Restoration guide · Updated September 30, 2026
How to deal with dust on a scanned photo
Dust shows up in the digital copy, and the copy is what the restoration treats. The restoration has no specific instruction for dust; the preview shows what comes out.
Short answer
The restoration is set up to repair scratches, stains and other physical damage to the paper and to reduce noise, without naming scanner dust. The restoration treats general photo damage; check the preview. For scanning, the National Archives says the photo should fit entirely on the scanner surface and that a sheet-fed scanner is not suitable for fragile, folded or valuable paper.
Avoid
- A sheet-fed scanner for a fragile or valuable photo
- Buying without checking the dust specks in the preview
In this guide
What the restoration does with dust
Upload the digital copy with the dust in view. The restoration is set up to repair scratches and stains, among other damage, and to reduce noise and artifacts. Scanner dust is not named. The restoration treats general photo damage; check the preview.
If a speck covers a detail, that stretch can be rebuilt from the content around it. In the preview, check the result before you pay.
When scanning, what the National Archives says
The whole photo on the glass
For flat paper and photographs, the photo should fit completely on the scanner surface.
No sheet feeder for fragile paper
The page says a sheet-fed scanner is not suitable for fragile, weak, folded or valuable paper.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Does the restoration remove dust from the scanned photo?
The restoration is set up to repair scratches and stains and to reduce noise, without naming dust. Check the preview.
Does the National Archives say how to clean the scanner?
The scanning page we consulted gives no instruction for cleaning the scanner.
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: Digitizing family papers and photographs (opens in a new tab) · page last reviewed by the institution on May 26, 2021
Have a scanned photo with dust?
Upload the copy and see the preview before you pay.
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