When it comes to editing photos, one of the biggest barriers to getting started is the thought that everything is such a chore. But really, once you get going, you usually find things weren’t that bad after all.
When it comes to making a photo look old, I just went through that same thought process. Having never really tried the process through Canva, it was a bit unknown just how easy things would be.
But in true Canva fashion, I came up with a solution that can be carried out in just a couple of minutes.
How to Make a Photo Look Old
To make a photo look old, remove the color or opt for a sepia filter. From there, things like decreasing the contrast and increasing the vignette will provide the old or vintage look and feel you’re striving for.
Here are the details on how to go about doing so with Canva
1. Add your photo
First, of course, you need to get your photo on Canva and into your design. The easiest way of going about doing so is simply clicking to “uploads” and then adding your file. Once added as a media element, just click the photo or drag it into your design.
2. Add sepia duotone
Next, go to “effects” and then click “see all” for duotones. Look to the bottom left of the options and choose “sepia.” If you want more of a black and white look, you can choose “classic.”
Once you add the sepia effect, you should see your photo now look a bit more aged in terms of coloring, as sepia, which adds the reddish-brown look and vintage feel. You can also adjust the sepia option in this step by double-clicking “sepia” in the duotone panel.
3. Add a filter
After that, you can go to “Filter” and then choose “Summer” which will brighten up the photo a bit or another option. You can edit for brightness and make other adjustments in the next step.
4. Adjust contrast and vignette
Next, go to “adjust” and specifically “contrast” and “vignette.” With contrast, you’ll want to decrease just a bit to darken things up. Vignette is an important adjustment as well, as increasing it will darken the edges for a true vintage photo look.
5. Add graininess and noise
Last, go to “elements” and search “grainy.” You can also search “noise” and choose from the given options. Either way, this step is going to allow you to apply flecks and specks to the photo to help not make it look so crystal clear.
When searching grainy, I chose the first available option, which is relatively subtle. There are certainly bolder options available. Since each square isn’t horizontally resizable, just copy and paste to cover the areas you’d like.
And that’s it! As always, you can make any adjustments you’d like based on your own needs and goals; this is just one way to go about it. Here is the final comparison, and below that is a video if you’d rather learn that way. Please be in touch with questions or challenges!
