How to improve jpg image quality

JPEG (also known as jpg) are images that have been compressed to reduce file size, making them ideal for sharing and posting on the Internet. As a result, if you try to enlarge or reuse the image, it may appear grainy or retouched. You can improve the quality of JPEG files by adjusting the external attributes, color and contrast of the image using an image editor. If you have experience with image processing, Topaz DeJPEG is a great addition to your existing image editors. If you are new to this business, you should try a free program like Pixlr. If you're not new to Photoshop, its powerful tools are more than enough to enhance your image!

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Working at Pixlr

Step 1. Download or run Pixlr online

Pixlr is a powerful image editor for professionals and hobbyists alike in the image editing industry. Pixlr not only has a free online editor, but also an installable graphics editor for PC and mobile. To get a more advanced version of the program, you need to subscribe.

Pixlr is a standalone application of the company. A free trial can be downloaded at https://pixlr.com/desktop. The full version costs 127 rubles / month or 958 rubles / year.
Pixlr Editor is the company's web application. Go to this address to launch the Pixlr online editor:
Pixlr Express is the company's mobile application for IOS and Android devices. It can be downloaded for free on Google Play, the Apple App Store, or by going to:

Step 2. Open the image you want to change

The quality of the final image after all changes will depend on the resolution (number of pixels) of the original image. Pixlr strongly recommends all users to tackle image editing at the highest possible resolution. This is especially true when you are trying to stretch a photo - after all, enlarging a low-resolution image will widen the white gaps between pixels, as a result of which the image will look distorted. To upload an image, do the following:

Pixlr.

Click File> Open and then select an image from your library or repository. Mac users can use the keyboard shortcut ⌘ Command + O. Windows users can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + O.
Pixlr Editor.

Click on the "Browse" button, select the JPEG file and click on the "OK" button, or find the image on the Internet by clicking on the "Open Image URL" button.
Pixlr Express.

Click on the "Photo" button and select an image from the phone or tablet album. You can also take a photo of a new image for editing by clicking on the "Camera" button.

Step 3. Resize the image

The file size depends on the number of pixels - the more pixels, the larger the file itself will be. Sending, uploading, and downloading large JPEGs are slow processes. Reducing the number of pixels by modifying images will allow you to upload photos much faster.

To resize an image in Pixlr, choose Image> Image Size. Reduce the number of pixels to the desired size, leave the Constrain Aspect Ratio setting active, and click Yes.
To resize the image in Pixlr Editor, select Adjustments> Resize. Reduce the number of pixels to the desired size, leave the Constrain Aspect Ratio setting active, and click Yes.
To resize an image in Pixlr Express, click the Done button and then select Resize. Reduce the number of pixels to the desired size, leave the Constrain Aspect Ratio setting active, and click Apply.

Step 4. Crop the image

Cropping allows you to easily remove unwanted parts of your photo. Cropping the image will also reduce the file size.

To crop an image in Pixlr, select the Crop option from the toolbar. Select cropping borders manually or enter their pixel value. Click on the "Apply" button.
To crop an image in Pixlr Editor, choose Adjustments> Crop. Manually change the width and height of the bounding box. Click outside the image. If you are satisfied with the new size, in the dialog box that appears, click the "Yes" button.
To crop an image in Pixlr Express, choose Tools> Crop. Enter the desired dimensions in pixels or choose one of the predefined options from the drop-down menu.

Step 5. Reduce image noise

This filter is available in both free Pixlr Editor and its paid version. Choose Filter> Remove Noise. The phrase “Reduce noise” appears above the photo, indicating that image noise or distortion has been reduced. Continue to reduce the noise until you achieve the desired result.

The volume of noise cannot be controlled in the process

Step 6. Use the Brush tool to reduce noise

The Brush is only available in the free Pixlr Editor and its paid subscription. Paint on desaturated pixels to reduce graininess. Use a paintbrush to fix areas where detail is lame.

Zoom in until you can see individual pixels. Click View> Zoom In.
Select the Eyedropper tool from the toolbar. It is located directly above the hand icon. Use the eyedropper next to the cell you want to paint over to pick a color.
Select Brush again. It's located above the paint can icon. Click on the number next to the word "Brush" to expand the tool's options. Reduce the Brush Opacity to 40% and the Hardness to 10%. Choose the shape of the brush and its diameter according to your needs.
Brush gently over the pixels to blend the colors. Apply paint to the image with single clicks. Use the eyedropper to change the color as needed.
To reduce mosquito noise, or distortion that occurs near sharp edges of objects, you need to use the colors of the object and its surroundings. Decreasing the brush size and opacity will give you more control over the tool.
Zoom back from time to time to appreciate the work done.

Step 7. Retouch the areas of high detail using the Clone Stamp tool

This feature is only available in the free Pixlr Editor and its paid subscription. The Clone Stamp tool lets you capture and recreate segments of an image. With it, you can copy and paste both individual pixels and whole parts. Because Stamp is capable of capturing and reproducing many colors, this tool is ideal for eliminating or reducing mosquito noise in areas of increased detail.

Zoom in until you can see individual pixels. Click View> Zoom In.
In Pixlr, Stamp is applied along with a brush. Select the Brush tool and adjust its options. Select a soft edged brush from the second row and lower the opacity. Soft edges and reduced opacity allow you to blend colors.
Select the Clone Stamp tool. It's right below the paint can icon. Move your cursor over the area you want to capture and replay. To capture an area, Windows users must hold down the Ctrl key, and Mac users must hold down the ⌘ Command key. While holding down the appropriate key, click on the area. Release the key and mouse button.
To apply the "Stamp", move the cursor over the place that you want to correct and click on it with the mouse. Repeat this procedure as many times as necessary.
As you work, keep zooming in and out to see the results of your work.

Step 8. Adjust the color tone and contrast of the image

Pixlr gives users the ability to modify the image and improve its quality. The Color tool can be used to change the hue, saturation, light level, and color of an image. If an image is over- or underexposed, you can adjust its contrast and brightness using the Contrast tool.

To access these tools in Pixlr, choose Optimize> Color / Cleaner> Contrast.
To access these tools in Pixlr Editor, choose Adjustments> Brightness / Contrast> Contrast.
To access these tools in Pixlr Express, choose Tools> Adjustments> Color / Tools> Adjustments> Contrast.

Step 9. Optimize the image using various tools

Pixlr has a variety of brush tools and filters that you can use to clean up minor blemishes or change the overall look of an image. These tools are:

Sharpness: Use this tool to sharpen soft edges.
Blur: Use this tool to blur sharp edges.
Finger: Use this tool to blur the border of pixels.
Sponge: Use this tool to "desaturate" or "saturate" a color.
Dodge: Use this tool to brighten the image.
Darkening: Use this tool to add shadow or contrast to an image.
Spot Correction: Use this tool to remove spots and scratches.
Inflate: Use this tool to create a concave effect.
Distortion: Use this tool to create a bulge effect.
Red-eye reduction: Use this tool to remove red-eye.

Step 10. Apply the effect to the image

With a set of effects in Pixlr, you can transform every pixel in an image. Each effect tool modifies the appearance of individual pixels using mathematical formulas. Pixlr has nine different effects available. Each effect also has several sub-effects. The following categories will be available to you:

Atomic, Creative, Default, Soft, Subtle, Too Old, Unicolor, and Vintage

Step 11. Save the image and adjust its size and quality

When you're done with the image, choose File> Save As, click the Save button, or choose Save Image. If you are working in Pixlr or Pixlr Editor, then a dialog box should appear on the screen. In Pixlr, you can rename the image, choose Format (choose JPEG), and decide where to save the image. Having made your choice, click the "Save" button. In Pixlr Editor, you can also change the filename. Before the image is saved, the program will ask you to set the "Image quality".

Pixels in high quality images store more information. Because of this, files are larger and images are sharper.
Pixels in lower quality images are more compressed and contain less information. This results in smaller files and images that are less clear and grainier.

Method 2 of 3: Working in Topaz DeJPEG

Step 1. Make sure Topaz DeJPEG is supported by your graphics editor

Topaz DeJPEG is a plugin for your main graphics editor that is used to improve the quality of JPEG images. The free trial version of the plug-in is supported by programs such as Adobe Photoshop (Windows and Mac), PaintShop Pro (Windows), Photo Impact (Windows), and IrfanView (Windows).

Step 2. Download and install the plugin

To download a free trial, open the following page in your browser: www.topazlabs.com/download. Enter your email address and choose an account password, then click the Download button. Scroll down to "DeJPEG Topaz" and select your operating system (Windows or Mac). After that, the download should start, and the trial license key should come to your mail.

Close Photoshop.

If you are running Adobe Photoshop, you must close it before running the DeJPEG installation. Users of other programs can skip this step.
Run the installer.

Double click on the downloaded installer to activate the trial version. When asked to enter your trial license key (obtained via email), do so, and then click the Install button to start the installation.

Step 3. Import DeJPEG into a graphics editor

Before you can use the plugin, you need to add the DeJPEG filter folder to the root folder of your program. Full path to the DeJPEG plugin folder: Program Files >> Topaz Labs >> Topaz DeJPEG 4.

Photoshop.

Photoshop users can skip to the next step as DeJPEG will automatically install into the Photoshop plugin folder.
Paintshop Pro.

Open the File menu and select Settings, then File Folders. On the left side of the screen, select Plugins and then click the Add button. Open the DeJPEG plugin folder, then click the "OK" button.
Photo Impact.

Run the program and press the F6 key on your keyboard. Select "Plugins" from the list and click the "…" button at the end of the first empty plugin folder. Select the DeJPEG plugin folder and then click the "OK" button. Remember to restart Photo Impact before running the filter for the first time.
IrfanView.

Start the program, then expand the Image menu. Click the Effects tab and select the Adobe 8BF filters. Select "Add 8BF Filters" from the menu. Now navigate to the DeJPEG plugin folder and click OK.

Step 4. Start the filter

Open the JPEG file in your main graphics editor and then launch DeJPEG.

Photoshop.

In the Filters menu, select Topaz Labs first, then DeJPEG 4.
Paintshop Pro.

From the Effects menu, choose Plugins, then Topaz DeJPEG.
Photo Impact.

Open the Effect menu and select Topaz DeJPEG.
IrfanView.

Open the Image menu, click the Effects button, and then click Adobe 8BF Filters. Select "Topaz DeJPEG" from the filter list.

Step 5. Enlarge the problem area

Click on the magnifying glass icon (+)to zoom in on the area of the image where compression artifacts are visible.

Step 6. Scroll through the default effect sets

DeJPEG's standard sets of effects are located on the left side of the screen. Click on each standard set to apply it to your image. Keep track of how the kits increase or decrease image quality. Choose whichever set best optimizes your JPEG image. It's okay if it's not perfect, we haven't finished adjusting all the parameters yet.

Step 7. Adjust the slider in the Luminance mode

Select the appropriate mode from the list under the heading: "Preview mode". Now open the Main tab to see the settings that can be used to fix the details that were not affected by the set of effects.

Reduce Artifacts (Eliminate artifacts): First, move the slider all the way to the left. Then start slowly sliding it to the right, watching the result in the preview area. Moving the slider to the right can soften the edges, but it also removes noise and gridding. Continue moving the slider to the right until you find a middle ground.
Sharpen (Sharpness): This slider should sharpen those edges that have been softened by removing artifacts. Moving the slider to the right should sharpen the image.
Sharp Radius (Focus Radius): This slider is used in conjunction with the Sharpness tool. Move the slider left and right until the edges are crisp and the artifacts disappear.

Step 8. Adjust the colors

If the use of the previous tools affected the color scheme of your image, switch to "Color" mode by selecting the "Color" option (Color) under the heading "Preview Mode".

Smooth Color (Optimal colors). Move the slider to the right and left until you are happy with the image in the preview pane.
Clear edge radius (Radius of matching edges). If you want to change the color detail at the edges, click the Advanced tab, and then turn up the Edge Matching Radius slider. Use this parameter in conjunction with the Edge Threshold tool until you are satisfied with the image.
Adjust the "Saturation" parameter (Saturation). If colors appear washed out, move the Saturation slider to the right to increase the color level.
Add grain.

Experiment with the Grain setting to make the image appear more natural. Move the slider to the right to increase the graininess.

Step 9. Remove the image to see the result of your edits

Before saving your work, click on the magnifying glass icon (-)until the entire image is in the preview area. If you don't like the changes, keep tweaking the effect sets, lighting modes, and colors until you're happy with your image.

Step 10. Click "OK" to apply the changes

It may take several minutes for the filter to be applied.

Method 3 of 3: Working in Adobe Photoshop

Step 1. Decide what quality your image will be

It takes a lot of time and effort to fix small details in a low-quality compressed JPEG file.

If you're in a hurry or don't use Photoshop, the Topaz DeJPEG method is best.
If you need to enhance images for Facebook or Instagram, it's better to use filter apps. Pixlr's free filters hide imperfections in JPEG images. If you want to lay out your photos and don't worry about compression loss, use Pixlr.

Step 2. Enlarge the image

Open the JPEG file in Photoshop and then zoom in by clicking on the magnifying glass icon (+) in the upper left corner of the toolbar. Continue pressing the button until the percentage of proximity in the lower left corner of the screen shows "300%". Notice the pixels and color inconsistencies that appear when zoomed in.

Step 3. Find the Reduce Noise filter

Open the Filter menu, choose Noise and then Reduce Noise.

Step 4. Adjust the noise reduction parameters

First, check the Preview option to see the changes in real time.

Intensity.

This parameter sets the intensity of the noise reduction. The lower the quality of the JPEG file, the higher this setting should be. To see the effect of increasing the intensity, drag the slider to the right.
Save details.

A lower value will make the image softer and softer, but it will also eliminate noise.
Sharpness details.

By sharpening the edges of your image, a high Sharpness Detail value compensates for low detail retention. Make sure Remove JPEG Artifacts is ticked.
If you are happy with the result of your edits, click the "OK" button to save the new image.

Step 5. Minimize mosquito noise and color mismatch in areas lacking fine detail (eg human skin, cheeks, hair)

Your goal is to make the sharp transitions between colors as soft and natural as possible. Leave important details of certain parts of the image (for example, eyes, ears, insect wings) for the Clone Stamp tool, which we will discuss in the next step.

Zoom in on the imageuntil you see areas with sharp color transitions in the work area.
Use the Eyedropper toolto select a color next to the area you want to remove.
Select the Brush tool.

In short, you only need to sketch the colored pixels. Set the Hardness to 10%, the Opacity to 40%, and the Pressure to 100%.
Apply paint to colored blocks with single clicks.

Do not hold down the mouse button while coloring the image, otherwise it will look unnatural. Feel free to change the hue to complement the surrounding hues, shadows, and highlights in the original image.
Lower the opacity of the brush up to 10% for smooth transitions between different areas, such as between the eyebrow and the skin. You will have to take the colors from both the eyebrow and the skin to accurately outline this transition area. Thanks to the low opacity, all your actions will look natural, so don't be afraid to lightly touch your skin with the color of your eyebrows, or vice versa.

Step 6. Use the Clone Stamp tool in places with a lot of small details (eyes, teeth, insect wings)

Since it is difficult to find and use one color in these places, you can use a stamp to find the exact color combination. "Stamp" allows you to select a part of an image and literally transfer it to another part of the image.

Select "Stamp" from the toolbar and hold down Alt key until the cursor turns into a crosshair. Select an area near the desired color range, but avoid compression artifacts. Otherwise, you can copy the artifacts.
Choose the right brush sizeto cover the distortion (anywhere from 1 to 10 pixels). Set the hardness of the brush to around 10-30% and the opacity to 30%. To correct color distortion, use the same single mouse clicks as in the previous example. Change the area of the image you are using as a reference often (by holding down the Alt key).
Reduce the opacity for the transitions in the image.

Incorrect colors can sometimes overlap the shape of the image (the edges of the pupil are not smooth, circular, but interrupted by protruding lines). You may need to use the brush repeatedly to redraw the edges correctly.

Step 7. Continue using these tools until you are satisfied with the results

Sometimes zoom back to 100% to assess the integrity of the image.

Step 8. Save the new image as a high quality JPEG or-p.webp" />
You will not be pleased with the next compression of the image after all the efforts made.

In Photoshop go to the menu File >> Save for Web.

Select “JPEG” from the drop-down menu and set the image quality between 80 and 100. Remember that the higher the quality, the larger the file size.

Alternatively, you can choose "PNG-24" to save the image in-p.webp" />

Advice

In the history of actions in Photoshop, only a certain number of last clicks are saved, and during processing you will make a large number of them. If you zoom away from the image, you may find that you have incorrectly processed any part of it, but Photoshop will no longer be able to return you to that moment. To avoid this, make copies of your image so you can always go back to the pre-change stage. The duplicate image button is located at the bottom of the history window. Scroll to the top of the list to see all of your saved copies.
Feel free to experiment with the stamp and brush settings, especially if you are more or less familiar with Photoshop. If you are not satisfied with the processing result, just change the settings.
If you are working with photography, pay attention to the different shades. Depending on the lighting, shadows and reflections, the blue flower can have different shades - cyan, violet, ultramarine, green, brown, and so on. Try to reproduce these colors as best as possible using a brush with a low opacity. Use a stamp if a large number of different shades are concentrated on a small area.

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