StretchLearn Course

Bring Damaged and Faded Photos Back to Life in Photoshop

A practical beginner system for photo restoration: archival scanning, tone and colour recovery, damage removal, torn-area rebuilding, and colour reconstruction.

Preview Curriculum Back to Catalog

Beginner9 hr 55 minSelf PacedRegistered

Course Overview

What this course is designed to develop

Photo restoration is a chain of distinct skills, and a beginner who jumps straight to the Clone Stamp on a bad scan usually makes the image worse. This course walks the full pipeline in the order a professional works it: capturing a clean high-resolution scan, doing global tone and colour-cast repair before any retouching, then removing damage from coarse to fine using the right tool for each defect, rebuilding torn and missing regions, and reconstructing colour on faded or black-and-white originals. You finish able to take a creased, faded, water-stained print and deliver a corrected file that is both archival-quality for printing and properly sized for screen, plus a simple way to price and present the work to clients.

Learning Outcomes

What the learner should be able to understand, build, or execute.

Scan and capture damaged prints at archival resolution with correct settings and handling

Correct global fading, contrast, and colour casts using Levels, Curves, and adjustment layers

Remove dust, scratches, stains, and creases with the right Photoshop healing and cloning tools

Rebuild torn, missing, and cropped regions using selections, content-aware tools, and texture matching

Reconstruct and correct colour on faded colour and black-and-white originals

Export and print restored images to archival and screen-delivery specifications

Curriculum Preview

Inside the curriculum: a structured path from fundamentals to execution.

Preview the course structure, see how the modules build on one another, and understand the path this program is designed to take you through.

Module 1

Module 1: Capturing the Original: Scanning and Setup

Get a clean, high-resolution digital copy before any repair, and set up a workspace and file that protect the original.

3 lessons

Handling and Triaging the Original PrintContent · 45 min

Preview Enabled

Scanning at Archival ResolutionContent · 50 min

LMS Access

The Non-Destructive Restoration FileContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 2

Module 2: Recovering Tone, Contrast, and Fading

Fix the global problems of a faded, flat, or colour-cast scan before touching any local damage.

3 lessons

Reading the Histogram and Restoring Black and White PointsContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Removing Colour Casts from Faded PrintsContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Faded Black-and-White and Sepia RecoveryContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 3

Module 3: Removing Damage: Dust, Scratches, Tears, and Stains

Use the right Photoshop tool for each defect, working coarse to fine, to remove damage without smearing detail.

3 lessons

The Repair Toolset: Spot Healing, Healing Brush, Clone Stamp, and PatchContent · 55 min

LMS Access

Dust, Scratches, and Surface Noise at ScaleContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Repairing Tears, Creases, and StainsContent · 55 min

LMS Access

Module 4

Module 4: Reconstruction, Colour, and Delivery

Rebuild missing areas, add colour where there is none, and finish files to archival print and screen standards.

3 lessons

Rebuilding Missing and Torn-Away AreasContent · 55 min

LMS Access

Adding and Correcting Colour on Monochrome and Faded ImagesContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Finishing, Exporting, and Delivering to ClientsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Built for Application

A complete learning path, not a one-off inspiration hit.

This program is designed around progression: focused lessons, structured modules, applied resources, assessments, and a course rhythm that turns information into usable capability.

photo restorationphoto repairphotoshop retouchingscanning photoscolour reconstructiondust and scratch removalarchival printsold photo repair