It is likely that, on more than one occasion, you have had to work with low-resolution images and almost nonexistent quality. We know that dealing with this type of image can be time-consuming, but fortunately, Adobe Photoshop integrates a “solution” to tackle this problem.
We are referring to its feature Generative Upscale. In this article, we will explain step by step how to use this function easily so you can quickly enhance your photographs and images. Additionally, we will also tell you how to prepare them for printing.
What is Generative Upscale?
Generative Upscale is an integrated feature in Adobe Photoshop that allows you to increase the resolution and visual quality of any image through artificial intelligence. This makes blurry or pixelated images regain sharpness and improve in detail with quite good results.
How to apply Generative Upscale to your images
Using this function is much easier than you think. You just have to follow these steps:
- Open your image in Photoshop: Start Adobe Photoshop in its beta version and open the image you want to enhance. To do this, simply go to File > Open, and select your image. You can also drag it directly into Adobe Photoshop.
- Through the beta versions of Adobe programs, you can access the latest features available before they are included in the official version.
- Access Generative Upscale: Go to the options menu and select Image > Generative Upscale.
- Adjust the quality settings: By clicking on Generative Upscale, a window will open where you can select from different scales. Specifically, the options that will be shown to you are 2x, 3x, and 4x. Next to it, you will see what the dimensions of the resulting image would be according to the scale you choose. Once you decide on one, click on Upscale.
- Limited options: As we are dealing with a beta version, the options are limited. For the final result, both the height and width of the image must be less than 4096 pixels. Photoshop itself will notify you if the limit is exceeded.
- Check the result: By clicking on Upscale, Photoshop will generate a new document with the enhanced image and a changed name. Observe the result and repeat the process if you want to try with other scales.
- Save your image: Once you are satisfied with the image, save your image in the desired format from File > Save As…
Prepare your image for printing
Although Generative Upscale helps us increase the resolution of an image, we still have a couple of extra steps if what we want is to prepare it for printing. For this, you can use Photoshop in its beta version or also the official one.
- Open your image: As mentioned, open your image in Photoshop. Remember that you can do this from File > Open Image or by dragging it directly into the program.
- Change the image size: Go to Image > Image Size. Here make sure that the chain icon is activated; this will keep the image ratio stable.
- Enter the new size: Adjust the size to the type of print you want to make. Keep in mind that one of the most important aspects is the resolution: it should be at least 300 pixels per inch. This will ensure that the print comes out correctly. You can change it directly in the Resolution section.
- Activate Resample: Keep the Resample box checked and set it to Automatic. Then, activate Scale Styles, which can be found by clicking on the gear icon at the top right. Finally, click OK to finish.
Tips for Getting Better Results
- Use original images of the best possible quality: This will help you start with a good foundation. If the image is of very poor quality, the results are likely not to be as good as you expect.
- Try different settings until you find the result you like the most: Don’t settle for the first result if you don’t like it at all. Keep trying different scales until you find the one that best suits what you’re looking for.
- Combine Generative Upscale with other Photoshop tools: Your images will look much better if you combine the results of Generative Upscale with other adjustments like noise reduction or sharpening. This will also make everything look much more professional.
Why use Generative Upscale?
The main advantage is its incredible ease of use and the speed at which you achieve professional results, even without being an expert in photo editing. Additionally, you can use Generative Upscale to enhance old images, photographs taken with low-resolution cameras, or even improve image captures.
