Keep sepia tones or discard color info?

photojean · Dec 23, 2006

Hello -

I am scanning and reprinting some very old photos. I have some really old ones (one is a "tin-type" of my grandfather), and they have sepia tones.

What is common when people restore photos? Do they keep the sepia tones or make take them to a black and white?

I'm sure part of it is personal preference, but I think the sepia ones are charming and have lots of character.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you so much!

Digital Matt · Dec 24, 2006

For me, it all depends on the condition of the photo. If the sepia toning looks good, then I have no proglem leaving it, but a lot of times, it will be blotchy and uneven, and it just makes sense to go black and white. You can always go to black and white, and then re-apply the sepia with photoshop.