Old photographs often hold immense sentimental value, capturing cherished memories from the past. However, over time, these images can fade, lose detail, and no longer retain their original sharpness. Fortunately, advancements in technology now allow you to effortlessly enhance and restore old photos to their former glory.
In this article, we will explore five effective methods to sharpen old photos, ranging from convenient online tools to specialized software.

1. Betterimage AI - A Free Tool for Sharpening Old Photos
Betterimage is a standout online photo enhancement tool designed to quickly and effectively improve the quality of old photos. Leveraging advanced AI technology, Betterimage can sharpen blurry images and automatically restore details, helping you bring clarity to your precious memories.

Easily increase the resolution of old photos with BetterImage AI
Betterimage AI features a simple and intuitive interface, making it accessible even for non-technical users. There’s no need to download any apps or software—just access Betterimage directly through your web browser. This handy tool is completely free, allowing users to enhance their old photos at no cost.

Restore old photos for free with the Betterimage AI tool
With Betterimage, you can effortlessly sharpen old, faded photos, making them appear clearer and more vibrant. Simply upload the images you want to enhance, and the AI will automatically upgrade them to 2x or 4x resolution in just a few minutes.
However, upgrading photos to 4x resolution requires a paid subscription. Some heavily blurred images may not be sharpened effectively by the AI, resulting in slightly artificial details, such as eyes or skin texture.
2. SnapEdit - Restore Old Photos
SnapEdit is a tool designed to easily improve the sharpness of old photos. Specifically crafted to handle blurry images, SnapEdit Enhancer not only sharpens photos but also offers additional editing options to optimize image quality.

SnapEdit Store old photo is one of the most popular features of SnapEdit
SnapEdit supports most common image formats like JPG, PNG, and JPEG, making it easy to sharpen an old photo with just one click. Restoring old photos with SnapEdit is free, but a subscription is required to download higher-quality restored versions.
3. Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is a widely recognized photo editing software among professional photographers. With features like Smart Sharpen and Unsharp Mask, Photoshop allows you to restore old photos with precision and efficiency. However, Photoshop does not offer automatic photo sharpening, so a basic understanding of editing techniques is necessary to achieve the desired results.

Adobe Photoshop is a professional-grade photo editing software
To sharpen old photos and restore blurry images in Photoshop, follow these steps:
- Launch Adobe Photoshop and open your old photo by selecting "File" > "Open".
- In the toolbar, navigate to "Filter" > "Sharpen" to access sharpening options. Photoshop offers two main tools: "Smart Sharpen" and "Unsharp Mask".
- Select "Smart Sharpen" to open the editing dialog. Here, you can adjust the "Amount" (Sharpening Intensity) and "Radius" (Sharpening Radius) to suit your needs. Check the "Remove Gaussian Blur" option.
- Choose "Unsharp Mask" to open the editing dialog. Here, you can tweak the "Amount" (Sharpening Intensity), "Radius" (Sharpening Radius), and "Threshold" to fine-tune the image's clarity.
Adobe Photoshop delivers professional and sharp results, but it requires a paid license and practice to master. Currently, Adobe Photoshop does not support a Vietnamese language version.
4. GIMP - A Popular Tool for Restoring Old Photos
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free, open-source photo editing software that offers a variety of tools to enhance image quality, including sharpening old photos. Often referred to as the "free version of Photoshop," GIMP includes several features similar to Adobe Photoshop.

Professional Photo Editing with GIMP
Like Adobe Photoshop, GIMP does not have automatic editing features, so you’ll need some technical skills to achieve the desired results. You can use the Unsharp Mask filter to sharpen old photos in GIMP. Note that GIMP does not currently support a Vietnamese language version.
5. Pixlr - A User-Friendly Tool for Sharpening Old Photos
Pixlr is a powerful and easy-to-use online photo editing tool, suitable for both beginners and professionals. With its simple yet effective sharpening features, Pixlr allows you to quickly restore the quality of old photos.

Pixlr offers a variety of useful photo editing features
To sharpen old photos with Pixlr, select "Adjustment" from the tool menu, then find and choose "Sharpen." Use the "Sharpen" slider to adjust the sharpness level of the image. Slide it to the right to increase sharpness. Pixlr will display the changes in real-time, allowing you to preview the results instantly.
Sharpen Old Photos Easily and Quickly with Top 5 Popular Tools
Sharpening old photos has never been easier, thanks to convenient online tools like Betterimage and SnapEdit for photo restoration, as well as powerful software like Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, and Pixlr.
If you want quick, fully automatic photo enhancement without requiring advanced skills, Betterimage is the perfect choice. For professional-grade results and if you possess the necessary editing expertise, Adobe Photoshop is the ideal software.
Each tool has its unique strengths, enabling you to restore photo quality quickly and effectively. Depending on your needs and skill level, you can choose the right tool to sharpen old photos and preserve your precious memories.