Colorize Black and White Photos with AI: Natural Colour for Old Family Pictures
To colorize a black and white photo, open the Photo Colorizer, add the scan and download the colour version. The free version runs DDColor on your device. Pro AI sends it to Google’s Nano Banana on Vertex AI, which recognises what is in the scene (uniforms, cars, buildings, plants) and gives them natural, period-plausible colours while keeping every detail of the original.
Photo Colorizer: the short answer
- Quick look at a family photo: the free colorizer.
- A picture to print, frame or share: Pro AI (10 credits) for more natural skin tones and materials.
- Scratches and tears: fix them first with the Photo Restorer.
- The colours are a well-informed guess, not a record of the real ones.
What people search for, answered
How do I colorize a black and white photo for free?
Open the Photo Colorizer, choose the scan and download the result; the free version runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded. For a more natural result on an important photo, Pro AI uses Google’s Nano Banana for 10 credits.
Are AI colorized photos accurate?
No AI can know the real colour of a dress in 1952; black and white film recorded brightness, not hue. A good model makes choices that are plausible for the period and the material. If you know a colour (a uniform, a car, eye colour), mention it to relatives when you share the picture, and keep the original with it.
How do I colorize old photos on my phone?
Scan or photograph the print in even light without glare, open the Photo Colorizer in your phone’s browser and choose the picture. Pro AI runs on Google’s servers, so an older phone is as quick as a new one.
What is the best way to restore and colorize an old photo?
Repair first, colour second: fix scratches, fading and tears with the Photo Restorer, then colorize. Colorizing a damaged scan colours the damage too. Scan at 600 dpi in even light, without glare, before you start.
Can I colorize a sepia photo?
Yes. Sepia is a single brown tone over a black and white picture; the colorizer replaces it with full colour.
Why use ImgVX Pro AI for it
- A large Google model that knows what things are, so grass, brick, uniforms and skin get believable, period-appropriate colours.
- Colour only. The instruction keeps the composition, the light and every detail, and changes nothing but colour.
- Free first: the on-device colorizer is on the same page for a quick look.
- Failed runs cost nothing. If Google returns an error or a safety filter stops the image, the credits go straight back to your account.
- No app, no watermark. It runs from the page in any modern browser on a phone or computer, and the download carries no ImgVX watermark. Google adds its invisible SynthID mark to AI images, which is how AI content should be labelled.
Free version or Pro AI?
The Photo Colorizer page has two versions of the tool. Try the free one first: if it is good enough, you have spent nothing.
| Free (on your device) | Pro AI (Google Vertex AI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | In your browser; the photo never leaves your device | Google Vertex AI; the photo is sent to Google for that run only |
| Model | A compact open-source model | Google Nano Banana (Gemini image) on Vertex AI |
| Cost | Free with a free account | 10 paid credits a run |
| Best for | A quick look at a scan, simple scenes | Photos to print or frame, crowded scenes, portraits where skin tones matter |
How to use the Photo Colorizer, step by step
- Scan the print at 600 dpi if you can, or photograph it flat in daylight.
- Open the Photo Colorizer and choose the scan.
- Try the free version, then press Run Pro AI in the “Pro AI” panel for the Google model (10 credits).
- Compare with the original and download.
Tips for better results
- Crop off the white border of the print before colorizing; it can tint the edges.
- If the result looks washed out, the scan was probably too light: rescan with a little more contrast.
- Keep the original black and white file. A colorized copy is an interpretation.
What it will not do
- It does not invent colour facts: it cannot tell you the real colour of anything.
- It does not retouch or change people; it only adds colour.
- Every typed description is checked by our payment provider’s moderation service before Google sees it, and Google’s own safety filters run on every image. Anything in our Acceptable Use Policy (sexual content, anything involving minors, deepfakes, fake documents, removing watermarks) is refused before any credits are used.
What it costs
Pro AI runs on paid credits only, because every run costs us money on Google Cloud: the Photo Colorizer uses 10 credits a run. Pro Monthly is $5.90 a month with 300 credits (your first month is $1), enough for about 30 runs. Pro Yearly is $39.99 a year with 4,000 credits. With no subscription, a credit pack of 50 is $4.99 and 200 is $12.99. The free trial credits do not cover Pro AI, and an account’s Pro AI use is capped by what it has paid, so the $1 first month covers only a few runs. See pricing.
Your photo is sent to Google Vertex AI for that run and is not stored by us; we keep a log of the run (tool, time, credits and any text you typed). The privacy policy has the details.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Photo Colorizer free?
The on-device version is. Pro AI, which uses Google’s Nano Banana, costs 10 paid credits a run, refunded if it fails.
Can I choose the colours?
Not directly. Pro AI picks plausible colours for the period. To change one area afterwards, the Color Replacer can shift a hue.
Will it fix scratches as well?
Not reliably. Repair with the Photo Restorer first.
Is it safe to upload family photos?
The free version never uploads them. Pro AI sends the photo to Google Vertex AI for that run only; we do not store it. More help: ImgVX AI help docs.
Try it on your own photo
Start with the free version on the same page. When you need more, Pro AI is one button below it.