Upscale a product photo

Scenario

You have a product image that looks fine at small sizes, but looks soft and artifacted on a product page or marketplace zoom.

Goal

Increase perceived sharpness and resolution while keeping textures (fabric, wood, skin) natural.

Inputs

  • Source image (often a JPEG export)
  • Target destination (web PDP, marketplace, print)

Steps

  1. Start with the best available file
    • Prefer the original camera export over an image saved from a chat app.
  2. Upscale conservatively
    • Choose an upscale level that matches the destination, not the maximum.
  3. Clean artifacts
    • Reduce JPEG blockiness and ringing around edges.
  4. Review at 100%
    • Check edges (logos), gradients, and fine textures.
  5. Export
    • Use the destination’s recommended format and dimensions.

Output expectations

  • Cleaner edges and fewer compression artifacts
  • More readable labels/logos (within limits of the original)
  • A natural look without “plastic” smoothing

Common pitfalls

  • Over-sharpening creates halos around product edges.
  • Over-smoothing removes real texture, making the product look fake.
  • Wrong export size: upscaling to huge sizes can waste bandwidth and time.

When not to use

  • You need new angles/creative re-shoots or compositing.
  • The image is extremely tiny—upscaling can’t fully restore missing detail.

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