Photography
How to increase the resolution of an image for better quality.
The number of pixels in a file is directly related to image quality. Learn how to play with pixels so you can adjust image resolution in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe {{lightroom}}.
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What is resolution of an image?
Can you enhance the quality of a low-resolution image?
How resampling affects resolution
Super Resolution vs Resampling
Resampling made smarter with AI-powered tools
Choose the best interpolation method when upsampling
Why an image still looks blurry after upscaling
Get the most out of every picture
Frequently asked questions on image reduction and quality
Get the low-down on increasing resolution.
Discover what pixel resampling, upsampling and downsampling mean and how they can affect the look of your photo. Find the step-by-step instructions to increasing image control and quality by using Super Resolution in {{lightroom}} or adjusting resolution in Photoshop. Plus, get tips on how to choose the best upsampling interpolation methods and more.
What is resolution of an image?
Before we get started, let us understand what image resolution means. Image resolution refers to the number of pixels contained in a digital image, usually measured in pixels per inch (PPI). More pixels generally result in sharper detail and clearer prints, while fewer pixels can cause images to look soft or pixelated when enlarged. Understanding resolution helps you make better decisions when resizing or editing photos in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom.
Can you enhance the quality of a low-resolution image?
It’s a familiar scene: A detective asks someone to “enhance” a blurry image on a computer until it becomes clear enough to make out a key piece of evidence. Does this work? Not the way Hollywood does it.
It used to be that the only way to resize a smaller photo into a larger, high-resolution image without highlighting poor image quality was to take a new photograph or re-scan your image at a higher resolution. Converting images from low resolution to high resolution often resulted in visible pixelation. You could increase the resolution of a digital image file, but you’d lose image quality in the process. This is why improving a low-resolution image required careful editing and often produced limited results.
But today, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom have features that can help you increase resolution while upholding visual quality. It may not be film magic, but it’s pretty close. For aspiring detectives and photographers alike, features like Super Resolution can quadruple the size of your photos using AI, giving you the clean edges and detail you need to make the most of any shot. These tools make it easier to enhance older photos, scanned images or cropped pictures while maintaining clarity.
How resampling affects resolution.
"Every digital image has a certain number of pixels. The more pixels an image starts with, the higher the resolution. When you add or subtract pixels from an image in Photoshop or Lightroom, that’s called resampling.
Key resampling terms to understand:
- Resampling: Adding or removing pixels from an image.
- Downsampling: Reducing the number of pixels, which removes image data.
- Upsampling: Increasing the number of pixels to enlarge an image.
- Resolution: The amount of detail an image holds, often measured in pixels per inch (PPI).
When you increase the number of pixels in an image without adjusting the dimensions, you add more pixels into the same amount of space and increase the resolution (or amount of detail) held within each inch.
Sometimes photographers will downsample images to save storage space or make load times faster for online images. Upsampling is trickier, however, since Photoshop has to guess how newly added pixels should look. Using AI-powered features like Super Resolution can make this process more accurate and help preserve fine details."
Super Resolution vs. Resampling.
Super Resolution differs from traditional resampling because it uses AI and context aware algorithm to create more realistic detail, while resampling adds or removes pixels using interpolation. Traditional resampling estimates new pixels based on surrounding colour and tone, which can sometimes soften an enlarged image. Super Resolution analyses textures and edges to generate cleaner, sharper results when increasing resolution, making it a smarter option for enlarging photos without compromising clarity.
Resampling made smarter with AI-powered tools.
Chances are that you won’t want to play the guessing game with photo resolution, especially for images you want to print. That’s where artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) come in handy. With Super Resolution in Lightroom and Photoshop, you can dramatically increase image resolution while keeping image quality in good shape. This is one of the most effective ways to enhance image quality in Photoshop when enlarging photos.
Say you snapped a great photo of your friend in a group portrait and your friend wants to turn it into their new headshot. But cropping a small section of a photo and increasing its size typically leads to major pixelation — and that's probably not the look your friend wants. You could try upsampling to add pixels to the photo, but it might take some work to get the picture looking good enough to use.
Increase image quality using Super Resolution.
One of the fastest ways to improve lower-resolution images and get a high-quality print is using Super Resolution in Lightroom. If you are wondering how to increase quality of image files without complex editing, this feature provides an efficient solution. With this feature, you don’t need to worry about resizing your image to get the quality you’re looking for. Lightroom will look at the context of your picture and automatically choose the best-looking pixels to add, doubling the image in size and quadrupling the pixel count. This makes it easier to prepare images for printing, portfolios or digital sharing without losing detail. Give it a try using one of the dozens of supported file formats, including DNG, JPG, TIFF and PNG.
How to use Super Resolution in Lightroom?
1. Open your image in {{lightroom}}.
2. Choose Photo > Enhance from the top menu.
3. In the Enhance Preview window, select Super Resolution.
4. Review the preview to confirm improved detail and edge clarity.
5. Click Enhance to create a higher-resolution version of the image.
{{lightroom}} will increase your image resolution and save it as a new DNG file. Any previous edits you’ve made to your new high-resolution photo will be included. The new file appears alongside the original image in your library, allowing you to compare results and continue editing if needed.
Adjust resolution in Photoshop for greater image control.
If you want even more control over your image resolution, you can use Super Resolution through Adobe Camera Raw when working in Photoshop. After you apply Super Resolution, try fine-tuning your picture with Sharpening, Noise Reduction and Texture to get it exactly how you want it. This workflow helps enhance image quality in Photoshop after increasing resolution.
But maybe you need to make a big change to the size of your original image or you have to add a specific number of new pixels. That’s when traditional resampling is your best choice. Whether you resample or use Super Resolution as your first step, this process can help you to create whatever image sizes and resolutions you need.
There are two methods you can try in Photoshop. Use the first to change image size and number of pixels independently or go with the second method to change one value at a time and let Photoshop adjust the rest automatically. Both methods are available in the Image Size dialogue in Photoshop.
Change resolution by adjusting pixel dimensions in Photoshop.
If you have specific needs for the dimensions or size of your image — like a poster at a certain print size — check the Resample box. This allows you to adjust the print size and resolution independently, which changes the number of pixels in the image. This is one of the most direct ways to increase resolution of image in Photoshop using manual resampling controls. Get started with these steps.
1. Open your image in {{photoshop}}.
2. Choose Image › Image Size.
3. To maintain the current ratio of Width to Height, be sure the chain icon linking these properties is activated.
4. Under Dimensions, enter values for Width and Height. The new file size for the image appears at the top of the Image Size dialogue box, with the old file size in parentheses.
5. Select Resample and choose an interpolation method suitable for your image.
6. If your image has layers with styles applied to them, select Scale Styles under the gear icon to scale the effects. (This option is available only if you selected Constrain Proportions.)
7. Click OK to apply the new resolution and pixel dimensions.
Change print dimensions without adjusting pixel dimensions in Photoshop.
See if you can achieve a high-quality print by adjusting only the dimension or resolution without changing pixel count. Photoshop will automatically change the other value for you, keeping the aspect ratio and number of pixels the same. This approach is useful when learning how to increase image resolution without losing quality because the original pixel data remains unchanged. Follow these steps.
1. Open your image in Photoshop.
2. Choose Image › Image Size to open the Image Size dialogue box.
3. Deselect Resample to prevent Photoshop from adding or removing pixels.
4. Adjust the Resolution value to change print density while keeping the same pixel count.
5. Modify Height or Width under Document Size to see Photoshop automatically recalculate resolution.
6. Review the updated document size and resolution values before clicking OK.
Choose the best interpolation method when upsampling.
Resampling of any kind, especially upsampling, can result in poorer image quality. But if you know the right interpolation method to choose — that is, the specific way software like Photoshop choose the colour values of new pixels — you can minimise any unwanted pixelation. Choosing the correct interpolation method helps preserve detail when enlarging images. The most common interpolation methods include the following:
Automatic:
Photoshop automatically chooses a resampling method based on the image type and resizing needs.
Preserve Details:
An advanced upsampling method designed to maintain fine detail, with a Noise Reduction slider for smoother results.
Nearest Neighbour:
Best for illustrations, icons and graphics with sharp edges and no anti-aliasing.
Bilinear:
Adds pixels by averaging the colour values of surrounding pixels to produce smoother transitions.
Bicubic:
Produces smoother tonal gradations than Nearest Neighbour or Bilinear.
Bicubic Smoother:
Designed for enlarging images while producing smoother transitions and reduced pixelation.
Bicubic Sharper:
Designed for reducing image size while maintaining perceived sharpness.
Why an image still looks blurry after upscaling.
An image may still look blurry after upscaling because increasing resolution cannot fully restore detail that was never captured in the original file. If the source photo is out of focus, heavily compressed or extremely low resolution, even AI-powered tools cannot recreate missing detail perfectly. To improve results, start with the highest-quality original image available, avoid repeated resizing and apply subtle sharpening after enlarging.
Get the most out of every picture.
The best way to get high-resolution images is by using the right camera for the job. But when that’s not an option — or you’re looking to improve older digital photos — Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom can help. If you are wondering how to make photo quality better, tools like Super Resolution and resampling provide simple ways to improve clarity and detail. Experiment with Super Resolution, resampling and even an AI image upscaler to see how far you can push your image quality. You might just get frame-worthy photographs that deserve a place on your wall.
Frequently asked questions on image resolution and quality
What is image resolution and why does it matter?
Can you increase image resolution without losing quality?
When should you use resampling in Photoshop?
What is the difference between upsampling and downsampling?
Which interpolation method is best for enlarging images?
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