Best way to UPREZZ an image?

[dchapsk]

What is the best way to increase the size of an image and no get too much pixellation? I've used Genuine Fractels in the past and ON1 Resize. I used these programs as plugins to Photoshop, but they aren't compatable with 2021.

[John Waller · Accepted solution]

Which version of ON1 Resize are you using?

ON1 Resize 2021 is definitely compatible with 2021. The Tech Specs page actually lists Photoshop CC 2021 as recommended.

https://www.on1.com/products/resize/specs/

[dchapsk]

Thanks for your response, John.

I am using ON1 10.5.2 as a standalone right now, because my Photoshop 22.3.1 wouldn't recognize it as a plugin.

[John Waller]

I am using ON1 10.5.2

That'll be your issue. You'll have to upgrade to Resize 2021 for it to work with Photoshop 2021.

[dchapsk]

IIRC, I think there was a problem with OS 10.14.6, which is the highest my MAC with run. I'm checking in again with ON1. Thanks.

[dchapsk]

I did upgrade to ON1 Resize 2021. I'm trying it out right now. The standalone works well, but as a Photoshop 2021 puglin, throught the Automate it's listed as a standalone. And when I use it in Photoshop, the resized image gets cropped. Something's not working. 

[John Waller]

Best to contact ON1 for support with their plugins

https://on1help.zendesk.com/hc/en-us

[dchapsk]

Thanks for your reply. I corresponded with ON1 support. 

I’m disappointed to find out that ON1 decided to remove non-proportional resizing on the new versions of Resize. That was a really bad decision. It’s been so useful to have non-proportional resizing as a design tool. I’m a design professional and have been using their product since Genuine Fractals through Perfect Resize and now this. The only way now to achieve the same results is to resize for one dimension, then take it into Photoshop to size the 2nd dimension. Re-size, indeed. It becomes a two-step process instead of one, a lot more work, when you are sizing dozens of images as design elements.

Really a bad call.

[gener7]

I had some success with waif2x

OSX ver port https://github.com/imxieyi/waifu2x-mac It uprezzes photos

[Conrad C]

Plug-ins are no longer the only option you have. You can also try the advanced resizing features that were added to recent versions of Photoshop.

Some time ago Adobe added more upscaling options to the Image > Image Size command, such as Bicubic Smoother (Enlargement), Preserve Details, and Preserve Details 2.0. (To see Preserve Details 2.0, you must first enable it in the Technology Previews pane of the Preferences dialog box.) Some of those newer options may be competitive with older upscaling plug-ins.

The current version of Adobe Camera Raw adds the new Super Resolution option in the Enhance feature. Super Resolution can be competitive with many of the latest upscaling plug-ins because like them, it’s powered by machine learning. It may not beat all of the current plug-ins, but the point is that if Super Resolution is good enough, you don’t have to go spend more money to upgrade a plug-in just for resizing.

[dchapsk]

This is gret, Conrad. I was looking for this kind of info. Wondering if Photoshop upscaling technology has evolved to take the place of third-party plugins. I've used Genuine Fractals and then Perfect Resize for years. It always struck me as something of an extra step to what Adobe should offer as a function of their software.

[dchapsk]

I wonder if there are comparison tests for Photoshop upscaling vs ON1 Resize, to understand the advantage of using a plugin?

[Conrad C · Accepted solution]

There are a number of articles and YouTube videos comparing different resizing software, so there are probably some comparing On1 Resize against Photoshop. The question is which ones compare against the more recent Photoshop improvements, such as Preserve Details 2.0 and Super Resolution in Camera Raw.

The one getting all the attention today is Topaz Gigapixel AI, a plug-in/application based on machine learning. Adobe came out with their machine-learning powered Camera Raw Super Resolution upscaler after that.

So if you can find any, a useful comparison would be between:

• Topaz Gigapixel AI 
• On1 Resize 
• Adobe Photoshop Preserve Details & Preserve Details 2.0 
• Adobe Camera Raw Super Resolution 

I just found this recent article by Greg Benz and it looks like a good one, it does compare those: The best software for beautiful large prints?

[dchapsk]

Awesome. Thank you. I will check it out.

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

Some people blindly follow a formula of 300ppi at final print size, without considering the variables of image content, output method and viewing distance/conditions.

This may not be your situation, however, it is always worth keeping in mind.

[Nancy OShea]

With pixel-based images, up-scaling from low-res to hi-res rarely works without pixelation of some kind.  It's just the nature of the beast.  For best results, find out what output is required BEFORE you start your project and build it to those specifications. 

The only exception is when math-based vector images are used.  Vectors created in Illustrator can handle any scale  -- large or small -- without loss in quality.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalable_Vector_Graphics

[dchapsk]

Thanks Nancy and Stephen. I'm well-aware of the protocols in planning projects and size application of attwork. I'm often faced with projects, where an element or more need uprezzing to match the rest of the art format. For these kind of problems, we need software with algorhithms that will artfully enlarge pixels and mask pixelization. 

[Nancy OShea]

The first thing I learned in photography and later in computer programming was 1. "you never get something for nothing" and 2. "there's always a tradeoff somewhere."

If you can live with the results from up-sizing which essentially adds pixels where none existed before, fine.  But don't expect perfection.

Good luck with your project!