Digital Restoration vs. Conservation

If you have an antique photograph, or any photograph that has faded or been damaged over time, you have two options to bring it back to life: digital restoration and conservation

Here at Old Town Editions, we offer professional digital restoration services. We use our hybrid digital capture system to photograph your originals, so they will never be placed face down or flattened on a scanning bed. (More info about our digital capture system here) Once we have that high-res image, we work digitally in Photoshop to repair your photograph. We can fix cracks and tears, fill in missing areas, remove any dirt and damage, and fix discoloration/fading.

Depending on the level and type of damage to the original, it may be difficult to fully repair the photograph to its original state with conservation. One of the main goals with conservation after repairs have been made is to stabilize the original with archival materials to prevent any future deterioration.

There are several advantages to digital restoration. It is a lower cost option, and involves less risk to your original photograph, as nothing will be touching the face of it. Additionally, once digitized and digitally repaired, you will always have that image file, so you have a digital record of your photograph, and you can continue to make more copies of the photograph as you need them. When everyone in the family wants the photograph, digital restoration is a great option, as everyone can have their own print to enjoy.

Many people prefer digital restoration so they can have fully restored, new archival prints. Having these new prints allows them to safely store the original out of harms way, while still being able to enjoy the image. However, depending on the condition of the original, we often recommend visiting a conservator to at least have the original remounted or framed with archival materials, to prevent any further deterioration. Removing acidic materials such as tape that can cause fading over time can help keep your original in better condition for longer. And when the original is of significant value to you, full conservation restoration may be the right option for you, to bring as much life back into the original photograph as possible.

For more information about our digital restoration services and to see additional samples, click here.

Discolored photo restored in our Alexandria studio

Severe discoloration fixed with digital restoration

Cracks and tearing digitally restored in Alexandria, Virginia

Cracks and tearing digitally repaired