Photo colorization: what to know before you add color
You have a black-and-white picture of someone you love, and you would like to see them in color. That is what photo colorization is for. Our artists add natural color to the picture, and you see it before anything is final.
There is one thing to know first. A black-and-white photo never recorded its colors, so our artists choose them. You can tell us what you remember, and if a color looks wrong when you see it, we change it for free.
How our artists choose the colors
A black-and-white photo holds light and dark, not color. A dark dress could have been navy, green or deep red, and the print looks the same.
So when our artists colorize black and white photos, they choose colors that look natural. They pick a believable skin tone for each face, a natural hair color, and colors for the clothes and the room or yard behind them. Every photo is colorized with skill and attention to detail. Skin looks like skin. Grass looks like grass.
This means two good things for you. Anything you remember helps us get closer to the day the picture was taken. And you are never stuck with a color you do not like. You see the photo first, and every change is free.
Tell us the colors you remember
When you order, there is a place to write a note for each photo. This is where your memory helps the most. A few words are enough.
The things that help are simple. The color of her eyes. His hair at that age, before it turned gray. The wedding dress, or the bridesmaids' dresses. A uniform. A favorite coat. The family car, or the color of the house. If you are not sure, an older relative may remember. A later color photo of the same person can also show you their eye and hair color, and you can write down what you see.
You do not have to remember everything. If you would like to add color to a black and white photo but do not know any of its colors, leave the note blank. Our artists will choose natural colors, and you can still ask for changes once you see it.
Faded, sepia or damaged photos can be colorized too
People who want to colorize old photos often worry that theirs is in too bad a shape. No photo is too damaged for our team. Color is offered for black-and-white photos and for sepia ones, the brown-toned kind. Fading, stains, creases, scratches and tears are repaired too.
You do not need two orders. The repair and the color are part of the same order. And a photo in worse shape does not cost more.
What photo colorization costs
The price has two parts. The first is the restoration. You choose your artist, at $38 or $58 per photo. The second is color. It is an extra you can add for $19 per photo. So one photo, restored and colorized, starts at $38 plus $19.
Color is your choice for each photo. If you would like one picture left in black and white, you can leave the color off for that one. There is a discount when you restore three or more photos. The full amount is shown on the screen before you pay, so there is no surprise at the end.
See it first, and change any color you like
We email you when your photo is ready. You look at it, ask for changes if you want any, and then download it. Nothing is final until you have seen it and said you are happy.
With color, small changes matter, so please ask. You might write that her eyes were brown, that the dress should be a lighter blue, or that his hair was darker. The more specific you are, the better. Revisions are free and there is no limit to them. If we cannot get it right, you get your money back.
You choose the speed at checkout. Most orders are ready in 2 to 5 business days, delivered by email. If it is a gift and the date is close, there is a 24-hour option for an extra charge.
A color photo to keep, frame or give
Your finished photo is a digital copy you can save, share with family and print. If you would like prints, they are an optional extra you add when ordering, from $10, in sizes from 4x6 to 16x20 inches. We ship them to you. Nothing is printed until you have approved the restoration, so you only print colors you are happy with.
It can be a gift for a birthday or an anniversary, or a copy for each sister or grandchild.
To begin, all you need is the photo and your phone. Take a picture of it, and your original never leaves your house. From there, ordering takes a few minutes, and nothing is final until you are happy with the colors.