AI vs Traditional Photo Restoration: When to Use Each

8/30/2024 · GenIt Team

Where AI wins, where manual retouching still shines, and how to combine both for the best results.

AI is incredible for repetitive cleanup—scratches, dust, compression artifacts. Hand retouching still wins on subjective choices like period‑accurate color or reconstructing missing features from limited context.

Use AI when…

There are many small defects across the image.
You need fast results for social or proofing.
Faces need subtle enhancement without heavy painting.

Use manual tools when…

Large areas are missing or heavily torn.
You need museum‑level color accuracy.
Compositing from multiple sources is required.

The best workflow combines both: AI for first‑pass cleanup, then selective manual tweaks for final polish.