Fix Low-Quality Pics Instantly with Photoshop's New AI!

PiXimperfect
1 Jan 202307:29

TLDRDiscover the power of Photoshop's AI to transform low-quality images with ease. By duplicating the background layer and applying the JPEG Artifact Removal through Neural Filters, users can significantly reduce artifacts and enhance details. Adjust the strength to suit your needs and use Smart Filters for non-destructive editing. While this method works wonders, it may not be perfect for all areas, especially in large images or those uploaded from social media. For such cases, combining the AI's output with manual adjustments using masks and Surface Blur can yield stunning results, turning a low-quality image into a high-resolution masterpiece.

Takeaways

  • 🖼️ Use Photoshop's AI feature to enhance low-quality images with artifacts and low resolution.
  • 🎨 Duplicate the background layer (Ctrl/Cmd J) and apply the neural filters from the Filter menu.
  • 🔍 Activate the JPEG artifacts removal option for a cleaner image output.
  • 📊 Adjust the strength of the artifact removal to suit your preferences and needs.
  • 📷 Apply the output as a Smart Filter for easy adjustments later on.
  • 👁️‍🗨️ Notice improvements in details such as eyebrows and overall image clarity after using the AI filter.
  • 🖼️ In cases where the AI cannot fully fix details, use a combination of techniques like creating masks and layer adjustments.
  • 🎨 For images with compression artifacts, like those from social media, the AI can still significantly improve quality.
  • 🛠️ Use surface blur (Filter > Blur > Surface Blur) to maintain edges while fixing the sky or large areas.
  • 🔧 Combine the artifact removal with selective blurring and sharpening to achieve a natural and visually pleasing result.
  • 📹 This tutorial provides practical tips and tricks for improving low-quality images using Photoshop's AI and other tools.

Q & A

  • What is the primary issue with the image discussed in the script?

    -The primary issue with the image is its low quality, which is characterized by numerous artifacts and a small file size of only 29 KB.

  • How does the script suggest improving the quality of a low-resolution image?

    -The script suggests using Photoshop's AI feature, specifically the neural filters and JPEG artifact removal, to enhance the quality of the image.

  • What is the first step in using the AI feature to fix the image?

    -The first step is to make a copy of the background layer by pressing Ctrl or Command + J.

  • Where in Photoshop can the neural filters be found?

    -The neural filters can be found under the Filter menu in Photoshop.

  • What specific filter is used to reduce JPEG artifacts?

    -The specific filter used is the JPEG Artifacts Removal filter within the Neural Filters.

  • How can the strength of the JPEG artifacts removal be adjusted?

    -The strength can be adjusted according to the user's preference, allowing for a more or less intensive correction.

  • What is the benefit of setting the output to Smart Filter?

    -Setting the output to Smart Filter allows the user to adjust the strength of the filter later on if needed.

  • How can different areas of an image have different strengths applied?

    -By creating masks for different strength values, the user can apply varying levels of the filter to different areas of the image.

  • What is the 'catch' mentioned in the script?

    -The catch is that in some cases, particularly with heavily compressed images, certain areas may not be fixed properly even with the JPEG artifacts removal filter.

  • How can the 'catch' be addressed if the image has issues that the AI filter can't fix?

    -The script suggests using a combination of techniques such as creating a mask to paint back details, and using Surface Blur to maintain edges while blurring the sky to fix issues that the AI filter can't address.

  • What is the final step to ensure the sky is fixed without affecting the rest of the image?

    -The final step is to use the 'Select Sky' feature to automatically select the sky, and then apply a mask to the 'sky fix' layer, ensuring the blur effect is limited only to the sky.

Outlines

00:00

🖼️ Enhancing Low-Quality Images with Neural Filters

This paragraph discusses the process of improving the quality of a low-resolution image with numerous artifacts. The speaker explains that despite the image's small file size of 29 KB, details can be restored using a specific feature in photo editing software. By duplicating the background layer and applying 'Neural Filters' from the filter menu, users can activate 'JPEG Artifacts Removal' to enhance the image. The strength of this filter can be adjusted according to user preference, and the before-and-after effects are showcased, demonstrating a significant improvement in image quality. The speaker also mentions the possibility of applying this effect as a 'Smart Filter' for later adjustments. However, a caveat is introduced, hinting at a forthcoming solution for a common issue encountered when dealing with compressed images from social media.

05:02

🎨 Fixing Compression Artifacts and Sky Blurring

The second paragraph delves into the specifics of fixing compression artifacts, particularly in images that have been uploaded to social media and only the compressed JPEG version remains. The speaker describes a method involving the duplication of layers and the application of 'JPEG Artifacts Removal' through 'Neural Filters.' This process is noted to be device-based, with no reliance on cloud processing. The time taken for the filter to process larger images is acknowledged, and the resulting improvement in image quality is highlighted, especially in areas like water and edges. However, the speaker points out that certain lines in the sky may still be visible after this process. To address this, the 'Surface Blur' filter is recommended over 'Gaussian Blur' as it preserves edges. The paragraph concludes with a technique for selectively applying the 'Sky Fix' layer to only the sky area, using the 'Select Sky' feature, and adjusting the blur to achieve a natural, painting-like effect. The speaker emphasizes the importance of the 'JPEG Artifacts Removal' feature and suggests further exploration of its potential uses, inviting viewers to engage with the content by liking and subscribing for more tips and tutorials.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Low-Quality Pics

Low-Quality Pics refer to images that have a poor resolution, visible artifacts, or other imperfections that degrade the overall visual quality. In the context of the video, such images are characterized by their small file size, such as 29 KB, and the presence of artifacts that make the image appear pixelated or distorted. The main theme of the video is to address this issue and provide solutions to improve the quality of such images using Photoshop's AI features.

💡Photoshop

Photoshop is a widely used software program developed by Adobe for image editing and manipulation. It provides a suite of tools and features that allow users to alter and enhance digital images in various ways. In the video, Photoshop is the primary tool used to demonstrate how to fix low-quality images through its AI-powered features, such as neural filters.

💡AI

AI, or Artificial Intelligence, refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn like humans. In the context of the video, AI is integrated into Photoshop to automatically enhance low-quality images by identifying and correcting issues like artifacts and poor resolution. The AI in Photoshop is showcased as a powerful tool that can significantly improve the quality of images with minimal effort from the user.

💡Neural Filters

Neural Filters are a set of AI-driven tools within Photoshop that use deep learning algorithms to apply various image enhancements and effects. These filters are designed to mimic the way the human brain processes visual information, allowing for more natural and sophisticated adjustments to images. In the video, neural filters are used to fix low-quality images by removing JPEG artifacts and improving details, showcasing their ability to intelligently refine image quality.

💡JPEG Artifacts

JPEG Artifacts are visual distortions that occur in images as a result of compression. When an image is compressed to reduce its file size, some data is lost, leading to the appearance of artifacts such as blockiness, blurriness, or pixelation. In the video, the process of removing these artifacts using Photoshop's AI and neural filters is demonstrated as a way to improve the appearance and quality of low-resolution images.

💡Strength

In the context of the video, 'Strength' refers to the intensity or degree of the effect applied by the neural filters in Photoshop. Adjusting the strength allows the user to control the extent to which the AI enhancements are applied to the image, such as how much the JPEG artifacts are removed or how much detail is added. The strength setting is important as it enables users to customize the outcome of the image enhancement process according to their preferences.

💡Smart Filter

A Smart Filter in Photoshop is a non-destructive way of applying filters and effects to an image. It allows users to edit the filter settings after they have been applied, without affecting the original image layer. In the video, the output is set to Smart Filter so that the user can later adjust the strength of the JPEG artifacts removal as needed. This provides flexibility and control over the editing process.

💡Mask

A Mask in Photoshop is a tool that allows users to hide or reveal parts of a layer. It is essentially a grayscale image where black areas are fully transparent and white areas are fully opaque. Masks are used to apply effects or adjustments to specific areas of an image without affecting the entire image. In the video, a mask is created to paint back details in areas where the JPEG artifacts removal feature may have been too strong, providing a way to selectively control the effect.

💡Surface Blur

Surface Blur is a filter in Photoshop that is designed to reduce noise or detail in an image while preserving edges and important features. Unlike regular blur filters, Surface Blur is effective in blurring uniform areas without blurring edges, making it ideal for smoothing out skies or other large, flat areas in an image without losing detail. In the video, Surface Blur is used to fix remaining lines or artifacts in the sky after the initial AI enhancement.

💡Sky Fix

Sky Fix refers to a specific technique used in the video to address issues with the sky in an image after using the JPEG artifacts removal feature. This involves using a combination of masks and the Surface Blur filter to selectively apply adjustments only to the sky area, thereby preserving the details in the rest of the image while smoothing out the sky. The term 'Sky Fix' encapsulates the process of refining the sky to achieve a more natural and visually pleasing appearance.

Highlights

Photoshop's new AI feature can fix low-quality images with artifacts and low resolution.

Making a copy of the background layer is the first step in the process.

Accessing the 'Neural Filters' under the 'Filter' menu is crucial for AI enhancement.

JPEG artifact removal can be activated to improve image quality.

Adjusting the strength of the AI filter allows customization of the image enhancement.

Before and after comparisons showcase the AI's effectiveness in detail recovery.

Setting the output to 'Smart Filter' enables later adjustments of the AI's strength.

Different strength values can be applied to various areas of the image for a tailored result.

The AI works on-device, meaning no cloud processing is required.

For large images, the AI processing might take a bit longer.

Using a mask, details can be painted back into areas where the AI removed too much.

Creating a 'skyfix' layer with Surface Blur can help blend the sky without blurring edges.

Adjusting the threshold in Surface Blur helps recover edges after blurring.

Selecting and masking the sky can keep the blur effect limited to just the sky area.

Further blurring can be applied using the same method for other areas if desired.

JPEG artifacts removal and Surface Blur are powerful tools for fixing image issues.

The video provides a comprehensive guide on using Photoshop's AI for image enhancement.

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