Scan photos at 600–1200 DPI (higher for small details)
Clean the photo surface gently with a soft, lint-free cloth (use a dry method first)
Remove loose dust with a blower or soft brush before touching
Repair physical damage only if you can do it safely (minor tears with archival tape; avoid adhesives near faces)
Use photo restoration software (Photoshop, GIMP, or dedicated restoration apps)
Correct exposure and contrast (levels/curves)
Remove scratches and dust (healing/clone tools; dust-and-scratch filters if needed)
Repair tears and missing areas (content-aware fill or manual inpainting)
Restore faded colors (use reference photos or colorization tools; adjust hue/saturation carefully)
Reduce noise and blur (denoise tools; sharpen with restraint)
Fix discoloration (selective color adjustments; reduce yellowing/green cast)
Enhance facial details (targeted sharpening on eyes/eyebrows; avoid over-sharpening edges)
Correct framing and alignment (crop, straighten, perspective correction)
Stabilize tones across the image (match highlights/midtones/shadows)
Remove stains and watermarks when possible (masking + inpainting/healing)
Preserve original files (save working copies and keep an unedited master scan)
Use layers for non-destructive edits
Export in high-quality formats (TIFF/PNG for working; JPEG for sharing)
Consider professional restoration for valuable or heavily damaged originals (especially with mold, severe tears, or fragile materials)