Retouch a photo

Compare an original and a retouch

How much was this photo retouched?

Choose the original and the retouched version. See them side by side, spot every change on a map, and get one honest number.

1 · OriginalNot chosen yet
2 · RetouchedNot chosen yet
  • Free
  • No sign-up
  • Photos stay on your device
A portrait print split down the middle, untouched on the left and retouched on the right, with the difference map inset

When to use this page

You have two files: the photo as it came off the camera or phone, and a version someone retouched — a studio, an app, a friend, or you on this site. You want to know what was done and how much. This page lines them up and shows the difference four ways, with nothing to edit and nothing to undo.

If you want to retouch a photo rather than inspect one, the retoucher has the same split view on its desk, and its “moved from source” figure is the one measured here.

What this mode runs on
Input
two photos: the original, then the retouch
Alignment
one size; centre crop when the shapes differ
Views
split · retouch · original held · difference map
Figures
moved from source · changed area · largest change · colour shift
Download
difference map as PNG

Reading the difference map

The original is shown in quiet grey and every change is painted over it in warm colour: the brighter the colour, the larger the change. Spot healing shows as small blobs, skin smoothing as soft patches across the cheeks and forehead, a red-eye fix as two dots, and a frame-wide colour or exposure change as an even wash. Raise the gain to see faint changes; save the map as a PNG to keep it.

What it will not do

  • It needs both files. It does not judge a single photo or say whether a picture has been edited.
  • It does not grade a retouch. The figures say how much moved, not whether it looks good or natural.
  • It does not name reshaping. A warp shows as bright outlines in the map; the figures do not call it out.
  • A re-save counts as a change. JPG compression moves pixels a little everywhere, which raises the changed-area figure.

What people ask

Are my photos uploaded?
No. Both files are decoded and compared in this tab, and nothing is sent anywhere.
What does "moved from source" mean?
The average brightness change in the places that changed, as a share of those places' own brightness. It is the same figure the retouching desk shows while you work, so a light retouch reads a few per cent and a heavy one much more.
Can it tell whether a photo was retouched if I only have one file?
No. It compares two files you have. With a single picture there is nothing to measure against, and this page does not guess.
Why is the whole picture marked as changed?
A frame-wide edit — exposure, colour, a filter, or simply saving the JPG again at a different quality — changes nearly every pixel a little. The difference map shows where the changes are larger than that background.
Does it detect face reshaping?
Not as such. A warp moves edges, so it shows in the difference map as bright outlines along the face and body, but the figures do not name it. Look at the outlines yourself.
What if the two photos are different sizes?
They are brought to one size first. If the shapes differ, the centre of the wider one is used and the page says so, because a crop shows up as a difference.

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Photographic visual for Compare Retouch