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Restoration guide · Updated September 29, 2026

How to restore a torn photo

A tear splits the photo into two things: the paper, which needs care, and the image, which can be restored in the digital copy.

Short answer

Don't mend it with tape or white glue: the National Archives lists aged adhesive tape and synthetic glue among the materials to avoid, and treats an original document in many pieces as a case for a conservator. For the image, scan the photo with the tear in view and restore the copy: what is missing is rebuilt by interpretation, from what remains around it.

Avoid

  • Mending with adhesive tape or white glue
  • Forcing apart pieces that are stuck or folded
  • Paper clips and staples that are not stainless steel
Already have the scanned photo? See the restoration preview
In this guide
  1. What the restoration does with the tear
  2. And the paper? What the National Archives recommends
  3. Frequently asked questions
  4. References

What the restoration does with the tear

Upload the scanned photo with the tear in view. If it is in pieces, put the pieces on the scanner glass, edges touching in their original position, and scan everything at once. In the preview, check the joins before you buy.

What the tear took is rebuilt by interpretation, from what is around it. If the tear crosses a face, the result there depends on how much of the face still shows: check the preview before you pay.

And the paper? What the National Archives recommends

  1. Don't improvise the repair

    The National Archives advises seeing a conservator when the problem can't be solved with proper storage and handling, and lists an original document in many pieces and a stuck original among those cases.

  2. Avoid what damages paper

    The guide lists these materials to avoid: white glue and other unknown glues, adhesive tape that has already degraded, paper clips and staples that are not stainless steel, unknown plastics and PVC.

  3. Store each photo in a larger sleeve

    Polyester sleeves larger than the photo, inside an acid-free box or folder.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to join the pieces before uploading?

Avoid joining them with tape or glue: the National Archives lists degraded adhesive tape and synthetic glues among the materials to avoid, and treats an original in many pieces as a case for a conservator. For the image, put the pieces on the scanner glass, edges touching in their original position, and scan everything at once. In the preview, check the joins before you buy.

Does the AI rebuild what the tear took?

It rebuilds by interpretation, from what remains around it. It is not recovery of what was lost: check the preview.

What if the tear crosses the face?

The restoration is set up to keep people's features, but the missing stretch is interpretation. The result depends on how much of the face still shows. See the preview before you pay.

Can I scan a torn photo in a sheet-fed scanner?

It is not recommended: the National Archives says sheet-fed scanners are not suitable for fragile, folded or valuable paper. Use the scanner glass, with the whole photo on it.

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. Processing time varies.

References

The facts cited in this guide come from the pages below. Pages read directly on Sep 29, 2026.

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