Tutorials · 2026-10-19 · 3 min read

How to Upscale a Low-Resolution Image Without It Looking Soft

Enlarging a small image usually makes it blurry. Here is how to pick the right model and scale so the result stays sharp and natural.

A small image needs to be big: a thumbnail that has to become a banner, an old photo headed for print, a logo pulled from an email signature. A plain resize spreads the same pixels over more space and the result looks soft. The Upscale tool on AirGallery uses Topaz Labs models that add detail while enlarging, up to 6x. The settings matter, so this guide walks through them.

Before you start

  • Have your files ready as PNG, JPG, or WebP, up to 25 MB each. You can process up to 10 images at once with the same settings.
  • Know the size you need. 2x covers most web uses. 4x or 6x is for print or very small sources.
  • Sign in. The credit cost per image is shown at the top of the page.

Steps

  • Open Upscale and upload one or more images.
  • Pick an Enhancement Model to match the source. Standard V2 is the default for ordinary photos. Low Resolution V2 is built for web graphics and screenshots. High Fidelity V2 suits photos from a good camera. CGI is for illustrations and renders. Text Refine is for images that contain text.
  • Choose the Upscale Factor: 1x, 2x, 4x, or 6x. Start with 2x.
  • Decide on the extras. Turn on Face Enhancement for portraits and set Face Strength. Leave the Sharpen, Denoise, and Fix Compression sliders at zero for the first run.
  • Click Enhance All. A progress bar tracks the batch, and each finished image gets a comparison slider.
  • Click Download All, or download and Save to Gallery one at a time. Files are saved as PNG with the scale factor in the name.

Tips for a sharper result

  • Soft output usually means too much scale on a very small source. Try 2x, inspect it at full size, and only then try 4x.
  • If the source itself is blurry, switch the model to one of the Sharpen options: Standard, Strong, Lens Blur V2, Motion Blur, or Natural. Set the factor to 1x to fix the blur first, then upscale the result in a second run.
  • Noisy or heavily compressed JPGs should go through a Denoise model (Normal, Strong, or Extreme) or get a nudge on the Fix Compression slider. Enlarging noise just makes bigger noise.
  • A crunchy, over-processed look almost always comes from the Sharpen slider. Keep it low or off.
  • For a quick single-image fix with fewer controls, the Enhance tool offers General, Sharpen, Denoise, and Fix Lighting modes.

How much scale do you need

Work backwards from the output. A full-width web image rarely needs more than 2000 pixels across, so a 1000 pixel source only needs 2x. A 6 by 4 inch print at 300 dots per inch needs about 1800 by 1200 pixels. An A4 print needs roughly 3500 by 2500. Pick the smallest factor that gets you there, because every step of scale is a step further from the real detail in the original, and the result gets softer and more invented the further you push it.

Upscaling is an estimate of detail that was never captured, so judge the result at the size you will actually use it, not zoomed in to 400 percent. Most AirGallery runs cost one to three credits and credits never expire, so running a 2x test before committing a batch to 6x is the cheapest way to avoid a soft result.