Colorize old photos

How to use

1. 1

   Scan or photograph the old print

   Scan the photo at 300–600 DPI, or take a straight-on phone picture in even daylight. Save as JPG or PNG — any format your browser opens works.

2. 2

   Add it to the colorizer

   Drop the scan onto the page or click “Choose photos”. Nothing is uploaded — the whole restoration happens on your device, so fragile family originals stay private.

3. 3

   Let the AI recover natural colors

   In Auto mode a neural network predicts realistic skin, sky and clothing colors from the photo's tones. Faded and sepia prints work too — the model reads the light-and-dark structure, not the yellowed tint.

4. 4

   Fix details with the brush

   If the AI guesses a dress or uniform wrong, switch to the Paint brush and set the true hue by hand — family memory beats any algorithm. 15 undo steps per photo.

5. 5

   Download the colorized photo

   Export as JPEG, PNG or WebP at up to 4096 px with a live file-size preview — or colorize a whole album and hit “Download all”.

Tips for better results with old prints

• Scan flat, crop tight

  Lay the print flat on a scanner (or shoot straight-on, avoiding glare) and crop away the white border before colorizing — the AI reads the whole frame, and a large border can skew its color choices.

• Start with Auto, finish with the brush

  Let the neural network lay down realistic base colors first, then paint over just the objects it can't know — a military uniform, a wedding dress, grandmother's favorite blue coat. The brush changes only color, never detail.

• Lower the intensity for a period look

  Full-strength color can feel too modern for a 1940s portrait. Pulling the intensity slider back to 60–80% keeps a soft, period-appropriate palette while still reading as a color photo.

• Export as PNG for archiving

  For a family archive, download a lossless PNG at 100% size; make a smaller JPEG copy for sharing. The original scan on your disk is never modified.

FAQ

How do I add color to an old black and white photo?

Scan or photograph the print, add it to the tool above, and the built-in AI colorizes it automatically on your device. Then refine any spot with the color brush and download the result as JPEG, PNG or WebP.

Does it work on faded or sepia photos?

Yes. The colorizer reads the photo's light-and-dark structure rather than its tint, so yellowed, sepia-toned and faded prints colorize as well as neutral black and white ones. Strongly discolored areas may need a touch of the manual brush.

What resolution should I scan old photos at?

300 DPI is enough for standard prints; use 600 DPI for small photos you plan to enlarge. The tool processes up to 4096 px on the longest side at full detail, so higher-resolution scans keep more of the original grain and texture.

Will it repair scratches, tears or creases?

No — this tool adds color only and preserves every original pixel, including damage. Colorize first, and if the print is badly damaged, retouch scratches in any photo editor before or after.

Are my family photos uploaded anywhere?

No. The neural network runs inside your browser via WebAssembly, so the photos never leave your device. That matters for one-of-a-kind family originals you don't want on someone else's server.

Is colorizing old photos here really free?

Yes — free with no signup, no watermark and no limit on the number of photos. The AI model downloads once (about 39 MB) and is cached by your browser.

Can I colorize a whole family album at once?

Yes. Add all the scans together, and batch mode applies your color, quality and size settings to every photo with a single “Download all” click.