How to Colorize a Black-and-White Photo with AI

To add colour to a black-and-white photo, open the AI Photo Colorizer, add the photo, choose Colorize (colour only) or Restore & Colorize (repair damage first, then add colour), and download the result. The AI adds lifelike skin tones and natural colours for clothing, foliage, skies and objects, while keeping the original detail, faces and composition.

Colorize a photo step by step

1. Scan or photograph the black-and-white or sepia print — a flatbed scan at 300–600 dpi gives the best results.
2. Open the AI Photo Colorizer and add the image.
3. Choose a mode:
   • Colorize — adds colour and leaves everything else as it is. Best for photos in good condition.
   • Restore & Colorize — repairs scratches, noise and fading first, then colourises. Best for old, worn prints.
4. Compare and download.

The free plan includes 2 colourisations a day, without an account. The photo is processed by an AI model (Google Gemini) through iPixHub's server, which doesn't keep a copy.

How AI colourisation works

A black-and-white photo records only brightness. The original colours are gone — a red dress and a green dress of the same brightness look identical in grey. AI colourisation has learned from millions of colour photos what things usually look like: skin, sky, grass, wood, uniforms, cars. It adds the most plausible colours.

That means:

• Skies, plants, skin and common materials usually look convincing.
• Clothing, cars, painted walls and flags get plausible colours, not necessarily the true ones. A blue dress might come out brown.
• Historically specific colours — a regimental uniform, a shop sign, a car model's paint — may be wrong.

Making it more accurate

• Ask the family. Relatives often remember: "Grandma's coat was dark green." If the colours are wrong in important places, note them for a manual touch-up.
• Use reference photos of the same era, place or object to judge whether colours look right.
• Adjust afterwards. If skin tones or the overall cast feel off, fine-tune with Hue & Saturation.

Damaged photos: restore first

Scratches and stains confuse the colouriser — a crease can turn into a coloured streak. For damaged photos, use Restore & Colorize, or run Old Photo Restoration first and colourise the restored version. The repaired, clean photo colourises far more naturally.

Should you colourise at all?

Colourising is a creative interpretation, and it's worth being thoughtful:

• Keep the original black-and-white version — it's the historical record.
• Label colourised photos as colourised when sharing them publicly or in family histories, so nobody mistakes the AI's guesses for fact.
• Some photos are better in black and white. The mood of many portraits and street photos comes from their monochrome tones.

Going the other way

For a deliberate vintage look on a modern photo, Image to Grayscale converts a colour photo to black and white, and Image to Sepia gives it the warm brown tone of old prints.

Ideas for colourised photos

• Family history projects and genealogy websites.
• Anniversary and birthday gifts — a colourised wedding photo of grandparents.
• School projects about local history.
• Side-by-side comparisons of the original and colourised version, made with Combine Images.

Frequently asked questions

Does it work on sepia photos?

Yes. Sepia prints are treated like black-and-white ones; the brown tone is replaced by natural colour.

Can it colour drawings or illustrations?

It's designed for photographs. Drawings may get unexpected colours.

How many photos can I colourise?

2 per day on the free plan, with no account needed.