The AI Upscaler makes a low resolution picture bigger and sharper before we print it, so your artwork can be sold at sizes it could not handle before. It is optional, it costs you nothing extra, and your own file is never changed.
What it does
When a picture does not hold enough detail for the size you want to sell, the print comes out soft and blurry. The AI Upscaler rebuilds your artwork at a higher resolution and refines the detail as it goes, so the finished print looks sharp.
This is not the same as making an image bigger in Photoshop. Stretching a picture adds pixels but no detail, and the print looks worse. The upscaler puts the detail back.
When you will see the offer
Every print size in the product editor carries a coloured quality dot. Green means your file is good for that size. Amber and red mean it is not.
If a size shows amber or red, and we can genuinely improve it, we offer to enhance your artwork. A window opens once, with a before and after picture so you can see the difference for yourself.
How to say yes
Click "Yes, enhance artwork" in the window. If you have already closed it, click "Enhance artwork" in the panel above your print sizes.
The panel changes to read "We will upscale your artwork". That is all you need to do.
Changed your mind? Click "Use original artwork instead" in the same panel, at any time.
Watch the quality dots change
The moment you accept, the dots for the sizes we can improve change colour, and their labels say "After upscaling". That is a preview of the quality you will get.
Dots that do not change are sizes we cannot rescue. For those, upload a bigger file or stop offering the size.
What happens next
Nothing on your product changes straight away. We do the work when somebody orders a print, just before it goes to the printer. There is nothing for you to wait for and nothing to manage.
Your original file is never touched. It stays exactly as you uploaded it, and it is still what your mockups are made from. We keep the enhanced version separately and use it only for printing.
Once an order has been printed from an enhanced file, the order line shows a small badge that reads "Printed from an AI upscaled file".
What it cannot do
The upscaler improves most soft files, but it cannot work miracles on a very small one. If your picture is very low resolution, the largest sizes may still print soft even after we enhance it. We name those sizes for you on the confirmation panel.
You will not be offered the upscaler on Art Library artwork, because those pieces are already printed from a full resolution licensed file.
A good original is still the best starting point. If you have a higher resolution version of your artwork, upload that instead. See How do I know if the quality of my image file is good enough?
Where your artwork goes
We send the picture to a specialist image service to do the work, and only the picture. None of your account, customer or order details go with it. Artwork you have not accepted the offer on is never sent anywhere.