Intelligently Resize Photos with Topaz Gigapixel AI

Red Cardinal Bird

On occasion, beautiful birds make a stop in my yard. I try to keep my camera close by and capture photos. I have to be stealthy, because many of them – especially the Cardinals – are quite skittish. 

One day I captured a few shots of this lovely Cardinal. I was inside, shooting through a glass door, and though I was using my 70-200mm lens, I still had to crop the photo quite a bit to get this:

Red Cardinal Bird Enlarged with Topaz Gigapixel AI

Isn’t he gorgeous? Considering the conditions (i.e. shooting through the window) I’m thrilled that the image is sharp.

The crop, however, removed A LOT of pixels:

Red Cardinal Bird - Crop Screenshot

In most cases, this isn’t a big deal…unless I (or a client) want a large format print. Cropped, the max print size for this image is 31.25″ x 20.75″ – but most of my work that I print for clients is 40″ x 60″ or larger!

Enlarging a Digital Photograph

Enlarging digital images is a bit of an art form in its own right. You can increase resolution in Lightroom or Photoshop and they do an okay job – but it isn’t their strength. For serious enlargements, pros generally rely on specific software to do the job.

Enter Topaz Gigapixel AI

Gigapixel AI is a relative newcomer to the digital enlargement crowd. What makes it unique is that it uses Artificial Intelligence to realistically enlarge images – and in the tests I’ve run, it does a damn good job!

>> Click here to purchase Topaz Gigapixel AI <<

Don’t forget to enter ANGANDRIEUX at checkout to save 15%!

Let’s take a look at a few comparisons.

First – we’ll see what the image above looks like zoomed in to 500% and compare it with the Gigapixel version:

500% Zoom vs Topaz Gigapixel AI
500% Zoom vs Topaz Gigapixel AI

This comparison simply takes the original TIFF and places it next to the version sent through Gigapixel AI. Notice the pixelation, artifacts, and lack of clarity in the 500% zoom version.

Next we’ll take a look at an enlargement from Lightroom and compare it to the enlargement from Gigapixel AI. Both versions were sized at 60″ wide by 40″ high at 300 ppi.

Lightroom Enlargement (left) vs Gigapixe  AI Enlargement (right)
Lightroom Enlargement (left) vs Topaz Gigapixel AI Enlargement (right)

Focusing on the eye – you can see that the Gigapixel version has far more detail and clarity. You’ll also notice the added detail in the feathers below the eye.

Lightroom Enlargement (left) vs Topaz Gigapixel AI Enlargement (right)
Lightroom Enlargement (left) vs Topaz Gigapixel AI Enlargement (right)
Lightroom Enlargement (left) vs Topaz Gigapixel AI Enlargement (right)
Lightroom Enlargement (left) vs Topaz Gigapixel AI Enlargement (right)

In the two images above we are focusing on the detail of the feathers. You will notice straightaway that the Gigapixel version is sharper whereas the Lightroom version is a bit softer with quite a bit of grain/noise.

Lightroom Enlargement (left) vs Topaz Gigapixel AI Enlargement (right)
Lightroom Enlargement (left) vs Topaz Gigapixel AI Enlargement (right)

As we focus in on the beak, notice the noise/grain in the Lightroom version (especially in the smooth areas), then compare how clean the Gigapixel version looks. Somehow the wizards at Topaz managed to maintain a stunning level of detail while removing unwanted artifacts.

Things to Know About Gigapixel AI

Topaz Gigapixel AI produces amazing results, but please make sure your computer meets the minimum system requirements. It is resource hungry, and if your computer isn’t fairly well equipped it can take a while for it to process.

Add Gigapixel AI to your workflow

Gigapixel AI is available for $99.99 – and make sure you enter my promo code ANGANDRIEUX at checkout to save 15% on your purchase!

>> Click here to purchase Topaz AI Gigapixel <<

Don’t forget to enter ANGANDRIEUX at checkout to save 15%!

Topaz also offers a free 30 day trial of all of its software in case you prefer to take it for a test drive before you buy.

Questions?

If you have questions about Gigapixel AI or any other Topaz Labs application please don’t hesitate to comment below or contact me directly. I’m happy to help!

Disclosure: One of the ways I support this website is by partnering with awesome companies, whose products I use and love. These partnerships allow me to earn a small commission when you make a purchase through one of my affiliate links, but there is no additional cost for you. Thank you for your support!

4 Comments

  1. Govind Vijayakumar on February 10, 2019 at 7:38 am

    AI Gigapixel definitely does a good job. Thanks for sharing the comparison with the Lightroom enlargement. I have done a comparison with image enlargement with Photoshop> https://www.photographyaxis.com/post-processing/topaz-ai-gigapixel-review/

    • Angela Andrieux on February 14, 2019 at 11:05 am

      Hi Govind – Glad you found the article useful! Your article is great, too. Love the photo you used as an example.

  2. Andy Bell on October 24, 2019 at 2:16 pm

    Hi Angela

    Nice review and I totally agree with you. If I’m enlarging an image I turn to AI Gigapixel. Nothing else comes close. I reviewed it here: https://www.andybellphotography.com/blog/2018/08/22/ai-gigapixel-review-worth-the-cost/

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