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Can you enhance the quality of a low-resolution image?
How resampling affects resolution
Increase image quality using Super Resolution
Adjust resolution in Photoshop
Choose the best interpolation method when upsampling
Get the most out of every picture
Real-world impact: How creatives in India can use Adobe tools to elevate their work.
Increase the resolution of an image: Frequently asked questions.
Understand image resolution: resampling, upsampling & more.
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, explore the best upsampling interpolation methods for optimal results.
Can you improve 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. You could increase the resolution of a digital image file, but you’d lose image quality in the process.
Today, Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom offer AI-powered tools to increase image resolution while maintaining quality. Super Resolution, for example, can quadruple the size of an image while preserving sharp details, helping photographers and detectives alike get the clarity they need.
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.
- Downsampling reduces the pixel count, removing data to decrease file size or improve loading speeds.
- Upsampling increases the pixel count, adding new data to enhance resolution.
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 of an image (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. However, upsampling is challenging, as Photoshop must intelligently generate new pixels to maintain image quality.
Smarter resampling with AI-powered precision.
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 Photoshop and Lightroom, you can dramatically increase the resolution of an image while keeping image quality in good shape.
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.
Enhance image quality effortlessly with Super Resolution.
One of the fastest ways to improve lower-resolution images and get a high-quality print is by using Super Resolution in Lightroom. 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’s size and quadrupling the pixel count. Give it a try using one of the dozens of supported file formats, including DNG, JPG, TIFF and PNG.
1. Open your image in {{lightroom}}.
2. Choose Photo > Enhance.
3. Select Super Resolution.
4. Click Enhance.
{{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.
Adjust resolution in Photoshop.
If you want even more control over your image resolution, you can use Super Resolution 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.
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. With the right settings, you can upscale images while minimising quality loss, ensuring they remain sharp and clear.
There are two methods you can try. Use the first to change image size and number of pixels independently, or go with the second method to only change one at a time and have Photoshop do the rest for you.
Change resolution by adjusting pixel dimensions.
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. It’s especially useful when preparing images for large-format printing, where maintaining high resolution is crucial. Get started with these steps.
1. Open your image in {{lightroom}}.
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.
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. When you finish selecting options, click OK to resample your resized image.
Change print dimensions without adjusting pixel dimensions.
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 method is useful when you want to control print output without affecting the original digital quality of the image. Follow these steps.
1. Open your image in Photoshop.
2. Choose Image › Image Size.
3. Deselect Resample. This will automatically lock the current ratio of Width and Height.
4. To adjust Resolution, add new values. Photoshop will automatically change the Document Size to match.
5. To adjust Document Size, add new values under Height and Width. Photoshop will automatically change the resolution to match.
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 determines the colour values of new pixels — you can minimise any unwanted pixelation. The most common interpolation methods include the following:
Automatic:
Photoshop chooses the resampling method based on the image type.
Preserve Details:
An advanced upsampling algorithm with a Noise Reduction slider.
Nearest Neighbour:
Best for illustrations with hard edges and no anti-aliasing.
Bilinear:
Adds pixels by averaging the colour values of surrounding pixels.
Bicubic:
Produces smoother tonal gradations than Nearest Neighbour or Bilinear.
Bicubic Smoother:
Good for enlarging images. Designed to produce smoother results.
Bicubic Sharper:
Good for reducing the size of an image.
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 Photoshop Lightroom can help. Experiment with Super Resolution and resampling to see how far you can push your image quality. With the right tools and techniques, even low-resolution images can be transformed into crisp, high-quality pictures. You might just get frame-worthy photographs that deserve a place on your wall.
Real-world impact: How creatives in India can use Adobe tools to elevate their work.
Adobe’s creative tools open up powerful possibilities for professionals and entrepreneurs across India. From small businesses to independent artists, genuine Adobe software offers practical solutions that help elevate visual quality, boost efficiency, and deliver standout results. Here are a couple of ways Indian creatives can unlock more value in their day-to-day work:
Small business owners improving product photos with Photoshop & Lightroom.
A jewellery seller in Jaipur uses Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom to enhance images for their online catalogue. By sharpening product detail, correcting colours, and adjusting lighting, they’re able to present a polished, high-quality storefront that earns more clicks, builds customer trust, and drives sales, especially on competitive marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart.
Wedding photographers restoring and refining client shots.
Photographers often deal with difficult lighting or rushed moments, especially at live events. Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop enable wedding photographers in cities like Pune to bring underexposed or low-quality shots back to life. With tools like AI-powered noise reduction and precision retouching, they can transform imperfect images into treasured memories, enhancing client satisfaction and boosting referrals.
Whether it’s for eCommerce, freelance work, or social content creation, Adobe's genuine tools help creatives in India deliver professional results faster, with fewer compromises, and that can make all the difference in a competitive market.
Increase the resolution of an image: Frequently asked questions.
How can I increase image resolution without losing quality?
What is the best resampling method for upscaling images in Photoshop?
Can I improve the resolution of a scanned or old photo?
What is the difference between Super Resolution and traditional upsampling?
Can I enhance image resolution in Photoshop without increasing file size?
Can I enhance image resolution in Photoshop without increasing file size?
What is the ideal resolution for web images?
Does increasing resolution also improve image sharpness?
How do I make an image print-ready with the correct resolution?
What resolution is best for printing a photo in India?
For high-quality photo prints in India, a resolution of 300 DPI (dots per inch) is generally considered ideal. This ensures crisp, sharp images whether you're printing standard 4x6 inch photos, A4 posters, or larger canvas prints.
If you're printing at a smaller size (like passport photos), a slightly lower resolution may still look fine, but for anything larger or intended for professional use, always aim for 300 DPI or higher. Also, make sure your image is saved in a print-ready format such as TIFF or high-resolution JPEG and is in the correct colour mode (usually CMYK for print).
What is the difference between using a genuine photo editing tool vs a cracked version?
Using a genuine photo editing tool like Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom offers reliability, access to the latest AI-powered features, regular updates, cloud sync, and most importantly legal and ethical peace of mind. You also get customer support and compatibility with other Adobe apps that streamline your creative workflow.
On the other hand, cracked versions come with significant risks. They often contain malware, can corrupt your files, lack updates, and may not perform consistently. You're also at risk of violating copyright laws, which can lead to legal trouble or loss of work opportunities - especially if you're running a professional or commercial business.
In short, genuine software ensures you can work efficiently, professionally, and securely something cracked versions simply can’t guarantee.
