Upscaling

Traditional resizing, such as bicubic interpolation, spreads the existing pixels over a larger grid, so edges get soft and texture turns to blur. AI upscaling instead predicts what the missing detail should look like, based on what it has learned from many images: the grain of timber, the joints in brickwork, the edges of leaves. The result is a larger image that holds up at print sizes, though the added detail is plausible rather than measured from the design.

Getting it right

• Upscale the final, chosen image, not every draft. It is the last step before print or delivery.
• Check details that matter to the design. Window mullions, signage and small text can be reinterpreted, so compare them against the original.
• Work out the target size first. Knowing the resolution needed for an A1 board or a screen avoids upscaling too little or far more than necessary.
• Clean up problems before upscaling. Fixing a distorted figure or a stray object first is easier than after the image is larger.
• Very low-quality inputs can only be improved so far; a better source image still gives a better result.

In Rendair

Upscale & Enhance enlarges any render or photo and adds detail. There are also upscalers tuned for renders from specific software, such as the SketchUp Render Upscaler and the Enscape Render Upscaler, and Upscale Video does the same for moving images.