Water-damaged photos — what to do right away, and how they are restored

First 48 hours: save what you can

1. Do not let wet photos dry stuck together. Gently separate them while they are still wet. If they will not come apart, stop — do not tear them.
2. Rinse off mud with cool, clean water, holding the photo by the edges. Do not rub the surface.
3. Air-dry face up on paper towels or a clean screen, away from direct sun and heat. Do not use a hair dryer.
4. No time now? Put wet photos in a sealed bag in the freezer. Freezing stops mold and gives you weeks to deal with them.
5. Photos stuck to glass in a frame: leave them in the frame and dry everything together. Peeling usually removes the image.

What restoration can do

• Remove water stains, tide lines and discoloration.
• Fill in small areas where the image layer has lifted or flaked off.
• Repair mold spots and bring back faded contrast.
• Rebuild torn edges and missing corners.

What it cannot do

If the image layer is gone from the whole face, there is nothing left to restore — any face put there would be invented. In that case we tell you before you pay for the work, and suggest using another photo of the same person, if you have one, to guide the repair.

Send us a copy, keep the original

Once the photo is dry and flat, scan it or photograph it in daylight (see our scanning guide). Keep the original safe; we only need the digital copy.