# How to increase the resolution of an image

> To increase the resolution of an image, add pixels with an AI upscaler: upload it to kenerateai.com, choose 4K or an exact size, and download — AI rebuilds detail as it enlarges (25 free credits on sign-up). You can also resample in Photoshop (Image → Image Size), GIMP (Image → Scale Image) or Mac Preview (Tools → Adjust Size), but that only interpolates and looks softer. Changing DPI adds no pixels.

URL: https://kenerateai.com/how-to-increase-resolution-of-an-image
Publisher: Kenerate AI (https://kenerateai.com)
Last updated: 26 September 2026

## Key facts
- Best way: AI upscaler (adds detail)
- Photoshop: Image → Image Size → Resample
- Mac: Preview → Tools → Adjust Size
- DPI change: Adds no pixels

## Steps
1. Open an AI upscaler — Go to kenerateai.com/app/tool/image-upscale (works on desktop and phone).
2. Upload the image — JPG, PNG or WEBP up to 25 MB.
3. Pick the size — Real-ESRGAN, or Image Upscaler → 2K/4K/8K, or Kenerate Upscale → 4–128 megapixels.
4. Download — The higher-resolution image downloads with no watermark.

## In depth

### Resampling = averaging
Photoshop's Image Size, GIMP's Scale Image, Preview and Paint all resample: every new pixel is a weighted average of the originals [1]. Bicubic (Keys, 1981) uses the 16 nearest pixels [2]; Lanczos (Duchon, 1979) is a windowed-sinc filter that is sharper but can ring around edges [3]. None of them can create detail that wasn't captured.

### GIMP's NoHalo and LoHalo
GIMP 3 offers None (nearest neighbour), Linear, Cubic, NoHalo and LoHalo [4]. NoHalo and LoHalo are designed to avoid the halos that sharper filters create, which makes them the safest manual choice for enlarging photos.

### AI Super Resolution
Adobe's Super Resolution in Camera Raw uses a trained model to double the width and height of a photo [5] — a small, fixed step. Online AI upscalers apply the same idea with larger models: Real-ESRGAN, for example, was trained on blurred, noisy and JPEG-compressed images so it can add plausible edges and texture as it enlarges [6].

### Why no method recovers everything
A sampled image can only hold detail up to half its sampling rate [7]. Beyond that, AI chooses a plausible version — which is why faces and text in an upscaled image should be checked before you rely on them.

References:
[1] Image scaling — Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_scaling
[2] Keys (1981) — Cubic convolution interpolation: https://doi.org/10.1109/TASSP.1981.1163711
[3] Duchon (1979) — Lanczos filtering: https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/apme/18/8/1520-0450_1979_018_1016_lfioat_2_0_co_2.xml
[4] GIMP 3.0 — Transform tools (interpolation): https://docs.gimp.org/3.0/en/gimp-tools-transform.html
[5] Adobe — Super Resolution in Camera Raw: https://helpx.adobe.com/camera-raw/using/enhance.html
[6] Wang et al. — Real-ESRGAN (ICCV Workshops 2021): https://arxiv.org/abs/2107.10833
[7] Shannon (1949) — Communication in the Presence of Noise: https://www.math.unl.edu/~bdeng1/Teaching/math943/Topics/Genetics/Shannon1949.pdf

## FAQ
Q: How do I increase the resolution of an image?
A: Use an AI upscaler: upload the image to kenerateai.com, pick a size such as 4K and download — it adds real pixels and rebuilds detail. In an editor you can resample instead (Photoshop Image → Image Size, GIMP Image → Scale Image, Mac Preview Tools → Adjust Size), but that only interpolates and looks softer.

Q: How do I increase the resolution of an image without losing quality?
A: Enlarge it with AI super-resolution rather than a normal resize. Normal resampling spreads the existing pixels; AI adds plausible detail as it enlarges, so edges stay sharp.

Q: Does changing DPI increase resolution?
A: No. Changing DPI (or unticking Resample in Photoshop or Preview) keeps the same pixels and only changes the print size. You need to add pixels to increase resolution.

Q: How do I increase image resolution on Windows?
A: On a Copilot+ PC, open the image in Photos and choose Edit → Super resolution (2×, 4× or 8×). On any other PC, Paint's Resize adds pixels by interpolation, or use an online AI upscaler in the browser.

Q: How do I increase the resolution of an image on a Mac?
A: In Preview choose Tools → Adjust Size and enter a bigger size with Resample image ticked. For sharper results use an AI upscaler in Safari or Chrome.

Q: Can I increase image resolution on iPhone?
A: Apple's Photos app has no built-in way to add resolution. Open kenerateai.com in Safari, upload the photo to the upscaler and save the result to Photos.

Q: What is the best way to increase resolution for printing?
A: Work out the pixels you need at 300 PPI (e.g. 2400 × 3000 px for 8×10 in), then upscale to at least that size with AI — Kenerate Upscale lets you pick an exact megapixel size.

## Related pages
- AI image upscaler: https://kenerateai.com/ai-image-upscaler
- Upscale image: https://kenerateai.com/upscale-image
- AI image enhancer: https://kenerateai.com/ai-image-enhancer
- Upscale image to 4K: https://kenerateai.com/upscale-image-to-4k
- Increase image resolution: https://kenerateai.com/increase-image-resolution
- HD photo converter: https://kenerateai.com/hd-photo-converter
- Unblur image: https://kenerateai.com/unblur-image
- Sharpen image: https://kenerateai.com/sharpen-image
- Unpixelate image: https://kenerateai.com/unpixelate-image
- Photo restoration: https://kenerateai.com/photo-restoration
- Uncensored image enhancer: https://kenerateai.com/enhance-ai
- Enhance AI art: https://kenerateai.com/enhance-ai-art
- Anime upscaler: https://kenerateai.com/anime-upscaler
- Bulk image upscaler: https://kenerateai.com/bulk-image-upscaler
- Remove glare from photo: https://kenerateai.com/remove-glare-from-photo
- Restore old photos: https://kenerateai.com/how-to-restore-old-photos
- Best photo restoration software: https://kenerateai.com/best-photo-restoration-software
- Denoise photos: https://kenerateai.com/how-to-denoise-photos
- Sharpen an image in Photoshop: https://kenerateai.com/how-to-sharpen-an-image-in-photoshop
- All upscaler alternatives: https://kenerateai.com/image-upscaler-alternatives
- Remini alternative: https://kenerateai.com/remini-alternative
- Let's Enhance alternative: https://kenerateai.com/lets-enhance-alternative
- upscale.media alternative: https://kenerateai.com/upscale-media-alternative
- Upscayl online: https://kenerateai.com/upscayl-online
- Bigjpg alternative: https://kenerateai.com/bigjpg-alternative
- VanceAI alternative: https://kenerateai.com/vanceai-alternative
- waifu2x alternative: https://kenerateai.com/waifu2x-alternative
- Magnific AI alternative: https://kenerateai.com/magnific-ai-alternative
- Topaz Labs alternative: https://kenerateai.com/alternatives/topazlabs-alternative

## Sources
- Adobe — Resampling options in Photoshop: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/desktop/crop-resize-transform/resize-adjust-resolution/resampling-options.html
- Adobe — Super Resolution in Camera Raw: https://helpx.adobe.com/camera-raw/using/enhance.html
- GIMP 3.0 — Scale Image: https://docs.gimp.org/3.0/en/gimp-image-scale.html
- Apple — Resize an image in Preview on Mac: https://support.apple.com/guide/preview/resize-rotate-or-flip-an-image-prvw2015/mac
- Microsoft — Super resolution in Photos: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/super-resolution-in-photos-1e55d7b6-d62c-460b-a957-fc01d896c334