How to Fix Creased and Folded Photos

Photos carried in wallets, mailed in letters or squeezed into drawers often end up with a crease straight through the middle, sometimes several. A crease breaks the image layer along the fold, leaving a sharp white line, and often a raised ridge that catches light. Here's how to deal with both.

Flatten safely first

• Don't iron it or press it hard. Heat and force crack the emulsion.
• Place the print between two sheets of clean, smooth paper, under a stack of heavy books, for several days.
• For stubborn curls on old prints, a conservator can humidify them safely. Don't do this yourself on valuable originals.

You won't get the crease out physically; the goal is just to make the print flat enough to capture without shadows.

Capture without crease shadows

A raised crease casts a shadow in directional light, which makes it look worse.

• Use diffuse light from two sides, or overcast window light.
• A flatbed scanner with the lid closed presses the print flat and lights it evenly.
• Shoot straight down with the phone parallel (see scanning photos with iPhone).

Remove the crease digitally

With AI

In Refixo, tap Restore. The AI treats the crease line as damage, rebuilds the image along it and restores the rest of the photo (scratches, fading, faces) in the same pass.

Manually

1. Zoom in to 200% on a duplicate layer.
2. Use the healing brush along the crease, sampling from directly beside it.
3. Where the crease crosses detailed areas (eyes, hands, lace), use a smaller brush and the clone stamp.
4. Check that lines such as collars and horizons continue straight across the former crease.

Multiple folds and broken corners

Folded corners often break off. Keep any loose pieces and scan them in place (see fixing torn photos). A grid of folds (a photo folded into quarters) is handled the same way, just more of it, which is where AI saves the most time.

Prevent creases

• Don't keep originals in wallets or purses; carry a reprint.
• Mail photos between stiff cardboard.
• Store flat in archival sleeves (see how to store old photos).

Related: fixing cracked photos and restoring small wallet photos.

Frequently asked questions

Can you get a crease out of a photo?

Physically, a crease is permanent. You can flatten the print and remove the crease line from the digital copy.

Can I iron a creased photo?

No. Heat damages photographic emulsion and can stick it to the iron or cloth.

Why does the crease look worse in my scan?

The raised crease casts a shadow. Use diffuse light or a flatbed scanner.

Can AI remove a crease through a face?

Usually yes. Compare carefully with the original.