Upscaling an image with Let’s Enhance is a super simple and very quick process. Simply upload a blurry or pixelated image to Let’s Enhance, choose an upscale size of 2x, 4x, 8x, or 16x, start processing, and save the photo to your device. You’ll have an image that’s larger in resolution that does not sacrifice the quality of the image itself in less than a minute.
Check out this detailed guide for a more in-depth look at how Images are upscaled with Let's Enhance.
What is Upscaling
Take an image with a small resolution and low DPI (dots-per-inch) and increase its resolution on any image editing software. All you’ll get is a bigger image that is very pixelated since all you’ve essentially done is increase the size of the image, but also of the pixels. If you want to enlarge an image but retain its sharpness, you must upscale it.
Today, this is generally done using a machine learning algorithm called Super Resolution, which, putting it in simple terms, functions by the AI analyzing the pixels in an image and adding new ones based on the original image in a way that keeps the image sharp regardless of how much the resolution has been increased.
Non-AI Methods of Upscaling
And while most of the upscaling done today is accomplished with the help of AI, there are non-AI methods of upscaling, which include three methods of interpolation: nearest neighbor bilinear, and bicubic. You can find these functions in professional image editing software such as Photoshop and each performs slightly differently.
These methods have proven to be effective to some extent, each one comes with its own key downside.
For example, nearest neighbor interpolation results in blocky pixels, which results in the image looking pixelated and the edges very jagged. This is because it doesn’t blend the pixels together, but rather fills in pixels with the same color code as its neighbors.
Bilinear doesn’t have this problem, as images tend to be much smoother. However, this smoother effect is done to a fault, as the processed image loses a lot of the original’s sharpness, meaning hard lines and edges are no longer as pronounced and blend together.
Though bicubic tends to produce better results than the previous two interpolation methods, it has problems of its own. The biggest one tends to be oscillations artifacts, also known as “edge halos”, that show up on the edges of objects within the photo. It’s also important to note, that bicubic interpolation requires better hardware for images with complex visuals and even then could take some time to finish.
At the end of the day, with how vast in numbers and accessible AI-powered design and enhancement tools are, there's really no reason to utilize these older methods of upscaling. AI-based image editing and enhancement software are simply far more advantageous.
Benefits of AI Upscaling Method (i.e. Super Resolution the Core of Our Technology)
Speaking of which: whata re the benefits of upscaling with AI? As mentioned above, Super Resolution is a machine learning algorithm that modern AI platforms can use to upscale images more effectively than traditional interpolation methods.
Here are the benefits of using Super Resolution over traditional interpolation methods:
1. Preserving Details
AI-powered upscaling software is very effective at preserving the finer details of images. This is thanks to the machine learning algorithms that have been developed to recognize particular shapes, forms, and patterns and add them into images accordingly, as opposed to interpolation upscaling methods, which arbitrarily fill in pixels based on mathematical formulas.
2. Improved Image Quality
Comparing images upscaled with AI vs interpolation methods you can see a huge difference in quality. AI is far more effective at upscaling images, without leaving any blurry or pixelated areas.
3. Speed
Upscaling with AI-powered upscalers such as Let’s Enhance or Claid.ai is much faster than with interpolation methods. You can upscale images using Let’s Enhance in less than a minute. With the exception of a very complex upscaling tasks, Let's Enhance will have the results ready in a matter of seconds.
4. Server-side Process
Most AI-powered upscalers only require an internet connection to process images. Unlike most photo editing software that make use of interpolation upscaling methods, AI-powered software, including our own Let’s Enhance, is server-side. This means users don’t need to have high-end hardware to perform complex upscaling and only require a stable internet connection.
5. Versatility
Let’s Enhance and its B2B counterpart, Claid.ai, offer a variety of tools besides upscaling that can help improve the quality of an image. For example, the Let’s Enhance platform can upscale specific types of images, such as photos, digital or AI art, or images with texts. It also comes with a suite of image enhancement tools for specific uses, such as deblurring or removing visual artifacts, enhancing facial features, and additional lighting and color adjustments. It even comes with an image generator to help you render completely new visuals.
Claid.ai also comes with a suite of image editing and enhancement tools for eCommerce, such as removing backgrounds and automatically optimizing large batches of product images to fit the same guidelines. This way, all product images are optimized for the biggest eCommerce platforms without having to go through them individually.
The latest update for Claid.ai also came with AI-Photoshoot, a brand new tool that allows users to render professional product photo backgrounds for their images. It's as simple as uploading a product photo, the background gets automatically removed, and a professional background is rendered in its place based on the user's text input.
Quick Guide to Upscaling
Step 1. Visit https://letsenhance.io/boost to login or create an account.
Step 2. Upload your image.
Step 3. Select the image type and upscale size.
Step 4. Click Start processing and once it's finished click on the downward arrow button to save the image to your device.
