We have seen a couple of algorithms capable of upscaling low-res images. But you can also increase the resolution of your photos in Photoshop and still keep them sharp and usable. In this video from Blue Lightning TV Photoshop, you’ll learn an easy way of upscaling and sharpening images in Photoshop CC so you don’t lose details in your images.

In the video, you can also learn how to upscale low-res black and white graphics, which you might also find useful. But the photo part starts at 5:25, and it uses what’s called Artificial Intelligence Assisted Upscaling. Keep in mind that it’s only available in Photoshop CC and later, and this is how to use it to increase the size of the photo and keep it sharp:

Open the image you’d like to upscale or sharpen and go to Edit > Preferences > Technology Previews. Check Enable Preserve Details 2.0 Upscale. Now go back to the image and click Image > Image Size. Open the Resample list and click Preserve Details 2.0. Choose Percent as parameters and type the percentage of the size increase you want. In the video, the photo is increased three times, or 300 percent. You can also reduce the noise, but don’t overdo it because you’ll lose details.

To make the photo even sharper, you can apply the High Pass filter. Make a copy of the photo (Ctrl/Cmd + J) and go to Filter > Other > High Pass. Adjust the amount of pixels based on the size and resolution of your photo, and change the blend mode to Overlay. And that’s pretty much it.

I believe this technique can be useful, for example, if you crop an image and want to upscale it without losing detail. Also, the High Pass filter works on those slightly out-of-focus photos you really want to save. If you use Photoshop CC, try this out and let us know if it works for you.

[Photoshop: Convert Low-Resolution to High-Resolution! Up-Scaling & Up-Rezzing. via FStoppers]