How to Fix a Torn, Creased or Water-Damaged Photo

Last updated: September 2026

How to fix a damaged photo

Quick answer: Don't try to repair the print itself. Copy it exactly as it is, with a scanner or a careful phone photo, and repair the copy. Sticky tape, glue and forcing a curled print flat do more harm than the original damage. Tears, creases, stains and fading can then be repaired digitally, and we restore photos for £15 each.

First, stop the damage getting worse

• Hold it by the edges, with clean, dry hands or cotton gloves. Fingerprints leave oils that mark prints over time.
• No sticky tape. It yellows, loses its grip and pulls the image away when it's removed. The same goes for glue.
• Keep the pieces of a torn photo together in a clean envelope, so nothing goes missing before it's copied.
• Don't force a curled print flat. Old paper can crack along the curl. Copy it as it is.
• Don't pull apart photos that have stuck together. The image layer tears easily. Ask a photographic conservator; the Institute of Conservation's Conservation Register lists them in the UK.
• Keep mouldy photos away from the rest, and don't wipe them.

Copy it before anything else

Once you have a good copy, the original can go back into safe storage and every repair happens on the copy. Scan at 600 dpi, or 1200 dpi for small prints. With a phone, use soft daylight, no flash, and hold the phone parallel to the print. For a torn photo, lay the pieces together on the scanner glass as closely as they'll go. Our guide to scanning old photos has the full method.

Damage by damage: what can be repaired

Damage	What restoration does	Can it be fully fixed?
Tear or missing corner	Fills the gap to match the photo around it	Usually, unless it runs through a face
Creases and cracks	Removes the fold lines	Yes
Water stains and tide marks	Lifts the stains and evens out the tone	Usually
Mould spots	Removes the spots from the copy	Usually, but treat the original separately
Fading	Brings back contrast and detail	Yes, if the detail is still there
Orange or magenta colour cast	Corrects to natural colour	Yes
Damage through a face	Repairs what's left of the features	Sometimes, but missing features can't be recreated

Doing it yourself, or having it done

Free phone apps can tidy up light fading and small scratches, and they're worth trying on a photo that isn't precious. They're less reliable on faces, where a small change makes someone look like a stranger, and on tears and heavy stains.

For anything that matters, a restoration service is quicker and safer. Prices start at around £9 online for light damage. We charge £15 a photo for any damage we can repair, and include colour if you'd like it. There's more on prices in photo restoration costs in the UK.

Keeping the repaired photo safe

• Save the restored file in two places, such as your computer and a cloud backup.
• Print it at a photo lab on proper photo paper, and frame the print rather than the original.
• Store the original flat in an acid-free sleeve or box, somewhere cool, dry and dark. Lofts and garages are too hot, damp and changeable.

Frequently asked

Can you fix a photo that has been torn in half?

Usually. Lay the two halves together, copy them, and the join can be repaired. The result depends on whether the tear crosses a face and how much is missing along the edge.

How do you get water stains off an old photo?

On the print itself, don't try. Wiping or soaking can lift the image off the paper. Copy it and remove the stains from the copy.

Should I use tape to hold a torn photo together?

No. Tape discolours and damages the surface when it's peeled away. Keep the pieces in an envelope instead.

Can photos that have stuck together be separated?

Sometimes, but not by pulling. Ask a photographic conservator before trying anything.