Have you just discovered some dusty, old family pictures that you want to share with your friends on social media? The problem with printed photos is that they fade over time. They are exposed to degradation, discoloration, stains, and decay. So how can you make yours more eye-friendly when you post them online? Try repairing them digitally.

Practically everyone these days can edit and enhance a photograph. Thanks to technological innovations in digital photo-editing, you can retouch or restore any damaged print. If you wish to bring an old photo back to life, you have two options: either do it yourself or hire a photo editing company.

Do it Yourself

These are tools available that can help you remove the scratches and stains on old photos and make them look new again. Take the time to search online for an application that will help make the task as easy as possible. If the price of Adobe Photoshop and other high-end software is too steep for you, consider looking for an alternative, open-source program.

Once you get the hang of the program, you can virtually do anything, from a background correction to color enhancement. Basically, there are several steps to you have to make if you were to restore or retouch a photo digitally. The first is you have to scan the image. Be sure to scan at a resolution of at least 600 DPI so that enough details are included to restore and reprint the old copy. If you wish to enlarge the photograph, you’ll have to scan at an even higher dots per inch (DPI) setting.

Depending on the print’s condition and appearance, you can now make some adjustments. Check the scanned photo for noise or spots to correct. As a best practice, be sure to make a backup of your scanned images and proceed with the editing on a saved copy.

Leave it to the Professionals

If you don’t have the time to learn photo restoration software, you might want to hire a service provider. Be sure to hire a reliable professional since photo restorations are not something you should take lightly. After all, you are not merely fixing photographs; you are also preserving cherished moments. So your best choice is to hire a professional to get the job done. Take the time to search the Internet for reliable online photo retouching service providers and opt for a company that best suits your requirements and budget.

There’s something about looking at old family photos. Apart from bringing back lots of fond memories, they provide a way for younger generations to learn about their family’s history. While you can’t keep those photographs from fading and deteriorating, there’s something that you can do to restore them.

Whether you’re doing it by yourself using an application or letting a professional photo-editing company take care of the job, restoring old pictures can now be done in just a few mouse clicks.This is especially useful since sharing photos has become a significant part of our social media lives.