Dear Nadina, I had old proofs of my step-father when he was 19 or so, the light had got to them and they were very badly faded, I scanned them and adjusted them, making them darker, scanning at the higher dpi and they came up much better. Of course they could never be perfect, but they certainly were quite a bit lighter, try scanning them in the black and white mode and see how they come up. All the best, hope you have success. Regards, Bernie G.