Proofsheet
Clean a water-stained old photo — example resultReal example
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Downloads the original example, not your own edited photo. On phones that open it instead, touch and hold the full image to save it.

Made with this exact default prompt; output can vary.

Photo editFamilyPortraits

Clean a water-stained old photo

A copy of a photo with water marks, tide lines and patchy colour cleaned up. Upload a clear photo, paste this prompt into ChatGPT, Gemini or Grok, change the parts in brackets to suit you, and generate.

Part of the Old photo restoration trend

Written for
ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok
You'll need
A clear photo to upload
Status
Tested 19 Oct 2026 in grok-imagine-image-2.0
Test settings
Reference photo: an AI-generated old photo of fictional adults, made to look damaged for this test. Uploaded with the default copy text unchanged. Aspect ratio matched the reference photo (3:4). First result used; resized to 1200x1600 and converted to WebP.
Variability
Repairs and colours are the model's guess and vary between runs; always compare with your original photo.
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Prompt
Use the uploaded old photo as the reference and restore it; everyone in it is my family or has given permission. Keep every face exactly as it is: same features, expression, age, skin tone and proportions; do not beautify, slim or reshape anyone; check the result against the original.
Scene: the same photo and framing, with brown water tide lines and patchy blotches removed and the tones evened out.
Pose: keep every pose exactly as in the original.
Clothing: keep the original clothes; restore their tone only where the stains changed it.
Light: keep the original light and contrast.
Style: careful restoration, keeping the original faded colours, fine natural grain kept.
Format: same aspect ratio as the original photo
Avoid: changing any face or age, adding or removing people, new colours that were not in the photo, plastic skin, text, logos, watermarks.

Customise

For example: brown water tide lines and patchy blotches.

For example: keeping the original faded colours.

Fields start with illustrative values; replace them with your own facts. The prompt updates as you type. Copy prompt copies your version.

How to use it

  1. Open an external image tool listed above. The tested model, if any, is named in Status.
  2. Upload a clear reference photo of the subject. If it includes identifiable people, get their consent and check each face.
  3. Customise the fields, copy your version, paste it with the photo and generate.
  4. Compare the result with the reference. If a face, pose or detail changes, ask for one correction or try again; an exact match is not guaranteed.
How to use this prompt
  1. This prompt changes your own photo. Choose a clear reference photo, and get permission from people who can be identified.
  2. Upload the photo in the external AI app you chose. Fill Customise, press Copy prompt and paste the prompt with the photo.
  3. Compare the new picture with the original. Face, hands, clothes and pose can change. An exact likeness is not guaranteed.

Full guide: Search, Copy, Save and test labels

Good to know

  • Stains that cover most of the picture leave the model guessing; the result is an estimate.
  • Use reference photos you have the right to use; get consent from identifiable people.

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