Reviving Old Photos: AI Tools for Free
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Downloading and Preparing the Old Photo
- Using Photopia to Edit the Photo
- 3.1 Cropping the Photo
- 3.2 Desaturating the Image
- 3.3 Adjusting Contrast with Levels Command
- 3.4 Removing Scratches and Spots with Spot Healing Brush Tool
- Final Touches with Photopia
- 4.1 Adjusting the Gray Slider
- 4.2 Saving and Exporting the Photo
- Colorizing the Photo with Palette.fm
- 5.1 Uploading the Photo to Palette.fm
- 5.2 Choosing a Colorization Preset
- 5.3 Modifying the Colorization Text
- 5.4 Downloading the Colorized Photo
- Adding the Colorized Photo to Photopia
- 6.1 Resizing the Color Image
- 6.2 Blending the Color Layer
- Fine-tuning the Colorization
- 7.1 Fixing Inaccurate Colors with the Eyedropper Tool
- 7.2 Exporting the Final Colorized Photo
- Enhancing the Photo with Base 10
- 8.1 Restoring the Photo with Base 10
- 8.2 Downloading the Restored Photo
- Conclusion
Introduction
In this tutorial, we will explore various online tools that can help You clean and colorize old photos. We will start by downloading and preparing the old photo using Family Search. Then, we will use Photopia, an online tool similar to Adobe Photoshop, to edit the photo. Next, we will learn how to remove scratches and spots, adjust contrast, and make final touches with Photopia. Afterward, we will explore Palette.fm, a powerful colorization tool, to add color to our black and white photo. We will then integrate the colorized photo back into Photopia for further adjustments. Lastly, we will enhance the photo's sharpness and resolution using Base 10. Let's dive in and bring your old photos back to life!
Downloading and Preparing the Old Photo
To begin our photo restoration Journey, we will first need to download the old photo from Family Search. Simply navigate to the Actions drop-down menu and select "Download" to save the image to your computer. Once downloaded, move the photo to your desktop for easier access and manipulation. Now we're ready to move on to the next step.
Using Photopia to Edit the Photo
Photopia, an online web tool similar to Adobe Photoshop, will be our go-to tool for editing the old photo. Follow these steps to make necessary adjustments and enhancements:
3.1 Cropping the Photo
Eliminating unnecessary edges can greatly improve the composition of your photo. In Photopia, select the Crop Tool and adjust it to crop out any unwanted parts from the top and right side of the image. Press the return key on your keyboard to accept the crop and proceed to the next step.
3.2 Desaturating the Image
Working with a black and white photo can make repairs and enhancements easier. In Photopia, press Command + U (Control + U on Windows) to desaturate the image. Drag the saturation slider all the way to the left and click "OK" to Apply the changes.
3.3 Adjusting Contrast with Levels Command
Enhancing the contrast of the photo can make it more visually appealing. Use the Levels Command by pressing Command + L to bring up the levels dialog. Adjust the black slider to the left to bring back darker tones and move the white slider to the right to bring back missing lights. The gray slider can be adjusted to fine-tune mid-tones. Once satisfied, click "OK" to apply the changes.
3.4 Removing Scratches and Spots with Spot Healing Brush Tool
Scratches and spots are common imperfections in old photos. In Photopia, use the Spot Healing Brush Tool by pressing the letter "J" on your keyboard. Adjust the brush size to be slightly larger than the spot you want to remove. Simply paint over the spots, and Photopia's artificial intelligence will intelligently fill them in. If the result isn't perfect, adjust the brush size and try again. Press Command + Z to undo any mistakes. Repeat this process until all the spots and scratches are removed.
Final Touches with Photopia
Now that we've removed the imperfections in the photo, we can focus on making some final touches using Photopia. Follow these steps to add the finishing touches and optimize the photo:
4.1 Adjusting the Gray Slider
To further improve the photo, we can adjust the gray slider in the levels dialog. Moving the gray slider to the left will expand the lights in the image, while moving it slightly to the right will enhance the darks. Experiment with different adjustments until you achieve the desired result.
4.2 Saving and Exporting the Photo
Once you're satisfied with the edits and enhancements, it's time to save and export the photo. In Photopia, go to the File menu, choose "Export," and select JPEG as the format. Set the quality to 100 for the best result. Click "Save" to download the file to your computer. Congratulations on completing the editing process!
Colorizing the Photo with Palette.fm
Now that we have a well-edited black and white photo, let's move on to the exciting process of colorization using Palette.fm. Follow these steps to add stunning colors to your photo:
5.1 Uploading the Photo to Palette.fm
Start by dragging and dropping your JPEG file onto the Palette.fm window. This will upload the photo to the Palette.fm colorizer and Create a base palette of colors.
5.2 Choosing a Colorization Preset
Palette.fm offers various colorization presets that you can try out. Click on different presets to see how they look on your photo. Explore options like "Outdoor Vibes," "Bright Studio," "Vintage Charm," and "Ambient Historic" to find the colorization style that suits your photo the best.
5.3 Modifying the Colorization Text
If you want to customize the colorization further, you can modify the text used by the artificial intelligence to determine the colors. Click the Pencil icon and specify the colorization text. For example, you can specify "gray suits" for the people in the photo. Click the "Colorize" button to see the changes applied.
5.4 Downloading the Colorized Photo
Once you're satisfied with the colorization, it's time to download the final result. Click the "Download" button to get your colorized photo. Palette.fm offers both free low-resolution versions and paid high-definition versions. Choose the option that suits your needs and download your masterpiece.
Adding the Colorized Photo to Photopia
To make further adjustments to the colorized photo, we will integrate it back into Photopia. Follow these steps to seamlessly merge the colorized photo with your edited black and white photo:
6.1 Resizing the Color Image
Drag the low-resolution colorized photo, which you downloaded earlier, onto the Photopia window. Notice that the color image appears smaller compared to the black and white photo. Use the corner handles to resize the color image so that its Dimensions match the black and white photo.
6.2 Blending the Color Layer
As we integrated the color image, Photopia automatically created a new layer on top of the black and white layer. In the Layers palette, click the eye icon next to the color image layer to make the black and white layer visible. Then, click the eye icon again to make the color layer visible. We want the color layer to only affect the black and white layer's color, not the overall image. In the Layers palette, change the Blend mode of the color layer from "Normal" to "Color." This ensures that the higher-resolution black and white layer is only colored by the color layer. Now, the colorization is seamlessly integrated into our photo.
Fine-tuning the Colorization
While the colorization process is impressive, there might be some inaccuracies we need to address. Let's focus on fixing those inaccuracies with a few adjustments:
7.1 Fixing Inaccurate Colors with the Eyedropper Tool
If you notice any inaccuracies in the colors, use the Eyedropper tool by pressing the letter "I" on your keyboard. Click on a color in the color layer that you want to change. Then, press the letter "B" to switch to the Brush tool. In the Blend Mode drop-down above, change the brush mode from "Normal" to "Color." Now, you can adjust the brush size as needed and start painting over areas that need color adjustment. This process allows you to fix any inaccurate colors and achieve the desired result.
7.2 Exporting the Final Colorized Photo
Once you are satisfied with the colorization and fine-tuning, it's time to export the final colorized photo. Export it as a JPEG image using the same process described earlier. Congratulations on completing the colorization process!
Enhancing the Photo with Base 10
To elevate our photo's sharpness and resolution, we will utilize Base 10, an artificial intelligence-Based tool. Follow these steps to enhance your photo further:
8.1 Restoring the Photo with Base 10
There are several online AI-based tools available for sharpening faces and doubling the resolution of your photo. In this tutorial, we will focus on using Base 10. Visit the Base 10 Website and upload the black and white JPEG you saved earlier. Click on the "Restore Photo" button and allow the tool to process the image. This may take a minute or two.
8.2 Downloading the Restored Photo
Once the image is processed, you will see the restored photo alongside the original image. Click the "Download the Restored Photo" link to download the enhanced version. This photo will have increased sharpness and resolution, making your restored photo even more impressive.
Conclusion
Congratulations on successfully restoring and colorizing your old family photo! In this tutorial, we explored various online tools that can bring new life to old memories. We learned how to download and prepare the old photo using Family Search, edit the photo using Photopia, add color using Palette.fm, and enhance the photo's sharpness and resolution using Base 10. Experiment with these tools and techniques to create stunning restorations of your cherished memories. Happy restoring!
