Colorize Black and White Photos
Add realistic, natural color to old black-and-white photos.
BeforeAfterHow to colorize a black and white photo
- 1
Upload a scan or a phone photo of a black-and-white picture.
- 2
Add color hints if you know them, such as a dress or eye color.
- 3
Download the colorized photo to share, print or frame.
See old photos the way they looked
Black-and-white photos hide what color brings back: skin tones, clothes, gardens, cars and the sky. Upload a black-and-white or sepia photo and the AI adds realistic, historically plausible colors while keeping every face and detail of the original. If you know how something really looked, such as the color of a dress, a uniform or someone's eyes, type it in the hints box and the AI will follow it. For photos with scratches, tears or heavy fading, use Old Photo Restoration instead: it repairs the damage and can add color in the same step.
What the AI photo colorizer does well
Follows the colors you know
Type known colors in the hints box, even several in one sentence, such as a uniform, a car and a front door. The AI makes a plausible guess for everything else.
Adds color, nothing else
The colorizer is told not to add or remove anything, so the people, objects and background stay as they were in the original photo, now shown in color.
Keeps the look of the original
It is told to keep every detail of the original, with no extra smoothing or sharpening, so the colorized photo still has the grain and feel of an old print.
Saved in My Images
Colorized photos are kept in My Images, so you can download them again for prints, a slideshow or the family group chat whenever you need them.
What to colorize
Family portraits
See grandparents and great-grandparents in natural color.
Weddings and celebrations
Bring old wedding, graduation and holiday photos to life.
Family history projects
Make photos for a family tree, a memorial or a reunion slideshow more vivid.
Historic places
Colorize old pictures of your hometown, a family house or a street as it used to be.
Tips to colorize black and white photos
Ask relatives before you start. Eye colors, the family car or a favorite dress are often remembered, and each detail you add as a hint replaces a guess.
Keep hints short and name the object: “the man's tie is maroon, the front door is green” works better than a long story about the day.
Check skin tones first. If they look too warm or too pale, run it again with a hint such as “natural fair skin” or “warm olive skin” for that person.
For a set of family photos, reuse the same hints for people and places that appear again, such as the color of the house, so the photos look consistent together.
Simple, credit-based pricing
Every tool runs on the same credits. One image is 30 credits (60 with Nano Banana Pro), and failed generations are refunded.
Starter
For occasional images
- About 75 images per month
- About $0.13 per image
- 2,250 credits
- All 34 AI image tools
- Commercial use
- Failed generations refunded
Plus
For regular use
- About 150 images per month
- About $0.13 per image
- 4,500 credits
- All 34 AI image tools
- Commercial use
- Failed generations refunded
- Priority support
Business
For teams, agencies and high volume
- About 300 images per month
- About $0.13 per image
- 9,000 credits
- All 34 AI image tools
- Commercial use
- Failed generations refunded
- Dedicated support
Monthly and yearly plans renew automatically at the end of each period until you cancel, and you can cancel anytime in Settings. Credit packs are one-time purchases that never renew; their credits last 1 year. Prices include tax.
Photo colorizer FAQ
- Are the colors historically accurate?
- The AI picks realistic, natural colors, but it can't know the original ones. Treat the result as a plausible interpretation, and use the hints box for colors you know.
- Does it work on sepia or faded photos?
- Yes. Sepia, toned and slightly faded photos work well. If the photo is scratched or torn, use Old Photo Restoration to repair it as well.
- Will it change faces?
- The tool is told to keep the composition, every detail and each person's facial features exactly the same, and only add color.
- What should I upload?
- A sharp scan at 600 dpi or a clear phone photo taken in even light gives the best result. Uploads can be JPG, PNG or WebP, up to 10MB.
- Can I colorize photos with several people?
- Yes. Group photos work well, though very small faces have less detail, so check each one in the result.
- Are my photos private?
- Your uploads are only used to create your result. Uploaded originals are deleted from the processing service within 24 hours.
- What if I don't like some of the colors?
- Run it again with a hint for the part you want changed; each run costs 30 credits. To fix one item without recoloring the rest, upload the result to the Nano Banana editor and ask, for example, “make the coat dark green”.
- Can I print or share the colorized photo?
- Yes. Download it from the result or from My Images. When you share it, it helps to mention that the colors were added by AI, so relatives don't mistake them for the original colors.
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