Over the past couple of years we have seen the number of applications using generative artificial intelligence grow exponentially. Since the arrival of ChatGPT, DALL-E and other tools based on complex language models, today it is common for any product or service to offer this type of tool.
From chatbots, image and video editors, transcriptions, modification and voice generation… AI is already in tools across multiple areas of work. In addition, we can also take advantage of this technology in image scaling. Below we are going to offer you details about a free and open-source tool to scale images using artificial intelligence.
Upscayl allows you to scale the image for free and to the resolution you ask for
The tool in question is called Upscayl, and it basically offers us the possibility to scale any image to enlarge its resolution and detail. As we have mentioned, the tool is completely free and its code is open-source, so it also has the support of an independent community of developers behind it.
To make it work, all you have to do is visit its official website and download the installer, available for Windows, Linux, and macOS systems. If you wish, you can also download its portable version in a compressed file so that it doesn’t leave a trace on our operating system. A cloud version will soon arrive to scale images over the web and without the need to download the installer.
Result of a scaled image with Upscayl
Once downloaded, tap on the executable and it will take you directly to the tool. The options are diverse, and if you want to use it immediately, you just have to select the image you want to scale, the exit path and click on ‘Upscayl’. In a few seconds, the image will appear in the selected location and the app will offer us a very visual way to appreciate the changes by means of a bar that we can move from side to side.
The tool has very interesting options, such as the ability to scale all the images that are in a folder at once. To do this, all you have to do is activate the ‘Batch Upscayl’ option and select the folder. We can also choose from several imaging models. Each of them is optimized in certain styles and algorithms, while there will also be some that will take less time to scale the image.
By default, we’ll scale the image about four times its resolution. However, we can increase this multiplier. If we do this, anything from x4 upscaling will only increase the resolution, so there will be no AI detail modification. If you wish, you can also make the image go through the scaling twice by selecting the ‘Double Upscayl’ option.
In the tool’s settings, you can also select the output image format to choose between PNG, JPG, or WEBP. We can also select a custom width for the images and even compress them in case the size is too large.
Upscayl is a tremendously useful tool for those images that look blurry or pixelated and we want to improve their resolution using AI. Keep in mind that there will be results that do not convince you, since the images will also increase the sharpness and can create artifacts in them. If you are not convinced by a result, we recommend changing the generation model until there is one that convinces you.
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