AI Photo Editor for old photos

[Aethelstan]

Hi everyone, I recently purchased a wide format Epson ET-8550 that has a built-in scanner. I have no experience with photo editing. I merely want to scan old photos which are oftentimes damaged or used specialty paper that left dimples which appears on the scanned output. I want to use an AI editor that: 1. Is able to enhance old photos, fix torn pictures, remove blemishes and 2. Creates a large enough file size suitable to print anywhere from 4 x 6 to 13 x 19 pictures. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[r.harris1]

Hi everyone, I recently purchased a wide format Epson ET-8550 that has a built-in scanner. I have no experience with photo editing. I merely want to scan old photos which are oftentimes damaged or used specialty paper that left dimples which appears on the scanned output. I want to use an AI editor that: 1. Is able to enhance old photos, fix torn pictures, remove blemishes and 2. Creates a large enough file size suitable to print anywhere from 4 x 6 to 13 x 19 pictures. Any advice would be appreciated.

You can take a look at tools like those from Topaz Labs from an AI perspective and they’ll often have trials so you can give it a try. Too, dedicated photo scanning software can often help because old photos often have the same types of repeated issues, but this sort of software is usually tied to dedicated photo scanners.

 

[Aethelstan]

You can take a look at tools like those from Topaz Labs from an AI perspective and they’ll often have trials so you can give it a try. Too, dedicated photo scanning software can often help because old photos often have the same types of repeated issues, but this sort of software is usually tied to dedicated photo scanners.

I haven’t looked at the software that came with the printer, but generally they don’t have AI features. Being someone who has little to no experience with photo editing, I just wanted to be able to scan the old photos, have AI fix it and upscale it enough so that the printed output is acceptable up to 13 x 19, though most of the photos I plan to print at 4 x 6.

 

[r.harris1]

’I haven’t looked at the software that came with the printer, but generally they don’t have AI features. Being someone who has little to no experience with photo editing, I just wanted to be able to scan the old photos, have AI fix it and upscale it enough so that the printed output is acceptable up to 13 x 19, though most of the photos I plan to print at 4 x 6.

Makes sense. Photo editing can be a rather large subject, for sure. Check out something like Topaz Labs, as noted. They’re AI-heavy, including increasing file size for larger prints or attempting to get better focus. It’s important to remember that AI isn’t spelled m-a-g-i-c . And to be clear, I’m not trying to be snarky. The key in artificial intelligence, certainly with image processing, is “artificial”. It can definitely help with known patterns like dust or other standard imperfections that all old photos tend to have. AI can be a useful tool in some situations but it’s not a cure-all. Other things may require some input and decisions on your part. At least potentially. And it will depend on your taste, for sure. Getting a tool that lets you have some degree of control in the decision making can be important. For example, anything that allows printing larger is going to add detail that didn’t previously exist. That may not end up mattering depending on the image you start with, but worth paying attention to.

Search around too, there may be solutions to exactly what you’re after. I seem to remember someone in our community finding an online site where you can upload scanned images and get back results that they liked.