How Dust and Scratches Damage Your Photos

Dust and scratches may seem like small imperfections, but they can completely ruin a beautiful image. Traditional manual editing takes hours — cloning, healing, and retouching every tiny spot — but now, AI dust and scratch removal tools offer a faster and more accurate solution.

Adobe Photoshop’s Dust & Scratches Filter

Adobe Photoshop offered a built-in solution to help clean scanned images: the Dust & Scratches Filter.

This filter analyzes the selected area and softens the image to reduce tiny imperfections. While effective in many cases, it is not intelligent—it does not understand image texture and may blur important details if misused.

How It Works

• The Radius slider controls how much area Photoshop examines around each pixel.
• The Threshold slider determines how different a pixel must be from its neighbors to be considered “dust.”

A higher radius smooths larger flaws but can blur edges. A higher threshold preserves detail, but may leave dust behind. The challenge is finding the perfect balance—something beginners often struggle with.

So more and more users now prefer to remove dust and scratches with AI, which adapts to each pixel automatically rather than relying on manual slider adjustments

How to Use Dust and Scratches Filter in Adobe Photoshop

Follow these verified steps to remove dust and scratches with AI in Photoshop 2024 v25.0. It remains available in all modern versions of Photoshop.

1. In Photoshop, go to File > Open and select the photo you want to restore.

2. Right-click > Duplicate Layer (important for non-destructive editing).

3. Many users have reported that the edges of the picture become blurred after removing dust and scratches. After click the duplicated layer, choose Convert to Smart Object. This lets you re-adjust the filter later without damaging the image.

4. Go to Filter > Noise > Dust & Scratches. A window with two sliders—Radius and Threshold—will appear.

• Radius: Start with Radius: 1–3 pixels for small dust (higher values blur more but risk losing details).
• Threshold: Set between 0–15 levels (lower values detect more defects).

✍Tip: For fine dust, use Radius 2px and Threshold 5. For heavy scratches, try Radius 4px and Threshold 12.

5. Add a layer mask to paint over areas where the filter over-smoothed details.

6. Export via File > Save As.

This method works—but it’s time-consuming, and results depend heavily on manual tuning. That’s why many professionals now rely on AI dust removal software to get cleaner results with less effort.

Top AI Dust and Scratch Removal Tools in 2025

AI-based tools use deep learning to detect dust, scratches, texture loss, and unwanted noise automatically. They offer a massive advantage over traditional filters by preserving detail while cleaning the image.

Below are the best tools for AI dust and scratch removal today.

1. Topaz Photo AI

A leading AI restoration tool known for its strong denoising, sharpening, and dust-removal capabilities.

Key AI Features

• Deep Learning Dust & Scratch Detection: Identifies and removes tiny imperfections automatically.
• Detail Recovery: Restores sharpness without creating artifacts.
• Batch Processing: Clean hundreds of photos at once.

Usage Notes

• Best for scanning archives or restoring film photographs.
• For portraits, reduce “Remove Noise” strength to avoid overly smooth skin.

2. Adobe Photoshop AI (Remove Tool & Generative AI)

Photoshop now includes AI-powered repair tools powered by Adobe Sensei and Firefly AI. These provide a newer, smarter alternative to the old Dust & Scratches filter.

Key AI Features

• Remove Tool: Automatically detects defects when you brush over an area.
• Context-aware healing: Understands nearby texture for seamless blending.

Why it’s better than the traditional filter❓
These AI tools allow users to remove dust Photoshop AI with greater accuracy and less blurring than the Dust & Scratches filter.

Usage Notes

• For complex patterns (fabric, wood), apply corrections in small passes for best results.

3. VanceAI Photo Restorer

A web-based AI dust removal software ideal for beginners and quick restorations.

Key Features

• Removes dust, scratches, stains, and fold marks.
• Restores old portraits with face enhancement.

Usage Notes

• Free version adds watermarks.
• Cloud processing may reduce quality for extremely high-resolution scans.

4. Luminar Neo

An AI image editor focusing on intelligent cleanup, color correction, and structure restoration.

Highlight Features

• AI Clean Tool: Automatically removes dust spots from scanned photos.
• Texture-Aware Repair: Maintains grain and detail while cleaning.

Usage Notes

• Best for artistic editing + restoration in one workflow.
• Use masking to control precision for portrait images.

Conclusion

Dust and scratches once required hours of manual cleanup, especially on old film photos or scanned negatives. Today, tools powered by artificial intelligence make it possible to remove dust and scratches with AI in minutes while preserving natural texture and fine details.

From Photoshop’s classic Dust & Scratches filter to advanced AI dust removal software, both beginners and professionals now have access to powerful tools that deliver clean, restored, and visually pleasing images.