Restore photo

The Restore photo mode (Restore) is designed to recover damaged images and bring them back to a clean, believable result consistent with the original.

This is the right workflow when the main goal is to repair (scratches, creases, stains, tears, dust) and, if you want, colorize or modernize the look while preserving identity, composition, and content. The Creative preset is the exception: it restores the photo but may reinterpret lighting, framing, background, and art direction.

In this mode you work mostly with presets (Conservative / Colorize / Modernize / Creative). The prompt is usually optional: the model is already guided by restoration instructions.

Use Restore photo if:

• the photo has scratches, creases, wear marks, stains, dust;
• it is a scan with defects (noise, cracks, slight misalignment);
• you want to colorize a black-and-white photo realistically;
• you want a restored version with a more modern render without reinterpreting faces or the scene.
• you want a more transformative, almost fine-art restoration while preserving identity and facial traits.

• If you want to change objects or add new elements: use Single image edit.
• If you only want an aesthetic upgrade of an already “healthy” photo: use Enhance photo quality.
• If you want to change background and atmosphere: use Background edit (fast).

• 1 image (best if high resolution or a quality scan).
• A preset (required).
• (Optional) A short prompt for constraints or extra notes (usually not needed).

When you start processing, the app sends to the model:

• the image;
• an internal prompt based on the chosen preset, instructing the model to:
  • remove defects,
  • recognize surface damage such as yellowed tape, glue residue, stains, glare, folds, cracks, and discoloration,
  • remove visible frames, printed borders, scanner margins, mat boards, album edges, or photo-container borders from the source image,
  • reconstruct only damaged parts,
  • preserve identity, proportions, and composition in the faithful presets,
  • avoid an “AI look” (invented details, changed faces, plastic skin);
• if you choose Colorize or Modernize, it also includes colorization instructions.
• if you choose Creative, it includes instructions for a more transformative fine-art/editorial re-shoot, with freedom on lighting, palette, background, and framing but explicit constraints on identity and facial traits.

The ideal result is a repaired photo that looks professionally restored: clean, coherent, not “reinvented”.

In this mode you typically see:

• Mode: workflow selector (choose Restore photo).
• Image upload: upload the photo.
• Restoration level: Conservative / Colorize / Modernize / Creative.
• Blurred or camera-shaken photo: PRO ULTRA option for stronger deblurring, camera-shake correction, motion-smear reduction, and plausible detail reconstruction on soft, shaky, or very low-definition scans. When enabled, only Modernize and Creative are available.
• Restore: start processing.
• Generate variants (2-4): restoration alternatives (useful to pick the most natural render).
• Use as input: for a second cleanup/refinement pass.

The most faithful and “archival” preset. Goal:

• repair defects while keeping original look, contrast, and grain;
• reconstruct only where needed;
• do not change faces, expressions, proportions, or the scene.

When to use it:

• historic or family photos where fidelity is the priority;
• scans that are already good but have obvious defects;
• when you do not want any reinterpretation.

Restoration with realistic colorization. Goal:

• repair defects,
• add believable color (skin, fabrics, objects),
• stay consistent with the era and scene lighting.

When to use it:

• black-and-white photos you want to bring to color;
• archives and memories where you want natural, non-fantasy color.

Restoration + colorization with a more contemporary render. Goal:

• repair and reconstruct with perfect continuity,
• achieve a more modern look (balance, clean detail),
• while preserving identity and composition.

When to use it:

• you want a restored photo that looks shot with a modern camera,
• you want a cleaner render than the original scan.

The most interpretive preset: it restores the photo and treats it like a fine-art/editorial re-shoot, not just a cleaned-up version of the original. Goal:

• repair damage, clean the scan, and improve readability;
• transform light, palette, tonal atmosphere, background, framing, and artistic finish visibly;
• for groups, ceremonies, street scenes, interiors, and everyday-life images, create a more fine-art/documentary scene with stronger subject separation, depth, environmental storytelling, and color grading;
• preserve identity, face structure, perceived age, expression, facial traits, and proportions.
• never add new people, faces, bodies, animals, extra limbs, or new subjects.

When to use it:

• you want a more gallery-like or fine-art portrait result;
• archival fidelity is not the top priority;
• you want a result that looks different from the original without turning the person into someone else.

Note: Creative can change the look, atmosphere, and composition significantly. If you need to preserve the historical scan character, use Conservative or Colorize.

In the “Mode” selector, choose Restore photo.

Practical tips:

• if you have multiple scans, choose the least compressed one;
• avoid already filtered photos or aggressive sharpening when possible.

• Conservative if you want fidelity and original grain.
• Colorize if you want realistic color.
• Modernize if you want a more modern, cleaner render.
• Creative if you want a more transformative fine-art re-shoot while preserving identity and facial traits.

If you enable Blurred or camera-shaken photo, the selector is limited to Modernize and Creative: blur/camera-shake recovery needs more reconstruction freedom than the most archival presets. In Modernize, that freedom remains photographic: stronger detail reconstruction, sharpness, lighting, and readability without moving into fine-art.

In Conservative, Colorize, and Modernize, restoration must not add people, objects, or change clothing. If damage covers clothing or detail, the model should continue the visible fabric/pattern, not invent a new outfit.

Click Restore and check:

• defects removed?
• details reconstructed believably?
• faces and identity unchanged?

• If you want alternatives: Generate variants (2-4) and pick the most natural.
• If it is almost perfect: Use as input and repeat the same preset to refine (often improves micro defects).

Usually you do not need to write anything. Use it only for:

• extra constraints (e.g. “keep grain”, “do not increase contrast”);
• specific notes (e.g. “do not colorize the background”, “keep sober tones”).

Examples:

• “Faithful restoration: keep original grain and contrast, no excessive smoothing.”
• “Colorize realistically and subtly, avoid high saturation.”
• “Remove the scan borders and frame, keep only the photograph content.”
• “The diagonal yellowish strip is tape/glue residue on top of the print: remove it and reconstruct the underlying photo.”
• “Elegant fine-art render, but preserve facial traits, perceived age, and expression.”

• This mode is mainly meant to repair, not to change scene elements. Creative is the exception: it may reinterpret non-essential elements when that helps the fine-art result.
• Restoration attempts to separate photo content from damage sitting on the print: yellowed tape, glue, translucent diagonal bands, stains, glare, folds, cracks, and discoloration should be treated as physical artifacts, not as clothing, lighting, or original color.
• In non-creative presets, reconstruction must stay local: no new subjects, new objects, extra limbs, clothing changes, or invented modern styling.
• If the photo contains a physical frame, white/black border, scanner margin, mat board, or album edge, restoration attempts to remove it and return only the photographic content.
• Creative is the more artistic exception: it may change look, light, atmosphere, background, and framing, but should not change identity or facial traits.
• Even in Creative, the subject count must stay unchanged: no added people, faces, bodies, or animals.
• It does not use markup: if you need absolute control over a specific area, switch to Single image edit and use markup.
• In the faithful presets, the image ratio stays the original: this is a restoration, not a recomposition. Creative may reframe or reconstruct edges when useful for a more editorial result.

• Use Conservative.
• Generate 2-4 variants and pick the most faithful.
• If it persists, run a second pass with Use as input on the closest result.

• Switch from Modernize to Colorize (usually more subtle) or use variants.
• If possible, add a short prompt: “natural colors, sober tones, no neon”.

• Do a second pass with Use as input and the same preset.
• Try a variant: often a variant fixes a specific area better.

• Run a second pass with Use as input.
• Add an explicit prompt: “the yellowish/diagonal band is tape or glue residue on top of the print, not part of the scene; remove it and reconstruct the content underneath.”
• If it crosses faces or clothing, try Modernize: it has more reconstruction freedom than Conservative.

• Prefer Conservative.
• Avoid Modernize if you want to keep grain and scan character.

• Enable Blurred or camera-shaken photo.
• Use Modernize for a stronger but still photographic recovery.
• Use Creative if you want to allow stronger reconstruction, art direction, and camera-shake correction.

• Switch back to Modernize or Colorize.
• Add a short prompt: “preserve original facial traits, face structure, perceived age, and expression.”

• Run a second pass with Use as input and add: “remove the frame, paper border, and scanner margins completely.”
• If the frame covers important parts of the photo, the model may need to balance cropping with plausible edge reconstruction.

In Restore photo, Batch mode is available to restore multiple images in sequence with the same preset.

• Drive auto-save enabled.
• Up to 20 images per batch.

1. choose preset (Conservative/Colorize/Modernize/Creative);
2. enable Batch mode;
3. upload images;
4. start;
5. review outputs in Gallery/Drive.

• variations are disabled during batch;
• batch is ideal for archive/scan sets;
• if local corrections are needed, refine in Single image edit.