Enhance & Upscale Photos

AI enhancement can significantly improve photos with minor to moderate issues: correcting exposure by 1-2 stops, removing light noise and compression artifacts, sharpening slightly soft images, and restoring faded colors. However, it cannot recover detail that was never captured. Severely blurry photos from heavy camera shake or extremely dark images with no shadow detail will show limited improvement. The AI works with existing image data and intelligently enhances it — results depend on the quality of your starting image.

They're closely related but target different things. Enhancement improves the quality of your existing image at its current resolution — fixing lighting, boosting colors, sharpening details, reducing noise. Upscaling increases the image dimensions (making a 1000px photo into a 4000px photo) while using AI to add realistic detail. 'Improve' is a general term that covers both. Whether you say 'enhance,' 'improve,' 'boost,' or 'make better,' the AI understands and applies appropriate corrections. For best results when doing both, enhance first, then upscale the enhanced version.

Yes. AI upscaling generates new realistic detail rather than just stretching pixels. At 2x enlargement, results are typically indistinguishable from a photo taken at higher resolution. At 4x, you'll get excellent results for most photos — the AI adds detail based on patterns it recognizes in your image. For critical large-format prints, start with the highest quality original file you have and use 2x-3x upscaling for the most natural results.

Start with 'Enhance Old Photo' which is specifically trained for vintage photo issues: faded colors, film grain, scratches, and age-related degradation. It understands the difference between intentional vintage character and actual damage. If the photo is also small and you want to print it larger, follow up with 'Upscale Old Photo' which maintains the era's authentic feel while increasing resolution. For severely damaged photos with missing sections, you may also need repair tools from the Fix category.

Enhancement works with your existing image data — it doesn't fabricate new objects or elements. However, upscaling does generate new detail at the pixel level. When you upscale a photo 4x, the AI creates realistic texture and fine detail based on patterns it understands: what skin, fabric, foliage, and other surfaces look like at higher resolutions. The result looks like a higher-resolution capture, not an invented image.

Yes. The extend tools use AI outpainting to generate new content that seamlessly continues your existing photo beyond its original borders. This works best for backgrounds, skies, landscapes, and repeating patterns. You can extend any edge — top, bottom, left, right — or multiple sides at once to change the aspect ratio. For tight crops of architecture, nature, and product shots, extension typically produces excellent results.

Quality upscaling adds realistic detail based on the patterns in your original photo. At 2x enlargement, results are typically indistinguishable from a higher-resolution original. At 4x, you may notice some AI-generated textures in areas with complex patterns. For best results, start with the highest quality original you have, avoid upscaling already-compressed images, and use 2x-3x for critical applications where authenticity matters most.

For most everyday enhancements, AI produces comparable results in seconds versus the 15-30 minutes manual editing takes in Lightroom or Photoshop. You don't need to learn exposure sliders, tone curves, or masking tools. Professional photographers working on high-end commercial or editorial shoots may still prefer Lightroom's granular manual control and non-destructive workflow. For personal photos, social media, real estate, and e-commerce, AI enhancement is faster, easier, and produces great results.

Yes. The AI preserves natural skin texture by default. When enhancing portraits, add 'keep natural appearance' to your prompt. This prevents the plastic, over-smoothed look that older retouching tools produce. You can improve skin clarity, sharpen eyes, balance facial lighting, and enhance features while keeping the portrait looking authentic and true to the person.

Use the Enhance Lighting tool with a prompt like 'brighten shadows while preserving highlights.' The AI lifts shadow areas without blowing out the bright parts of your image. For photos taken in very low light with visible noise, the Low Light Enhancer also reduces grain while recovering detail. Mentioning 'preserving highlights' in your prompt prevents washed-out bright areas.

Yes. EditThisPic has specialty enhancement tools built for specific use cases. The Food Photo Enhancer makes dishes look more appetizing with vibrant colors and sharp detail. The Lawn Enhancement and Pool Photo Enhancement tools improve exterior shots for real estate listings. For portraits, the Profile Pic Enhancer is optimized for social media and professional headshots. Each tool is trained on its specific photo type.

No. EditThisPic works entirely in your browser — no app download, no software installation. It works on any device: desktop, tablet, or phone. Just open the website, upload your photo, and start enhancing. Your images are processed securely and are not stored permanently.

Yes. You get free edits every week with no signup required. There are no hidden fees, no watermarks on your results, and no account needed to start. Power users who need more edits can purchase credit packs or a subscription for higher volume.

No. You can start enhancing photos immediately — no signup, no email, no password. Creating an optional account lets you save your editing history and purchase additional credits, but it's never required to use the tools.

Each tool is optimized for its specific task, so we recommend doing them separately for best results. Enhance your photo first to improve quality, lighting, and colors. Then extend the enhanced version. This ensures the extension matches the improved quality rather than the original flaws. The whole process takes about 30 seconds per step.

Most AI enhancers apply a one-size-fits-all filter. EditThisPic uses a description-first approach — you describe what needs improving in words, and the AI applies targeted corrections. Say 'brighten the shadows and boost warm tones' instead of hoping an auto-enhance button does what you want. This gives you more control while keeping the process simple. Plus, the same tool handles enhancement, upscaling, and extension — no need for separate apps.