MidJourney: Scaling Images Up

From Art Mechanicum

Sometimes you need a very high quality image - beyond what MidJourney is capable of outputting - and you're not sure how to get it. MidJourney doesn't (at the time of writing) do 4K images, since it won't go above ~3m pixels (https://midjourney.gitbook.io/docs/resource-links/understanding-image-size#midjourney-image-sizes). To get there, you'll need to scale up another way.

For more in the official manual, see https://midjourney.gitbook.io/docs/resource-links/understanding-image-size

For an extremely detailed resource on scaling up images, also see https://upscale.wiki/wiki/Model_Database.

Example Image[edit | edit source]

Original Image

I'll be using a simple example generated by MidJourney through these to illustrate differences. I've scaled it down on purpose to illustrate upscaling.


Basic Upscaling[edit | edit source]

Basic Upscale

You can, of course, plunk your image into any editor and upscale it. Here's an example of scaled up by 10x using paint.net (https://www.getpaint.net/). While this looks the same in this little shot, it's blurry once you open the full image.


(Free) Super Resolution API[edit | edit source]

Super Resolution API - 4X
Super Resolution API - 16X

You can scale up using Super Resolution API as well (https://deepai.org/machine-learning-model/torch-srgan) which uses machine learning for better results. Just upload your image and it'll give you an upscaled version! Use it multiple times if you need larger pictures ;).

Unfortunately here you can't choose a specific size, so here is the default upscale run once (4x), and then twice (16x original).

Gigapixel[edit | edit source]

Gigapixel Upscale Standard to 10x
Gigapixel Upscale Standard to 10x in 2 steps

Paid software also exists in this space - Topaz Lab's Gigapixel is one such AI upscaler (https://www.topazlabs.com/gigapixel-ai). By default it will only use AI up to 6x, and a normal upscale past that. You can, just like Super Resolution, upscale with AI multiple times for the size you desire. It also has several modes - here I've used the default but there are many many knobs and dials to play with. Here are two examples - one with default settings to 10X directly (AI to 6x, then normal to 10x), and one in 2 steps (5x followed by 2x).


Photoshop[edit | edit source]

Photoshop "Preserve Details 2.0" to 10x

Another paid option is to use Photoshop, which has "Preserve Details Upscale" (https://www.photoshopessentials.com/basics/upscale-images-photoshop-cc-2018/ has some instructions), which works better than a basic upscale. There are less dials here, but more folks may have Photoshop than other paid options.

AI Image Upscaler[edit | edit source]

AI Image Upscaler, 4x
AI Image Upscaler, 16x

4x upscaler with 5 free credits per week, and like others can be run several times for better upscales.


Comparison[edit | edit source]

Comparison - Original
Comparison - Paint.NET
Comparison - Super Resolution API 4x
Comparison - Super Resolution API 16x
Comparison - Gigapixel Standard 10x (1 step)
Comparison - Gigapixel Standard 10x (2 steps, 5x and 2x)
Photoshop "Preserve Details 2.0" to 10x
AI Image Upscaler, 4x
AI Image Upscaler, 16x
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