It takes some time before you go from only entering prompts in Midjourney to exploring other features that are available.
One of the most common questions new users ask is why the images have such a low resolution and how they can increase it. Thankfully, there is a very simple solution to this problem. In fact, upscaling images in Midjourney is so easy that you can do it in a single click.
In this article, I'm going to provide you with a quick guide on how to upscale images in Midjourney. You will learn about the different upscaler models available in Midjourney and how to use them to your advantage.
Why Should You Upscale an Image in Midjourney?
Upscaling images in Midjourney is very important when you want to showcase what you created with this AI tool. The upscale feature in Midjourney enables you to increase the resolution of the images without reducing quality.
One of the things that I absolutely love about Midjourney is how easy it is to use it. Users can increase the resolution of an image with a single click. If you're still new to this AI-powered tool, I recommend that you check out my Midjourney beginner's guide.
Now, let's talk about how you can upscale your Midjourney images.
How to Upscale Images in Midjourney
At the time of writing this article, the fourth iteration of Midjourney is the default version. Midjourney v5 is available to users who pay a subscription plan. I'm mentioning this because there is a difference between the default image resolution in v4 and v5.
The default image resolution for an image generated with Midjourney v5 is 1024x1024 pixels. There isn't a way to currently further upscale v5 images directly in Midjourney, which is I'll talk about how you can upscale v4 images.
The default resolution for images generated with Midjourney v4 is 512x512 pixels. Bear in mind that when you enter a prompt, the model will generate a set of four images. This in itself is an improvement from versions 1 through 3, where the default resolution was 256x256 pixels.
I'll show you how to use the upscaler models in Midjourney with the following example. I wrote a simple prompt to demonstrate this feature. The prompt is:
/imagine dark, grim forest where the only source of light is a torch in the distance
When the Midjourney bot returns the result for the prompt, you will see four different images. Each image here has a resolution of 512x512 pixels. Right below these images will be 9 buttons that you can press.
The first four buttons in the first row enable you to upscale an image. The number in each of these buttons represents one of the images from the set.
Out of the four generated images, I like the second one the most so I want to see what an upscaled version of it looks like. I press the "U2" button to increase the resolution of the image.
Pressing the button separates the image from the set and increases its resolution. The resolution now is 1024x1024 pixels. However, you can further upscale it.
As you can see from the image above, you will have multiple options presented to you after the initial upscaling. Apart from making variations of the image, you will also be able to choose between a light upscale redo and a beta upscale redo.
The light upscaler model works best when you generate images of smooth surfaces or portraits. If I use it on the image I initially generated, you will see some differences.
The way the forest looks has noticeably changed. The trees are much different and the color of the light is slightly different. The image now appears even more dark and grim.
After you do the light upscale redo, you will once again have the option for a beta upscale redo. However, you'll also be presented with another feature called the detailed upscale redo. This option should be used if you want to add additional fine details to your image.
Let's see how this feature would affect our dark, grim forest image.
There are a ton of new details in the image. The trees in the forest are more dense, and the inclusion of more details makes the image look like a painting. It's important to mention that this feature would give different results depending on what you use it for.
Let's say that you wanted to generate an illustration of a knight in shining armor. With the detailed upscale redo, the armor in the image would contain many intricate details that would make it more unique and appealing to the observer.
I think that the detailed upscale redo did a good job with my forest image as well. The more you look at it, the more details you see that weren't there before in the previous iterations. It added mystical and wondrous details that make it seem like this is more than just a regular forest.
After I did the initial upscaling of this image, there was an option to do a beta upscale redo. You might be wondering what this feature does. It's actually what enables you to get the highest resolution possible of an image in Midjourney.
Note that this option can somewhat alter details in your image when it's increasing the resolution. Nevertheless, it's the best way to get the biggest resolution out of any image directly in Midjourney, as it increases it to 2048x2048 pixels.
There are also other tools on the internet that you can use to upscale images generated in Midjourney, but I'll talk about that in another article.
This is what our forest image looks like if I use the beta upscale redo model.
This is by far the best version of the image. It doesn't contain too many details yet it creates a powerful scene. That's because it includes the most important details, like the reflection in the water of the person holding the torch.
If you want to showcase the images you created in Midjourney, I recommend that you use the beta upscaler model to get the biggest possible resolution.
Final Thoughts
Upscaling images in Midjourney is really easy. All you have to do is press a button and the AI-powered model will do the rest.
There are multiple upscaler models that you can use in Midjourney, including:
- Standard upscaler model
- Light upscaler model
- Detailed upscaler model
- Beta upscaler model
If you want to increase the resolution of your image, you should use the standard upscaler. If you want to add a moderate amount of textures and details, use the light upscaler.
In case you want the image you generated to feature many more details, you should use the detailed upscaler model. Finally, to get the highest resolution possible of your image in Midjourney, you can use the beta upscaler.
