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Getting a better quality image from a low quality image

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ChaseO

Premium Subscriber
I know this has been asked on here before but I couldn't find the thread. I have an image clipped from google that a customer brought in and wants to use on his business. I have reverse searched the image hoping to find a higher quality image, or even one that I could purchase with no luck. This would be a print, so I don't have to have a vector, and it would be a huge pain to redraw. Isn't there a program that generates pixels and helps this situation out? All I have is a thumbnail and need to blow it up to around 3 feet.

Also, I don't think there is any copyright issue here, as it appears to be a picture widely used in the culture. My reverse image search led me down a path of it being used on facebook, pinterest, youtube and restaurants. It's a Mexican girl playing an instrument.
 
Forty One

Forty One

Make signs they said... It'll be fun they said...
nope.
Think of it as a bowl full of smarties. You can make the bowl bigger but eventually it's going to look empty.
Tell the client you can only print the quality they supply.
My usual go to is if they found it on google they aren't going to commit to purchasing a hires image
 
Print1

Print1

Tech for your cutter, printer & logistics needs
If it’s a thumb it’s prob lic somewhere. Carful printing it, a customer will throw you under the bus at the first chance they get
 
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G

GC Decor

Super Printer
Tell them to visit Shutterstock or one of the big image sites & purchase the proper images with proper license. Simple & Easy. Back to printing without all the extra work & you don't have to preform copyright infringement.

If the image had an open license you would be able to get a decent resolution photo & not just a thumbnail.
 
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Boudica

Boudica

I'm here for Educational Purposes
ChaseO said:
I know this has been asked on here before but I couldn't find the thread. I have an image clipped from google that a customer brought in and wants to use on his business. I have reverse searched the image hoping to find a higher quality image, or even one that I could purchase with no luck. This would be a print, so I don't have to have a vector, and it would be a huge pain to redraw. Isn't there a program that generates pixels and helps this situation out? All I have is a thumbnail and need to blow it up to around 3 feet.

Also, I don't think there is any copyright issue here, as it appears to be a picture widely used in the culture. My reverse image search led me down a path of it being used on facebook, pinterest, youtube and restaurants. It's a Mexican girl playing an instrument.
Click to expand...
There's a number of photo enhancement software platforms out there. Gigapixel AI is great, almost magical. I think they offer a free trial.
 
B

Bobby H

Arial Sucks.
This is where we insert every phony baloney "enhance that image" command from a CSI: Miami episode or dozens of other TV shows and movies.

My favorite Hollywood BS moment on enhancing images: the 1998 movie Enemy of the State with Will Smith. There's one scene where these government guys hack into the video surveillance cameras in a retail clothing store. They use their "enhancement" software to rotate the surveillance camera image in 3D space, like Matrix bullet time (several months before The Matrix hit theaters). I laughed my a$$ out out loud when that moment happened. It was such unbelievably stupid bull$hit. I really laughed hard at it. It was so stupid.

The 1980's movie No Way Out with Kevin Costner is basically unwatchable in it final act because the entire climax revolves around the CIA having some secret-sauce software and they use it to reveal the identity of a Russian spy by enhancing an impossibly blurry, low resolution image. After Kevin Costner's character has had enough time to escape the "enhance" software "sharpens" the image enough to reveal his identity.
 
Solventinkjet

Solventinkjet

DIY Printer Fixing Guide
Forty One said:
nope.
Think of it as a bowl full of smarties. You can make the bowl bigger but eventually it's going to look empty.
Tell the client you can only print the quality they supply.
My usual go to is if they found it on google they aren't going to commit to purchasing a hires image
Click to expand...
Normally I would agree but with the AI options these days, the bowl gets bigger and they add in smarties that look just as good as the real thing. Not always perfect of course but better than simply upscaling for sure.
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Ya just need to know where to look. There're plenty of good pictures out there.


mexican girl guitar.jpg
 
T

tedshock

New Member
Bobby H said:
This is where we insert every phony baloney "enhance that image" command from a CSI: Miami episode or dozens of other TV shows and movies.

My favorite Hollywood BS moment on enhancing images: the 1998 movie Enemy of the State with Will Smith. There's one scene where these government guys hack into the video surveillance cameras in a retail clothing store. They use their "enhancement" software to rotate the surveillance camera image in 3D space, like Matrix bullet time (several months before The Matrix hit theaters). I laughed my a$$ out out loud when that moment happened. It was such unbelievably stupid bull$hit. I really laughed hard at it. It was so stupid.

The 1980's movie No Way Out with Kevin Costner is basically unwatchable in it final act because the entire climax revolves around the CIA having some secret-sauce software and they use it to reveal the identity of a Russian spy by enhancing an impossibly blurry, low resolution image. After Kevin Costner's character has had enough time to escape the "enhance" software "sharpens" the image enough to reveal his identity.
Click to expand...
Kinda reminded me of this scene where they mocked that whole concept of "enhancing": :)


Also wanted to edit to say I checked out the aforementioned gigapixel ai, very interesting! Thanks to this forum for the tip, never knew of this before now!
 
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JamesLam

JamesLam

New Member
I think I saw the tech used on CSI or in a spy movie where they take a satellite shot from 300 miles up and you can see what's on the backyard BBQ just before they wipe out the kid's birthday party with a press of a button. And whatever they were guilty of the pony didn't deserve it.

I agree with Forty One, seems like this may be lead to a lot of unappreciated effort.
 
A

AKwrapguy

New Member
Adobe has a lot of tools for increasing size and quality of images. Adobe Bridge has one and Adobe Photoshop has the new AI filters that has clean up and enhancements.

There are also tools in Google when searching for images where you can select 'large' that helps out alot just to get a better image.

Something else to do is find the high resolution image on another site you can open you your browser to view the HTML and find the original file to down load.
 
Identity Graphics

Identity Graphics

New Member
ChaseO said:
I know this has been asked on here before, but I couldn't find the thread. I have an image clipped from google that a customer brought in and wants to use on his business. I have reverse searched the image hoping to find a higher quality image, or even one that I could purchase with no luck. This would be a print, so I don't have to have a vector, and it would be a huge pain to redraw. Isn't there a program that generates pixels and helps this situation out? All I have is a thumbnail and need to blow it up to around 3 feet.

Also, I don't think there is any copyright issue here, as it appears to be a picture widely used in the culture. My reverse image search led me down a path of it being used on facebook, pinterest, youtube and restaurants. It's a Mexican girl playing an instrument.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, you can't add revolution to something that doesn't already have it. I echo the earlier response. I would have a boundary on this one. Nobody remembers they gave you a terrible image, they just remember you did the job and it doesn't look great. I would suggest the purchase of a better image as well. Good luck!
 
jfiscus

jfiscus

Rap Master
Yes, you CAN add resolution to an image now with AI. Check out Gigapixel AI if you haven't already. There are a couple other alternatives now, but it is still the best I've used.
 
jfiscus

jfiscus

Rap Master
Boudica said:
I use it a lot. Just used it Friday on some old pictures

View attachment 162552
Click to expand...
This is one thing I've noticed every once in a great while in this software: Check out his chin. It occasionally really likes to add hair where it wasn't before if it thinks there is supposed to be hair there.
I've used this on a few low-res (female) athlete photos had a couple of them turn into werewolves in the software. I had to alter my settings, but just be aware of it in your use.
 
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