Retouching; healing tool, layers, red-eye effect
- One-click adjustment editing tools
Cons
- Begins to lag slightly after using for hours
Paid version: Lifetime Photos Pos Pro premium license for $49.90; 21-day free trial
Premium features and content include:
- Sophisticated selection tools
- Vectorial objects
- Advanced drawing tools & brushes
- Robust color & blend curves
- Magic eraser
- Smart AI selection toolset
- Ability to group layers and objects
- Command script recorder
- Strong batch support
- Ads-free
With restoration, the key is to try and preserve the authentic features of the original photo as much as possible, as to not make adjustments to the point where the photo looks unnatural. Remember, you are just restoring the photo to restore its appearance, not editing and filtering an Instagram photo.
This seemingly primitive technology is a great solution to preserve your cherished memories. Get started today by converting your film and slides into digital files using a good quality film scanner and using a free photo editing software to restore your old photos to share with your friends and family.
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