# Conservative photo restoration

Scratches and fading are reduced while the original scene stays recognizable.

Web page: <https://promptseen.dev/en/prompts/gentle-old-photo-restoration/>  
Other languages: [简体中文](https://promptseen.dev/zh-hans/prompts/gentle-old-photo-restoration/index.md)

![Scratches and fading are reduced while the original scene stays recognizable.](https://promptseen.dev/media/a_248/gentle-old-photo-restoration-detail-f00be6331c37.webp)

Upload one old photo. Our before image is a synthetic aged photograph, not a real family archive.

## Test record

- Tested with GPT Image 2.5
- 1086 × 1448 · 3:4
- Tested 2026-10-29
- Reference image required
- Updated 2026-10-29

## Prompt · English

```text
Carefully restore this old family photograph. Remove visible scratches, dust and stains while preserving the original framing, faces, expressions, age, clothing construction and background objects. Improve clarity conservatively without making skin plastic or inventing sharp facial details where the source is unclear. Add subdued, plausible period colors and retain a little film grain. Do not modernize the clothing, change identities, remove people or replace the setting. Return one restored image at the original aspect ratio.
```

## How to use

Upload one old photo. Our before image is a synthetic aged photograph, not a real family archive.

Compare faces and background; generated details cannot establish historical facts.

## Recorded result

The example was generated with the built-in image tool. Its exact model ID was not returned. The recorded run contains the submitted prompt and ordered inputs.

## Test prints

### 2026-10-29 · GPT Image 2.5

- Provider: OpenAI

What we saw: Restored synthetic archival portrait retains face, clothing and room with subdued color; no claim of a real historical photo.

#### Reference images

1. Old photo

   ![Old photo](https://promptseen.dev/media/a_249/gentle-old-photo-restoration-reference-detail-68eb63cf8a82.webp)

   [Full-size image](https://promptseen.dev/media/a_249/gentle-old-photo-restoration-reference-original-d9a940e99aa3.png)

#### Output

![Scratches and fading are reduced while the original scene stays recognizable.](https://promptseen.dev/media/a_248/gentle-old-photo-restoration-detail-f00be6331c37.webp)

## Source and licence

- Prompt: By Prompt Seen · Licence: CC BY 4.0
- Image: Creator: Prompt Seen · [Licence: CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) · Generated image

## Inspiration & source evidence

This prompt is an independent adaptation. The image shown here is our own recorded result.

[Bilibili · 火星时代](https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV17w41157Ev/) · 2023-12-25 · [Whole tutorial or showcase video](https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV17w41157Ev/) · Views: 33334 · Likes: 505 · Saves: 1340 · Comments: 62 · Shares: 139 · Coins: 211 · Danmaku: 112 · Observed 2026-10-29T06:17:12Z · [Official public API snapshot](https://api.bilibili.com/x/web-interface/view?bvid=BV17w41157Ev) · Complete original prompt not retrieved; independently adapted

These figures belong to the original post or video. They are dated snapshots, not live counters or ratings of our image.