OriginalColorizedFamily photos and portraits
Colorize old photos of grandparents, weddings, and childhood. Skin, hair, and clothing get their own tones, which helps a family album feel closer.
Victor Jorgensen, 1945AI Photo Colorizer
A black and white photo colorizer for old family photos and archive pictures. Upload an image, add natural-looking color, then compare and download the result.
OriginalColorizedToni Frissell, 1949
How do you colorize a black and white photo online?
Upload your photo
Choose a JPG, PNG, or WebP image of up to 10 MB. A sharp scan or a clear phone photo of the print both work.
Add color
Sign in and start the task for 5 credits. The AI colorizer usually finishes in under a minute.
Compare and download
Drag the line across the photo to check the result, then download the color version.
What kinds of old photos can you colorize?
Each comparison below is a real result on an archive photo. Drag the line to see it go from black and white to color.
OriginalColorized
OriginalColorizedHistoric streets and buildings
Add color to a black and white photo of a street, shopfront, or hometown. Streetcars, brick, and sky separate into distinct colors.
Detroit Publishing Co., c. 1905
OriginalColorizedLandscapes and travel pictures
Colorize images of mountains, rivers, and old holidays. Dramatic skies can come back more saturated than life, so compare before you print.
Ansel Adams, 1942
OriginalColorizedVintage fashion and creative projects
Use the colorized image in a blog, a video, or a print. Fabric colors are estimates, which suits creative work better than a historical record.
Toni Frissell, 1939Example photos come from public archives, including the Library of Congress and the U.S. National Archives. All colors are AI estimates.
Photo colorizer or old photo restoration?
They do different jobs. Use the colorizer when the photo is in good shape and you only want color. Use restoration when it is torn, scratched, or faded.
| Compare | Photo Colorizer | Old Photo Restoration |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Black-and-white photos in good condition | Damaged, scratched, or faded photos |
| Color | Always added | Often added, not guaranteed |
| Faces and detail | Light and detail stay as they were | May be redrawn while repairing damage |
| Scratches and tears | Stay in the photo | Repaired |
| Cost | 5 credits | 15 credits |
Which photos work best for AI colorizing?
Colorize image files in JPG, PNG, or WebP, up to 10 MB. Use the photo colorizer online in your browser, with nothing to install. The result keeps the same pixel dimensions as your upload and downloads as a PNG.
Good choices
- Clear portraits, couples, and family groups
- Street scenes, buildings, and old cars
- Landscapes and travel pictures with visible detail
- Sharp scans and well-lit phone photos of a print
Expect weaker results
- Torn or scratched prints, because the damage stays
- Very blurry or low-resolution photos, because they stay soft
- Heavily yellowed prints, where colors can stay muted
- Drawings and line art, because the tool is designed for photographs
How accurate are the colors?
Black-and-white film records brightness, not color, so no tool can know the real shade of a dress or a door. The AI predicts plausible colors from what it recognizes. Grass and sky are usually convincing, while clothing and painted objects are often guesses. Treat a colorized photo as an interpretation, not a historical record.
How do you get a better colorized photo?
- Use the sharpest copy you have. Scan prints at 300 dpi or more if you can.
- When photographing a print, avoid glare and keep the phone parallel to it.
- Crop away the album page and any border before you upload.
- Repair heavy damage first, because scratches stay after colorizing.
Photo colorizer FAQ
Is this a free photo colorizer?
ImgPilot's Photo Colorizer is free to try, not free without limits. New ImgPilot accounts receive free credits, and each photo costs 5 credits. You don't need a card to sign up and try it.
How can I colorize a photo for free?
You can colorize photos online for free with the credits new ImgPilot accounts receive. Each colorized photo costs 5 credits. Sign up, upload a photo, and download the result. After that, you can buy credits or subscribe.
How do I add color to a black and white photo?
Upload the black-and-white photo to ImgPilot's Photo Colorizer, sign in, and start the task. The AI colorizer adds color automatically, with no brushes or layers. You can compare the colorized photo with the original before downloading it.
Can ChatGPT colorize photos?
ChatGPT and other general AI image tools can try, but they usually generate a new image, so faces and small details may change. ImgPilot's Photo Colorizer only adds color and keeps the photo's original light and detail.
Which photo colorizer is the best?
It depends on your photo, so test with one you know well. Look at skin tones, whether color spills past edges, and whether faces still look like the same person.
Will the skin tones look natural?
Usually, especially on clear portraits. Mixed lighting, heavy shadow, and low-quality scans can produce uneven or unusual tones, so check faces closely before printing.
Can I colorize a damaged or blurry photo?
Yes, but ImgPilot's Photo Colorizer won't repair anything. Scratches, stains, and blur stay in the colorized photo. For damaged photos, use ImgPilot's Old Photo Restoration instead.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. ImgPilot's Photo Colorizer works in a mobile browser, so you can photograph a print and upload the picture from your camera roll.
Can I colorize drawings or line art?
ImgPilot's Photo Colorizer is designed for photographs. Drawings and line art may give uneven results.
Where does my result go?
Finished photos are saved in your ImgPilot history, where you can download them again. Uploads are sent to our AI processing provider to create the result.
Have a black-and-white photo in mind?
5 credits per photo. New accounts get free credits to try it.
Colorize photo