How to Pick the Best Photo Restoration Service in 2024?

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Old photographs are more than just pieces of paper with images on them – they are windows into the past, capturing precious memories and moments that we hold dear. Whether it’s a black and white snapshot of your grandparents’ wedding day or a faded color print of your family’s summer vacation, these photos deserve to be preserved and treasured for generations to come.

Before Wedding Photo Restoration service

fixed old photo online restoration service

However, time and wear and tear can take their toll on even the most carefully protected photographs. Faded colors, scratches, tears, and other damage can all diminish the quality and enjoyment of these memories.

This is where online photo restoration services come in – they can help bring your damaged or faded photographs back to life, allowing you to once again see and appreciate the people, places, and events that are captured in them.

So before you entrust your lovely photo to some service online, today you will learn:

What good photo restation is?
What to look for while searching for one?
How much photo restoration and colorization cost?
What should be included in every order?
How to pick the best one?

And so many other crucial details that will assist you in making an informed decision! All information in this article is current as of 2024! Let’s get started without further ado!

What to Look For in an Online Photo Restoration Service?

When choosing an online photo restoration service, there are a few key factors to consider to ensure that you get the best results possible.

Quality of Work

The most important factor to consider is the quality of the service’s work. Look for before-and-after examples of their restoration projects to get an idea of their level of skill and attention to detail.

how to restore old photos at home ultimate tutorial

You should also consider whether the service offers various levels of restoration—for example, a basic color correction versus a more extensive restoration that, in addition to repairing damage, also provides natural detail enhancement and sharpening.

What are the characteristics of high-quality photo restoration?

Although the final product’s quality is the most important factor to consider, it is also the most difficult, if not impossible, to quantify. But don’t worry, it’s actually much simpler than it appears.

Simply look at the work that this company posts online on their own website, social media, and, ideally, reviews! If you like what you see, this is the best standard! Just make sure you look at several different examples before settling on one!

Does a higher price mean better restoration quality?

That’s an excellent question. No, it is not directly related. Price is important, but some companies that spend more money on marketing allow themselves to charge clients more, partially to cover their marketing and advertising costs, but do not provide you with better quality at the same time.

In this case, you will essentially be paying more to cover their advertising costs. Instead, go with image restoration companies that focus on their product rather than marketing.

On the other hand, if you see an extremely low price, such as $1-10 per image, you should be concerned. In most cases, extremely low prices indicate either poor quality or that you will be scammed.

We’ll go over pricing in more detail in the following chapters, but for now, let’s talk about turnaround time!

Turnaround Time

Depending on your needs, you may have a deadline for when you need the restored photos. Be sure to ask about the service’s turnaround time and whether they can accommodate your timeline.

Standard photo restoration service delivery

These terms may vary slightly depending on the complexity of your photo and the number of photos you include in your order, but in any case, you should be made aware of them by the service so you know what to expect and when!

We investigated numerous photo restoration services, and the following are the results (for free, non-urgent delivery):

1–4 Business Days (Exceptional)
5–8 Business days (Normal)
8–14 Business Days (Slow)
15+ Business Days (Extremely Slow)

The comparison of turnaround times is shown above. Only about 4% of image restoration businesses have excellent turnaround times.

Urgent photo restoration service delivery

Have you forgotten to plan ahead of time? Want to order it right away but standard delivery is taking too long? If you need something quickly, most companies offer a separate, paid delivery service.

The following is a list of the most common charges for urgent delivery:

24 hours or less. Even on holidays and weekends (Exceptional)
1 business day. Only Monday through Friday (Normal)
2 Business Days (Slow)
3+ Business Days (Very Slow)

If you are in a hurry and decide to pay to get your service faster, you should not pay for anything that is labeled as urgent but still takes more than two business days to deliver.

Turnaround time of revisions

In some cases, the photos you receive will not be perfect the first time you see them, so they will require revision or a number of them from you.

So here’s the information on revision delivery time:

1–2 Business Days (Exceptional)
3–4 Business Days (Normal)
5–7 Business Days (Slow)
8+ Days (Extremely Slow)

Depending on how difficult your photo was to begin with and what types of revisions you requested, it should take more than two business days to deliver to you!

Pricing

Prices for photo restoration services can vary greatly, so it’s critical to shop around and compare quotes from multiple services. Remember that cheaper isn’t always better; you want to find a service that strikes a good balance between quality and affordability.

We also looked into the pricing of these same companies, and the results are shown below. Please keep in mind that most photo restoration services have different pricing packages, so here is a comparison of their standard, most affordable package. It may cost more than the basic package depending on what is included in each package and how damaged your photo is.

Price of photo restoration service

Here are the findings of our analysis (based on information about each company’s standard, cheapest option):

$25–33 per restoration (Best Deal)
$34–40 per restoration (Normal)
$41–54 per restoration (Expensive)
$55–100 per restoration (Overcharge)
$101–250+ per restoration (Extreme Overcharge)

Also, there were some less expensive options for around $1-10 per photo restoration, but their results were so far below what can be considered good photo restoration that they were excluded from the calculation.

Price of the additional repair packages

Let us now look at the prices for additional services and better packages. Please keep in mind that different companies’ expanded packages include varying features. Also, different companies have a different number of packages, but the majority of them have three, so we’ll include the other two in these statistics:

$10 and $20 for better packages (Best Deal)
$15 and $30 for better packages (Normal)
$20 and $40 for better packages (Overcharge)

Just keep reading to find out what should be included in every photo restoration order so you will not get overcharged!

Price of the photo colorization service

After reviewing numerous services, we are confident that almost all of them offer photo colorization as a separate option that you can choose to purchase or not.

what is old photo colorization and how does it work

Why don’t some services charge for it? It’s simple because colorization is always included in their price. You can request that they colorize it for you or not, but you will always be charged for it. This is why it is critical to have it as a separate option that you can either buy or reject!

Here is the outcome of our pricing analysis for photo colorization:

$10–15 per coloration (Best Deal)
$16-20 per colorization (Normal)
$21–30 per colorization (Overcharge)
$31+ per colorization (Extreme Overcharge)

That should cover the most important information about the pricing groups for photo restoration and colorization. However, as previously stated, pricing is not entirely clear.

To make the best decision, you should understand what is included in each order you place, because some companies may include what you need in the most basic package, while others will charge you extra for this. So, let’s find out what should be included in even the most basic photo restoration package!

What should be included in a standard photo restoration service package?

Please keep in mind that even when we talk about different packages that some companies offer, even if they are in the same category of the cheapest, most basic services, they may differ in terms of what is included in each package!

So, here’s what every basic photo restoration package should include:

Restoration of all types of damage: Whether you have scratches, stains, missing parts, or fading, you will only be charged based on the difficulty of your photo restoration. Some photos may be more difficult to restore than others. That is why there are different packages based on the complexity of the damage photos have. However, if you pay for the restoration of a specific type of damage separately, you are being overcharged.
Basic detail enhancement: Even in the most basic package of any photo restoration service, details of restored photos should be carefully and naturally sharpened and enhanced.
Basic color and tone correction: if your photos have yellowing, missing colors in some areas, or lighter/darker areas due to how the original photos were taken, repairing these issues should be included in any basic package you order.
Basic photo retouching: simply making a photo look better and more natural should be included in the cheapest photo restoration package and should not be charged separately.

As previously stated, each company’s standard package, as well as the complexity of your photo, may differ, but if these are not included in your order, consider whether you want to pay extra, or go with another service on better terms.

What should be included in a standard photo colorization service package?

Photo colorization, like photo restoration, can be subjective, but here is a list of things you should definitely include:

Colorization of everyone in the image: this one is a little tricky, but in general, unless your photo has 7 or more people in it, you should be charged to colorize each person separately.
Colorization of any details: It doesn’t matter what kind of objects are in your image; if there are cars, puppies, patterned clothes, and so on, they should all be included.

Because photo colorization is frequently less complex, takes less time, and is less expensive in general – there are fewer things that should be included in the price, but keep at least these few in mind when making your decision!

Should I expect any additional fees or taxes?

Depending on the service you choose, you may also be required to pay some unexpected hidden fees at the checkout. If you see something like this, you should reconsider whether you want to proceed with your order, because this situation with unexpected charges may occur again and again, causing you to pay much more than you expected in the end.

In terms of taxes, most businesses will charge you 20% VAT at the checkout, so be aware!

We don’t charge any taxes or unexpected fees at checkout, so you won’t be surprised if you need more than you expected!

Should I pay for revisions?

The simple answer is no. But, as with anything else, it depends. If the photo did not meet your expectations, or if you simply want to request some minor edits and improvements that the artist overlooked, it should be free and included in the price. Most of the time, you should not pay for the first 3-5 revisions.

Instead, if after receiving restored and colorized files, you realize you want to edit this photo in ways not previously discussed, such as removing or adding a person/object, replacing some details, cropping, and so on.

In most cases, we include minor photo editing in the original price and do not charge you separately if you request it in revision later!

Should I pay for the photo restoration quote?

No, you should not pay for the estimation of your old and damaged photographs. There are almost no picture restoration services that charge a fee, and it is strongly advised that you do not spend your money on this.

This should be your right to receive a free quote before proceeding with your order, which is why we provide it to you for free!

Should I pay for additional editing requests?

In the majority of cases, yes. If you want to change your image in a way that was not previously discussed with the service, or if it deviates from photo restoration, you should pay separately, depending on the complexity of your request and the terms of the service with which you work!

If you choose Rememorie, we will not charge you separately for minor changes to the image!

Should I pay for black and white and colorized photos separately?

No, if you ordered colorization of your photos, you should be able to request and receive a black and white version of the photo for free, as converting a colorized photo to black and white is a simple and quick process.

If you decide to go with us, you can request a black and white version of the colorized image for free!

What if service grants “huge sale” just from now?

This is, after all, marketing. Some services may advertise themselves as “regular price is $$$, but only today and only you can buy it for $.” Make certain that this is merely a marketing ploy.

These types of services also enjoy charging you extra money whenever they get the chance. As a result, it is advised to take these discounts with a grain of salt. Trustworthy services that value themselves and their customers never do anything like this; instead, they provide genuine and fair discounts to their customers!

Also, as a thank you for reading this far, here is the coupon “save10” (enter it without quotes) that you can use at the checkout to get a 10% discount on your entire order!

What if I would not like the results of photo restoration?

You should have order protection and be eligible for a refund or photo replacement if you are unhappy with the results of your restored photo. Only deal with companies that provide such guarantees for your safety!

With us, you will either receive a refund or be able to send a second photo for restoration in place of this one! To make things even better, you can get a free quote before placing an order to be eligible for a refund or photo replacement.

As a result, you will not only receive an honest opinion about what can be done, but it will also make your order risk-free and provide you with the right to a refund if you are dissatisfied with the outcome!

Customer service

It is critical to select a service that values customer satisfaction and is willing to collaborate with you to ensure that you are satisfied with the final product. Look for a service that provides clear communication as well as the option for revisions if necessary.

You should look for:

Quick response time: In general, you should receive a response to any email, contact, or quote request within 12 to 24 hours of contacting them.
Professional communication: Client support should be polite and helpful, answering all of your questions and requests in a respectful and helpful manner.
Openness and honesty: They should be upfront with you about what they can and cannot do with your photo, as setting unrealistic expectations is both unprofessional and disrespectful.

That should cover everything you need to know about the characteristics you should look for in the best photo restoration service!

How to Find the Best Online Photo Restoration Service?

With so many options available, it can be overwhelming to try to find the best online photo restoration service. Here are a few tips to help you narrow down your choices:

best photo restoration service after repair

Research and Compare Multiple Options

Start by doing a search online and making a list of potential services. Look at their websites, read their descriptions of services offered, and compare prices.

Check out customer reviews and testimonials

Look for reviews and testimonials from previous customers to get an idea of the service’s reputation and the satisfaction of their clients. Be wary of services with overwhelmingly negative reviews or no reviews at all.

Consider the service’s specialization

Some photo restoration services specialize in certain types of photos, such as black and white, sepia, or color. If you have a specific type of photo that needs to be restored, you may want to look for a service that has experience with that type of photo.

Reach out to the service and ask questions

Don’t be afraid to contact the service and ask any questions you may have. This can be a good way to gauge their level of customer service and get a feel for how responsive and helpful they are.

Should I even go with photo restoration service or I can just use AI instead?

This is yet another excellent question. To summarize, even though AI is progressing quickly, it still lacks and will always lack human input. It cannot restore photos as precisely and inexpensively as a human can, so AI is a useful tool, but it will never be able to replace the artist!

If you’re curious, you can read more about whether AI can replace real artists here!

Tips for Preparing Your Photos for Restoration

Before sending your photos to an online photo restoration service, it’s helpful to have a clear idea of what you want the final product to look like and to gather all necessary information. Here are a few tips to help you prepare your photos for restoration:

Gather all necessary information

Be sure to have all the details ready, such as the desired size and format of the final product, any specific areas that need attention, and any other preferences or requests you have.

How To Store Printed Photos and Avoid Damage

Highlight any specific areas that need attention

If there are specific areas of the photo that you want the restoration artist to focus on, be sure to mark them clearly or provide detailed instructions.

Provide multiple copies or high resolution scans of the original photo

It’s a good idea to provide multiple copies of the original photo in case one gets lost or damaged during the restoration process. If possible, provide high resolution scans rather than prints – this will allow the restoration artist to work with a higher quality image and get better results.

In case if it is not possible for you to get a professional scans, don’t worry, here is the full article on how to scan your photos at home with your phone!

The Restoration Process: What to Expect

Once you have chosen a photo restoration service and prepared your photos, here is an overview of what you can expect during the restoration process:

Consultation With the Restoration Artist

Depending on the service, you may have the opportunity to consult with the artist who will be working on your photos. This can be a good opportunity to discuss your preferences and ask any questions you may have. For this, just click here to get a free quote!

Steps to Get Your Old Photos Restored

Here are the steps to getting your old photos restored, from beginning to end!

Step 1: Get a free quote

To ensure that your specific photo can be restored, simply request a quote, especially if it is free! Obtaining a quote also qualifies you for a refund if you are unhappy with the results of the restoration, making it a win-win situation for you!

Step 2: Place your order

After you receive an honest and personalized estimate from the artist, read it, and are satisfied with what you were told can be done, you can proceed and place your order using the recommendations they gave you!

Step 3: Just wait

Ordered? Now you can just sit back and wait. Depending on your specific conditions and the options you selected, you will receive your photo in just 1-4 business days. We will certainly return it to you as soon as possible, but we will never sacrifice quality in order to work faster!

Step 4: Receive and enjoy

Now that your photos have been restored, you can simply receive your digital files and enjoy them!

Step 5: Asking for revisions (optional)

If you have any revisions or changes you would like to make to the restored photo after receiving it, now is the time to request them, and we will gladly deliver it to you!

Summary

Here we will shortly summarize all the info from this article. To find the best online photo restoration service you need to consider these main factors:

Quality of work
Turnaround time
Pricing
Customer service

And by preparing your photos and being clear about your preferences, you can ensure that the restoration process goes smoothly and that you are satisfied with the final product.

So next time you have a cherished photograph that needs a little TLC, consider entrusting it to a professional online photo restoration service. You’ll be amazed at the transformation and grateful to have these precious memories restored and preserved.

Professional Photo Restoration

We hope this article has been helpful in guiding you through the process of choosing and working with an online photo restoration service.

Our Photo Restoration Service

We are team of professional photo restoration artist that know everything about photo restoration services and how to provide them to you, so if you loved this article, you can entrust your photos to us.