Upscayl

Overview of Upscayl - Free and Open Source AI Image Upscaler

Upscayl is a free and open source AI image upscaling software that can enlarge and enhance low resolution images using deep learning. It was created by TGS963 and Nayam Amarshe.

Key features and highlights:

• Freely available under MIT license
• Cross-platform support - Windows, Mac, Linux
• Enlarge images up to 4x original size
• Sharpen and enhance image details
• Improve image quality with AI
• Easy to use interface
• Active development and updates

How Upscayl Works

Upscayl utilizes deep learning and AI models to upscale images. The software uses image super-resolution neural networks that have been trained on millions of images to intelligently enlarge and enhance images.

The AI model examines the input image and effectively "hallucinates" missing details and pixels to create a larger, higher quality version of the image. It adds realism, sharpness and removes artifacts like blurriness or jpg compression effects.

Some key aspects of how Upscayl works:

• Built using PyTorch and FastAI libraries
• Leverages convolutional neural networks (CNNs)
• Uses generative adversarial networks (GANs)
• Custom model architecture optimized for image upscaling
• Can upscale jpeg, png, tiff images
• Pre-trained models for 2x, 3x, 4x upscaling

Features and Benefits

• Multiple upscaling options - Upscale by 2x, 3x or 4x the original image size.

• Flexible input formats - It can enlarge jpeg, png, tiff and other common image formats.

• Image enhancement - Uses AI to recover details and sharpen images. Removes jpg artifacts and noise.

• Easy to use - Simple intuitive interface. Just open an image and upscale.

• Fast processing - Leverages GPU acceleration for quick enlargement.

• Cross-platform - Native apps for Windows, Mac and Linux.

• Free and open source - Free to use under MIT license. Open for customization.

• Active development - Regular updates and improvements planned.

Use Cases and Applications

Upscayl can be useful for:

• Enlarging and cleaning up low resolution images from the web or old sources
• Upscaling old family photos while preserving quality
• Increasing image size for large prints and posters
• Enhancing image sharpness and details for professional use
• Upconverting SD videos to HD by processing individual frames
• Assisting graphic designers, photographers, and content creators

Who is Upscayl For?

Upscayl can be useful for a wide range of people:

• Casual users who want to enlarge images from their mobile or low res cameras
• Photographers and designers who need to upsize images for print or digital use
• Archivists or historians who want to improve old image quality
• Website owners who want better images for web use without size or artifacts
• Video editors who need to convert SD to HD content
• Scientists or researchers who want to see more details in images
• Anyone who needs to supersize an image quickly and easily

Plans and Pricing

Upscayl is completely free and open source. There are no paid plans or licensing required.

You can simply download and use the latest version from the releases page.

Binaries are available for Windows, Mac and Linux. The source code is also freely available on GitHub.

Support

As an open source project, Upscayl relies on the user community for support. Some options:

• Check the Upscayl Guide for documentation and tutorials
• Search existing GitHub issues to see if your question has already been answered
• Open a new issue on GitHub if you run into a bug or need help
• Join the Discord community to connect with users and developers

Integrations and API

Upscayl focuses on providing a great user interface and does not currently have any integrations or API available.

However, since it is open source, developers can build custom integrations or scripts leveraging the underlying upscaling capabilities.

What Users Are Saying

Here are some comments from users:

• "This saved me when I needed to enlarge some old family photos for a collage. Worked better than other tools I tried."

• "The image upscaling is like magic! It breathes new life into my old bitmap game screenshots while preserving the quality."

• "I'm impressed by how fast it can upscale my raw images. This is going to be a huge time saver for my photo editing workflow."

• "As a researcher, Upscayl has been invaluable for improving the details in some of my low res microscopy images."

You can find more user reviews on the GitHub discussions page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Upscayl free? Yes, Upscayl is 100% free and open source.

What images formats does it support? It supports the most common formats like JPEG, PNG, BMP, TIFF.

Is it safe to use? Yes, Upscayl is safe to use and does not make any changes to the original image. It generates an enlarged copy as output.

What hardware is required? You'll need a decent modern GPU for best performance. At minimum an Nvidia GTX 1060 or equivalent is recommended.

Can I use it offline? Yes, no internet connection is required after you initially download the app.

Useful Links and Resources

• Homepage
• Latest Releases
• Documentation
• Issue Tracker