Photoshop Super Resolution: How to Use It & Real-world Tests

Adobe Super Resolution promises a smarter solution by using AI to enlarge images by 2× in both width and height, while preserving important details. But how well does it actually work in real-world scenarios? Is it better for RAW photos than JPEGs? And when does it fall short?

In this guide, you'll learn how to use Super Resolution in Photoshop, troubleshoot common issues, and compare its results with other AI image upscalers. We'll also examine its key limitations to help you decide when Photoshop Super Resolution is enough and when a dedicated upscaling tool may be worth trying.

What is Adobe Super Resolution?

Adobe’s Super Resolution is an AI-powered image upscaling feature available through Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom. It doubles an image's width and height, producing four times the original number of pixels. For example, a 12MP photo becomes approximately 48MP after enhancement. This can help prepare cropped or low-resolution photos for larger prints and other output sizes that require more pixels.

Super Resolution uses machine learning to analyze an image and generate additional pixel information. It can reveal more visible detail after enlargement, but the results depend on the source image. It does not guarantee that every original detail will be preserved or that severe blur and compression artifacts can be fully corrected.

The feature supports RAW files and other formats, including JPEG and TIFF. In Photoshop, you need to open a supported image in Camera Raw and use Enhance > Super Resolution. It is not available through Filter > Camera Raw Filter.

Main Limitations of Adobe Super Resolution:

• Fixed 2× upscaling: It doubles image dimensions and you cannot custom upscale factor within Super Resolution.
• File sizes can increase significantly. Super Resolution quadruples the total pixel count, which can lead to much larger output files, especially for RAW images saved as DNG.
• You can't apply it twice to the same image. Once an image has been enhanced with Super Resolution, you can't reapply the feature to that enhanced output.
• Output dimensions are limited. Camera Raw supports images up to 65,000 pixels on the long side and 500 megapixels in total. Panoramas and other large images may exceed these limits after upscaling.

How to Use Super Resolution in Photoshop(Step-by-Step Guide)?

Step 1. Open Your Photo in Adobe Camera Raw

Adobe Super Resolution is available in Camera Raw and Lightroom. In Photoshop, you must open your image in the Camera Raw editor, not through Filter > Camera Raw Filter, because the filter does not support Super Resolution.

For RAW files: Select File > Open in Photoshop and choose your RAW image. It should open in Camera Raw automatically.

For JPEG and TIFF files: You can configure Photoshop to open supported files in Camera Raw automatically:

1. Go to Edit > Preferences > Camera Raw on Windows. On macOS, open Photoshop's Settings/Preferences and select Camera Raw.
2. Open the File Handling tab.
3. Set JPEG or TIFF handling to Automatically open all supported JPEGs or Automatically open all supported TIFFs, as needed.
4. Return to File > Open and select your image.

Alternatively, you can use Adobe Bridge to browse your files, right-click an image, and choose Open in Camera Raw.

Step 2. Enter into Super Resolution in Photoshop

There is where we can open Super Resolution in photoshop for AI upscaling. In Photoshop’s Camera Raw dialog, right-click on the image. Then click “Enhance” or use this keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + D. A dialog box will appear with Super Resolution options and a zoomed-in preview of your image.

In the Enhance Preview window, the Raw Details option will be checked if you are using a RAW file, but this does not work on JPEG files.

Click and hold on the image to toggle between the original and enhanced versions for comparison. You can click and drag this preview to examine different areas of your photo and see the Super Resolution AI upscaled image quality. This dialog box will also give you an estimate of how long it will take to convert the image if you check the Super Resolution box.

Step 3. Upscale in Super Resolution

If you're satisified with the Photoshop AI upscaled image quality, just click "Enhance". Photoshop will upscale the image and then a preview will show up in the bottom of the screen right next to the original. 

Photoshop Super Resolution is a computationally intensive process, so it may take some time to complete, especially on older or less powerful computers.

After Photoshop upscale images in Super Resolution, it will save the upscaled images in a new DNG file, an open-source, non-destructive RAW format that preserves all the enhanced detail and allows for continued flexible editing.

Common Issues when Using Super Resolution in Photoshop

1. Photoshop Super Resolution Not Showing in Camera Raw

"Enhance and Super Resolution not showing up. I have researched and tried all solutions but Super Resolution / Enhance, etc not showing up in Camera Raw 17.0." -- Adobe forum

If Enhance or Super Resolution is missing from the right-click menu, first check how you opened the image. Photoshop's Camera Raw Filter is different from the full Camera Raw editor and does not support Super Resolution.

• Open the image in the full Camera Raw editor. For RAW files, use File > Open in Photoshop. For others, open the image in Camera Raw through Adobe Bridge or adjust Photoshop's Camera Raw file-handling preferences.
• Check the right-click menu. In Camera Raw, right-click the image thumbnail in the filmstrip and look for Enhance.
• Check for software updates. Update Photoshop and Camera Raw through the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop app, then reopen the image and check again.
• Confirm that you're using a supported workflow. If you're working with an image opened through Filter > Camera Raw Filter, close that filter and open the original file in the full Camera Raw editor instead.

2. Super Resolution not showing for JPEG or TIFF images

"How can i use SUPER Resolution to upscale a JPEG/TIFF? I know how to use ENHANCE on a RAW image but I can't find how to apply it on a JPEG (Old images)."

Adobe Camera Raw supports Super Resolution for supported JPEG and TIFF files, but these images may open directly in Photoshop rather than in the Camera Raw editor.

Method 1: Open the image through Adobe Bridge

1. Open Adobe Bridge and locate your JPEG or TIFF image.
2. Right-click its thumbnail and select Open in Camera Raw.
3. In Camera Raw, right-click the image thumbnail and select Enhance.
4. Select Super Resolution in the Enhance Preview dialog, then click Enhance.

Method 2: Change Photoshop's Camera Raw file-handling preferences

1. In Photoshop, open Edit > Preferences > Camera Raw on Windows. On macOS, find Camera Raw under Photoshop's Settings/Preferences.
2. Select the File Handling tab.
3. Set JPEG or TIFF handling to Automatically open all supported JPEGs or Automatically open all supported TIFFs, depending on the file type.
4. Reopen the image and check whether it opens in Camera Raw.

3. Photoshop Super Resolution Not Working, Crashes, or Runs Slowly

"Camera Raw Super Resolution Causing Computer Crash. Trying to use Photoshop Super Resolution to upscale a normal jpg image. Once I'm in the "Enhance" options my monitors black out and the fan starts running furiously. "

Super Resolution can be computationally demanding, particularly with large images. Performance depends on the image dimensions, available system resources, GPU, and software configuration. If Photoshop freezes, crashes, or becomes unusually slow during enhancement, try these steps in order.

• Update Photoshop and Camera Raw. Install available updates, then restart the application and try again.
• Check GPU compatibility and status. Open Camera Raw's preferences and review its performance settings to see whether your GPU is recognized. If you see a warning or an unexpected GPU status, follow Adobe's official GPU troubleshooting instructions.
• Update your graphics driver. On Windows, check for a compatible driver from your GPU manufacturer's official website. On macOS, install available system updates and check Adobe's compatibility guidance.
• Test with a smaller image. Try Super Resolution on a smaller supported image to see whether the issue is related to image size or system resources.
• Follow Adobe's official crash troubleshooting guidance. If the problem persists, consult Adobe's Camera Raw and Photoshop troubleshooting documentation before resetting preferences or modifying application support files.

How Good Is Photoshop Super Resolution? (Real-World Test Results)

Adobe Super Resolution promises to increase image resolution while preserving visible detail, but the results can vary depending on the source image. To see how it performs in practice, I compared Photoshop Super Resolution with Topaz Gigapixel AI and Aiarty Image Enhancer using four types of images: a RAW photo, a 1080p JPEG, a noisy image, and a low-resolution old photo.

For a consistent comparison, all three tools were set to upscale each image by 2×. I examined overall sharpness, fine textures, edge rendering, noise, and color changes. These tests focus on the specific images and settings used; results may differ with other photos, software versions, and enhancement models.

FYI, Aiarty Image Enhancer is specifically designed to upscale and enhance images, including RAW photos, RGB files, AI images, high-resolution, old and low-quality images. It excels at removing image artifacts, such as noise, blur, pixelation, and reserving natural details after upscaling. You can download the AI image upscaler and compare the results by yourself.

Test 1. Upscaling a RAW Photo

Original image: Nikon D3000 NEF file, 3872 × 2592 pixels (approximately 10 MP), ISO 200, 1/20 s, f/5.6.

I upscaled the same RAW photo by 2× using Photoshop Super Resolution, Topaz Gigapixel AI, and Aiarty Image Enhancer.

The output file sizes differed considerably:

• Photoshop Super Resolution: 81.2 MB enhanced DNG, compared with the original 8.4 MB RAW file
• Topaz Gigapixel AI: 2.86 MB JPG
• Aiarty Image Enhancer: 3.25 MB JPG

These files were saved in different formats, so their sizes are not a direct measure of image quality. The DNG output retains a different set of editing and image data from the JPG outputs.

In this test, Photoshop Super Resolution made the photo appear sharper, but some edge details looked less natural than those in the other two results. When comparing the outputs, inspect the same cropped area at the same viewing scale to see how each tool renders fine textures and edges.

Test 2. Upscaling a 1080p JPEG

Original image: 1920 × 1080 pixels, JPEG format. All three tools were set to 2× upscaling.

Adobe Super Resolution excels at producing natural-looking images with balanced color. In contrast, Aiarty Image Enhancer delivers the clearest and most defined details, though this may come with some subtle variations in color. Topaz, on the other hand, yields an overall result that is slightly blurry by comparison.

Test 3. Upscaling a Noisy Image

Original image: 640 × 751 pixels, JPEG format, with visible image noise. Each tool was used to upscale it to 1280 × 1502 pixels.

In this test, Photoshop Super Resolution showed limited noise suppression. When inspecting the enlarged results, pay attention to whether noise remains visible, becomes more prominent, or is smoothed away along with fine details.

For a fair comparison, use the same crop from each output and examine both textured areas and relatively smooth areas, such as skin or backgrounds. This helps distinguish genuine detail recovery from noise or sharpening artifacts.

Test 4. Upscaling an Old, Low-Resolution Photo

Original image: 512 × 512 pixels, JPEG format. Each tool was used to upscale it to 1024 × 1024 pixels.

The original tiger photo contains visible noise and blur that obscure fine details, especially in its fur. All three tools reduced the visible noise to some extent, but they differed in how well they preserved the texture of the fur.

Photoshop Super Resolution produced a cleaner image, but many fine details remained soft and blurry. Topaz Gigapixel AI improved the overall definition, bringing out more detail than Photoshop in this test. Aiarty Image Enhancer preserved the tiger's fur texture most clearly, retaining more distinct hair details while reducing noise.

Photoshop Super Resolution vs Other AI Image Upscalers: Key Differences

The tests show that Photoshop Super Resolution, Topaz Gigapixel AI, and Aiarty Image Enhancer handle different image conditions differently. Photoshop fits naturally into a RAW editing workflow, while dedicated AI upscalers offer additional options for enlarging and enhancing lower-quality images. The results below reflect the samples tested, not a universal ranking.

The takeaway: Photoshop Super Resolution is a convenient choice for 2× enlargement within an Adobe workflow, particularly when working with RAW files. In the tested noisy tiger photo, Topaz improved detail definition, while Aiarty preserved the fur texture most clearly. If you need more than 2× upscaling or want additional control over noise and detail enhancement, a dedicated AI upscaler is worth comparing against your original images.

Tips to Get Better Results with Photoshop Super Resolution

Adobe Super Resolution offers a powerful way to increase image resolution, but there some tips on how to use Photoshop Super resolution to upscale images faster and more efficient. In this section, we'll explore tips to help you achieve the best possible results while minimizing processing time.

1. Use a powerful GPU

While Photoshop Super Resolution can be used on less powerful systems, using a high-performance GPU will yield faster results and allow you to process larger images more efficiently. A GPU optimized for machine learning tasks, such as those in the Core ML, Windows ML, Apple M1, or NVIDIA RTX series, can significantly speed up image processing.

2. Upscale an image multiple times

Super Resolution can only be applied once to an image. If you can't upscale an image to the resolution you need via 2x upscaling, you can change the output DNG file format to another format, such as JPG, after upscaling, and then apply the feature once again.

3. Get engouh SSD storage

Super Resolution outputs a DNG file that can be up to 10 times larger than the original RAW file. Using a solid-state drive (SSD) instead of a traditional hard disk drive (HDD). This can also dramatically improve read and write speeds, leading to faster image processing times.

4. Work with RAW Files

RAW files offer more image data, allowing Super Resolution to achieve better results. While JPEGs, PNGs, and TIFFs are also supported, RAW files provide the most flexibility for image enhancement.

5. Fine-Tune Settings

As mentioned above, Adobe Super Resolution is not good at handling image artifacts. After you upscale with Super Resolution in Photoshop, you may need to adjust Sharpening, Noise Reduction, and Texture settings to achieve the desired balance between detail and artifact reduction.

Conclusion

By following these steps and considering the tips provided, you can effectively leverage Photoshop's Super Resolution to upscale images and achieve impressive results.

Adobe Photoshop's AI image upscaler works best with high-quality RAW images from DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. If the original image contain artifacts or less data, third-party tools like Topaz Gigapixel AI and Aiarty Image Enhancer might work differently. Remember to experiment with different settings and compare the output to other upscaling tools to find the best solution for your specific needs.