Design Basics: Zooming Into Image Upscaling

Written by UPrinting    ●    Published on September 25, 2023


Picture this: You’re working on a project and you’re on the hunt for some photos. You’ve invested a great deal of time searching and just when you’re about to give up, you find the perfect one. There’s just one hiccup — it's a tad blurry. With your deadline closing in, you're left with a dilemma: Do you settle, or do you start the search all over again?

The good news is, there might just be a solution that allows you to still make use of that photo. Enter image upscaling.


What is image upscaling and how does it work?

Image upscaling is like giving your photos a facelift. When you upscale an image, you’re increasing its resolution and size while attempting to maintain its quality.

Here are two ways to go about it:

  1. Interpolation – This technique estimates the pixels to be added based on the existing pixels in the image. But here’s the catch: this may stretch the existing pixels, potentially resulting in a pixelated or blurry image.
  2. Super resolution – This approach uses AI to study the image and with some machine learning magic, creates new pixels. Basically, the AI is trained on a set of high-quality images to learn how to create those extra pixels that seamlessly fit a photo. The result? Sharper and more defined images.


Pointers to remember when upscaling images

You can use one of the methods previously mentioned, or both, to enhance your photo. However, it’s important to note that results may still vary due to some factors. Here are a few:

  1. Resolution of the original image
    • • The result depends on how good your starting image is. If it’s already pretty sharp and high-res, upscaling will likely work wonders.
    • • Note that image resolution is about how much detail an image has. It’s tied to the number of pixels in the picture. So, the more pixels you have, the better the image quality, especially when you print it.
  2. Degree of upscaling needed
    • • The results of your upscaled image also depends on the extent to which you upscale it. If you’re just doubling the size, that usually turns out better than going for four times or more. Greater upscaling often means more loss in quality and detail.
    • • Now, if you’re looking for a different level of upscaling, you might want to consider subscription-based software like Adobe Photoshop, although this will cost you a few bucks.
  3. The algorithms used by the tool
    • • Not all online upscaling tools have the same algorithms to enhance an image. Some get all fancy with machine learning, while others keep it simple.

For that extra oomph in your photos, you can also play around with contrast, sharpness, and color balance in post-processing.


Image resolution matters

We tried image upscaling using fairly high-resolution photos of people, animals, and objects, and it worked effectively because these already had a higher quality starting point.

Subject 1:

sample image upscaling

Subject 2:

sample image upscaling

Subject 3:

sample image upscaling

But sometimes, especially with low-res images, image upscaling doesn’t turn out so well. Notice how the image below became grainier compared to its original version.

Image upscaling still has its quirks, even when it uses fancy algorithms. Therefore, it’s best to double-check the resolution of your original image and your upscaled image.

Available resources online

The next time you find yourself in a crunch with an image that needs some adjustments, remember that image upscaling can get the job done. You can find available upscaling tools online so you can quickly enhance your image, saving time and effort for your projects. Here are a few to get you started:

  1. VanceAI
  2. Pixelcut
  3. Zyro
  4. Upscale.media


You can also check these reading materials if you want to dive deeper into image upscaling: