How do I increase the resolution of a photo?

First decide which resolution you mean. For more pixels, upscale (sharper) or resize (faster). For a DPI number, work out the pixels the print size needs — DPI itself is just pixels divided by inches. For a photo that looks soft, upscaling helps only if the original is small but in focus.

Does changing DPI change the image?

No. DPI is a note about how densely to print the pixels; the pixels stay the same. A 1200-pixel-wide image is 300 DPI at 4 inches and 150 DPI at 8 inches. If you need more pixels, DPI won't give them to you.

Can I increase resolution without losing quality?

Enlarging always creates pixels that weren't captured. A super-resolution model creates them convincingly, which is as close as it gets — the Image Upscaler does that in your browser. Plain resizing softens.

What resolution do I need for printing?

Multiply the print size in inches by 300 for good quality. A 4×6 print wants about 1200×1800 pixels; an 8×10 wants about 2400×3000. Below roughly 150 DPI, prints start to look soft up close.

How to Increase Image Resolution

Updated September 2, 2026

A form rejects your photo for "low resolution". A printer says 300 DPI. A website wants 1200 pixels wide. These sound like the same problem and they are not. Sorting out which one you have is most of the work.

Three things people mean by "resolution"

What they mean	Example	What changes it
Pixel dimensions — how many pixels wide and tall	"Must be at least 1200×800"	Upscaling (adds detail) or resizing (stretches pixels)
Print density (DPI/PPI) — how many pixels per inch when printed	"300 DPI for print"	Often just a number in the file; the pixels are the same. 300 DPI at 4×6 inches needs 1200×1800 pixels
Perceived sharpness — how crisp it looks	"It looks pixelated"	Upscaling helps if the source is sharp but small; nothing fixes a blurry source

If you need more pixels

This is the case where the image is genuinely too small — a 600-pixel photo for a slot that wants 1200. You have two routes. Resizing with the Image Resizer gives you the exact dimensions instantly but stretches existing pixels, so it softens. Upscaling with the Image Upscaler runs a model that redraws the enlarged image with realistic edges and texture; it takes longer and needs a browser with WebGPU, but the result is far sharper. For anything that will be looked at closely, upscale; for a quick fit, resize. Often the best sequence is upscale 2×, then resize to the exact number. The guide to upscaling without losing quality covers what to expect.

If you need a DPI number

DPI is only meaningful when printing, and it is just a ratio: pixels divided by inches. A 1200×1800-pixel image printed at 4×6 inches is 300 DPI; the same file printed at 8×12 is 150 DPI. Nothing in the image changed. Most "300 DPI" requirements are really pixel requirements in disguise — work out the print size, multiply by 300, and that is the pixel dimension you need. If you have it, you're done regardless of what number is stored in the file. If you don't, you're back to needing more pixels.

If it just looks soft

Sometimes the dimensions are fine and the image still looks poor. If it was small and then enlarged somewhere along the way, go back to the small original and upscale that instead — the model needs real pixels, not stretched ones. If it was heavily compressed, upscaling will sharpen the compression artefacts too; there is no clean fix short of a better copy. If it is out of focus, no resolution change helps; the detail isn't there.

Common upload requirements, decoded

"Minimum 1000×1000" — pixel dimensions. Upscale or resize to reach them; crop to square first if the aspect ratio also has to match.
"High resolution" with no number — usually means "not visibly pixelated at the display size". A sharp image at 1500–2000 px on the long side satisfies almost everyone.
"300 DPI" for a print product — work out the print size in inches × 300 to get the pixels you actually need.
"Under 2 MB" alongside a resolution requirement — hit the pixel size first, then use the Image Compressor to bring the file size down without changing the pixels.

Common questions

How do I increase the resolution of a photo?: First decide which resolution you mean. For more pixels, upscale (sharper) or resize (faster). For a DPI number, work out the pixels the print size needs — DPI itself is just pixels divided by inches. For a photo that looks soft, upscaling helps only if the original is small but in focus.
Does changing DPI change the image?: No. DPI is a note about how densely to print the pixels; the pixels stay the same. A 1200-pixel-wide image is 300 DPI at 4 inches and 150 DPI at 8 inches. If you need more pixels, DPI won't give them to you.
Can I increase resolution without losing quality?: Enlarging always creates pixels that weren't captured. A super-resolution model creates them convincingly, which is as close as it gets — the Image Upscaler does that in your browser. Plain resizing softens.
What resolution do I need for printing?: Multiply the print size in inches by 300 for good quality. A 4×6 print wants about 1200×1800 pixels; an 8×10 wants about 2400×3000. Below roughly 150 DPI, prints start to look soft up close.

Try it yourself

These live under AI tools, alongside the rest of the photo editing with on-device ai guides on the guides page.