Where to find photo restoration near you
- Independent camera shops and photo labs. Many still scan and restore, and some do it in-house.
- Photographers and retouchers who list restoration as a service, often found through local directories or on Thumbtack and Yelp.
- Framing shops. Some offer restoration with framing, usually sent out to a retoucher.
- Big-box photo counters. Most no longer restore in-store; they scan and print, and send restoration orders away.
Before you hand over an original, ask whether the work is done in-house or sent away, whether you get the original back and when, and what file you receive. A high-resolution file you can print again matters as much as the print they give you.
What photo restoration costs
| Damage | Typical price per photo | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Typical price per photo: $25 to $85 | What it covers: Fading, color casts, dust, a few scratches, small creases |
| Moderate | Typical price per photo: $75 to $150 | What it covers: Tears, cracks across the image, stains, larger scratches |
| Heavy | Typical price per photo: $150 to $500 and up | What it covers: Missing corners or pieces, a damaged face, water or fire damage |
From published studio rate cards and marketplace averages, October 2026. Thumbtack puts the average at about $78. Prices vary by region and by retoucher; most quote after seeing the photo.
Colorizing is usually an extra charge, and so are prints, frames and rush turnaround. Scanning is often included when you bring in the print.
Online AI restoration
AI restoration repairs the whole photo at once: tears, cracks, scratches, stains, fading and old color casts, and can add color. You scan the print or take a photo of it with your phone, upload it, and the restored file is back in about 20 seconds, ready to print.
With Resly you see the price before paying, there is no account or subscription, and the restore old photos page can size the result for a frame such as 8×10 at the same time.
BeforeAfterLocal studio or online: which to choose
| Local studio | Online AI restoration | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | Local studio: $25 to $500 a photo | Online AI restoration: A few dollars a photo |
| Turnaround | Local studio: Days to weeks | Online AI restoration: About 20 seconds |
| You scan it yourself | Local studio: No | Online AI restoration: Yes, or photograph it with a phone |
| Missing pieces of a face | Local studio: A person rebuilds them, often from other photos you supply | Online AI restoration: Rebuilt by the model; may not look like them |
| Many photos | Local studio: Priced per photo | Online AI restoration: Same price per photo, done in minutes |
- Go local for a fragile original: a curling, flaking or glass-mounted print you shouldn't handle, or a daguerreotype or tintype in a case.
- Go local when a large part of a face is missing and you have other photos of the person. A retoucher can use them; software can only guess.
- Go online for everything else: faded prints, scratches, tears, cracks, colorizing, and boxes of family photos where paying $50 each adds up fast.
Trying online first costs little, and if the result isn't good enough you still have the original for a studio.