Restoration guide · Updated September 30, 2026
How to restore a burned photo
What the fire took does not come back on the paper. In the digital copy, the restoration can rebuild the area by interpreting what remained around it.
Short answer
The National Archives family archives guide (pages below) does not cover burns in particular: the general advice is to see a conservator when the problem can't be solved with proper storage and handling, and to avoid degraded adhesive tape and synthetic glues. For the image, scan what remains and restore the copy. The restoration is set up to repair physical damage by extending the neighboring content and never to invent objects or people that are not in the scene, so the burned area becomes interpretation. Check the preview.
Avoid
- Gluing what remains with adhesive tape or white glue
- A sheet-fed scanner for fragile paper
- Expecting the burned area to come back the same: it is rebuilt by interpretation
In this guide
What the restoration does with the burned area
Burns are not named among the damage the restoration is set up to repair, which is described in general terms as physical damage to the paper. The restoration treats general photo damage; check the preview.
The restoration is set up to repair by extending the neighboring content and not to invent objects, marks or people that are not in the scene. If the fire reached a face, the result there depends on how much of the face remained. Upload the scanned photo and see the preview before you pay.
And the paper? What the National Archives recommends
Don't improvise the repair
The National Archives advises seeing a conservator when the problem can't be solved with proper storage and handling. The guide has no specific instruction for a burned photo.
Avoid what damages paper
The guide lists these materials to avoid: white glue and other unknown glues, adhesive tape that has already degraded, and paper clips and staples that are not stainless steel.
Scan on the scanner glass
A sheet-fed scanner is not suitable for fragile, weak, folded or valuable paper, according to the scanning page.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Does the restoration recover the part that burned?
It rebuilds by interpretation, from what remained around it, without inventing objects or people that are not in the scene. It is not recovery of what was lost: check the preview.
Does the National Archives have instructions for a burned photo?
The National Archives family archives guide (pages below) does not cover burns in particular. The repair page advises seeing a conservator when the problem can't be solved with proper storage and handling.
How much does it cost to restore the image?
The first preview is free, with a watermark. To download without it, the entry pack costs US$2.99.
References
The facts cited in this guide come from the pages below. Pages read directly on Sep 30, 2026.
- National Archives: Repairing damage to family papers and photographs (opens in a new tab) · page last reviewed by the institution on Jul 11, 2023
- National Archives: Storing family papers and photographs (opens in a new tab) · page last reviewed by the institution on Sep 18, 2025
- National Archives: Digitizing family papers and photographs (opens in a new tab) · page last reviewed by the institution on May 26, 2021
Have a burned photo to restore?
Scan what remains, upload the copy and see the preview before you pay.
Restore this photoFree trial, no card needed. Pay only if you like it, from US$2.99.