Learn the basics about photo restoration

Don't try and preserve every part of your image—restoring a photo often means cropping out the damaged areas.

An important part of restoring a photo is evaluating the image before you begin editing.

• Assess the damage: Look at your photo and identify the damage (discoloration, frayed edges, tears, etc.). Then you can decide which tools you'll need to fix those specific flaws.
• Determine what's important: Photo restoration is all about priorities. Rather than trying to preserve every inch of an image, focus on the most important elements, which are often the people in the photo.

Several HP scanners, such as the HP Scanjet G4050 Photo Scanner, offer editing capabilities at the touch of a button.

Add new life to an old, faded photo by adjusting the lighting and color with tools featured in your editing software.

Some photo editing software, like Windows Live Photo Gallery, offers easy color correction: just move the sliders from right to left to gradually adjust your photo’s color levels.

There are different steps you can take to restore your photos. Here is an overview of some basic techniques:

Scanning

• Scan your photo before making edits. Once you've scanned and archived the original, you can alter a copy of the digital file using your editing software.
• Try the HP Scanjet G4050 Photo Scanner for high-definition scans, or the HP Photosmart 6510 e-All-in-One for quality scanning as well as print and copy capabilities.
• Explore the HP Photo scanner buying guide to discover the entire line of HP Scanjet photo scanners.
• Get 10 quick tips for scanning photos.

Cropping

• Cropping allows you to quickly eliminate unnecessary or damaged portions of a photo.
• Many HP Photosmart printers and All-in-Ones, such as the HP Photosmart 7510 e-All-in-One, allow you to edit photos without the use of PC.

Adjusting the exposure

• Improve a faded photo by adjusting the lighting. For example, HP Photo Creations features a Brightness tool, which allows you to lighten or darken your photo.
• If using other software, such as Adobe Photoshop, look for an Enhance feature, Adjust exposure, or Contrast tool.

Color correction

• Fix discoloration and boost brightness by taking advantage of editing tools that help you adjust the warmth, intensity, and imbalance of the colors in your photo.

Removing dust, scratches and blur

• Some HP Scanjet photo scanners allow you to edit your photos, including dust and scratch removal, without the use of a PC.
• Most photo editing programs offer tools to reduce blur and sharpen the focus of your photo, which should always be the last step of your photo restoration.
• Discover tips and instructions to improve your original photo prints through scanning.

HP Photo Creations is free to download and easy to use.

HP Photo Creations is a free software application that you can use to perform basic photo edits such as cropping, adjusting your picture's brightness, removing red-eye, and more.

You can also easily create photo books, calendars, gifts, and more—right from your home! Learn more.

Some photo damage may require advanced editing tools such as those found in Adobe Photoshop software.

Some photo damage cannot be fixed with basic editing techniques and may need advanced photo editing tools, such as those found in Adobe Photoshop software, or on photoshop,com.

• The tools offered in Adobe Photoshop software can improve photos with severe discoloration, extensive water damage, and missing or torn parts.
• For example, use the Clone stamp tool (which involves a process similar to copying and pasting) to repair photos that have missing pieces and are torn or creased.

After you've restored your photos, use the HP Photosmart 6510 e-All-in-One for high-quality prints.
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Make sure you have everything you need to share your newly restored photos with friends and family.

• Use an HP Photosmart printer, such as the HP Photosmart 6510 e-All-in-One, for high-quality prints, plus scanning and copying. And, using its built-in HP ePrint mobile printing capabilities, you can print e-mails, photos, and everyday documents from your mobile device¹!
• Try HP Photo Value Packs for a cost-effective way to print your restored photos.
• Try archiving photos to DVDs for an easy and reliable way to store and preserve your memories.