How To...Hand-Colour Old Photos

James Paterson breathes new life into old prints by restoring and colouring them using a series of straightforward Photoshop skills

- James Paterson

Restoring old photos is one of the most satisfying of digital touch-up jobs. Not only are you able to remove dirt, scratches and all the other detritus of time – you can also add your own creative input by colourising these old prints. This is a relatively simple matter of painting on different layers set to the Color blending mode, a technique that – with a little practice – even a complete Photoshop novice can master.