Nothing is worse than looking through old family photos and noting how dust, dog earred corners, rips, and other damages have tarnished these precious memories. Fortunately, in the digital age, photo editors allow you to salvage these photos and make them look like new.

How does this work? Essentially, by scanning in your old photos and investing in a quality photo editing program, you can do your part to immortalize your photos. Along with being able to brush up your photos, you’ll be able to store them on your computer, which is a much safer spot than in a simple photo album, especially if you make backup copies on CDs.

Once your photos are scanned in, you can adjust the brightness, level of exposure, color, and noise level in the photo. The clone tool is also incredibly useful for touching up folds or rips. You can even edit out blemishes or red eye! Most computers come with some basic form of photo editing software available, though if you want a program with more options to it, there are also programs such as GIMP, Photoshop, Illustrator, and more. These are often the same programs used by professional photographers.

Of course, if you don’t have the chops to learn how to use these advanced programs, don’t lose hope! For flawless results every time, your best bet is to try a professional photo editor instead. He or she already has the skills and technology available, and the price for tweaking your photos will likely be incredibly cheaper than purchasing an advanced editing program. Don’t let your photos collect dust in an old binder—bring them today and see just what a good photo editing professional can accomplish!