How to Improve JPEG Image Quality

JPEG (also known as JPG) is an image compressed to reduce file size, making it suitable for sharing and posting online. Therefore, when you want to enlarge or reuse the JPEG file, the image will be grainy and broken. You can enhance JPEG file quality by tweaking the image, color, and contrast using photo editing software. If you are familiar with photo editing operations, you can use Topaz DeJPEG software; If you are a beginner, you can use free software like Pixlr. If you are familiar with Photoshop, access the powerful tools in this software to improve image quality.

Use Pixlr

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Download to your device or run Pixlr online. Pixlr is a powerful photo editing tool used by many professionals and photo enthusiasts. Pixlr offers free online editing software that resembles basic editing apps on phones and computers. You can upgrade to the advanced version.

Pixlr Editor is a web application. You can visit the following website to use Pixlr editor: https://pixlr.com/editor/

Pixlr Express is an application that runs on the web, iOS and Android operating systems. You can download the app for free from Google Play or the Apple App store, or visit https://pixlr.com/express/.

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Open the photo you want to edit. The quality of the product after editing depends on the resolution, pixels or original image. Pixlr encourages users to edit photos at the highest resolution possible. Especially when you intend to enlarge the image because changing the size will reduce the image resolution, the space between pixels will increase, causing image distortion. Steps to download photos in the program:

In Pixlr Editor, click the 'Browse' button, select the JPEG file, press 'Ok' or search for the image on the web and press the 'Open URL' button.

In Pixlr Express, click the 'photos' button and select a photo from your phone or tablet's photo library. You can take a new photo for editing by clicking on the 'camera' button.

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Change image size. Image size is determined by the number of pixels, the more pixels, the larger the image. Sending emails, uploading or downloading large JPEG images takes a lot of time. Resize photos to reduce the number of pixels to help you share photos more quickly.

To resize a photo in Pixlr Editor, select Adjustment > Resize. Change the number of pixels to the desired size, lock the 'Aspect Ratio' feature and select 'Apply'.

To resize a photo on Pixlr Express, click 'Done' then select 'Resize'. Change the number of pixels to the desired size, lock the 'Aspect Ratio' feature and select 'Apply'.

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Crop photo. The photo cropping feature helps you easily remove unwanted parts of the photo. Cropping an image also reduces its size.

To crop a photo in Pixlr Editor, select Adjustment > Crop. Change the length and width in the bounds dialog. Click outside the photo. If you are satisfied with the new size, click 'Yes' in the dialog box that appears on the screen.

To crop a photo on Pixlr Express, select Tools > Crop. Enter the desired number of pixels or select a pre-sized size in the drop-down menu.

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Reduce image noise. You can only use free filters on Pixlr Editor, on Pixlr you have to pay. Select Filter > Denoise. You will see the word 'Denoise' flashing on the image to indicate that the image has been reduced in noise or distortion. Continue reducing noise until it is satisfactory.

You cannot control the amount of image noise reduction each time.

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Use the brush tool to reduce noise. You can use this tool for free on Pixlr Editor, on Pixlr for a fee. You can reduce the appearance of pixelation by coloring discolored pixels. Select the brush tool to redraw areas of the image that lack detail.

Enlarge the image until each pixel is visible. Choose View > Zoom In.

Select the eyedropper icon in the dialog box, located directly above the hand icon. Use this tool to select a color near the pixel you want to recolor.

Select the paintbrush tool, located right above the paint bucket icon. Click on the number next to 'Brush' to expand the tool's settings. Reduce opacity to 40% and hardness to 10%. Choose the brush shape that suits your needs.

'Dip' the brush carefully into the pixel to color. Click one by one to color the pixels. Use the eye drop tool to change colors if needed.

To reduce mosquito noise and distortion of the object's boundary area, you need to color it the same as the color of the surrounding environment object. Reduce brush size and opacity for easier painting control.

Occasionally zoom in and out to get a general appreciation of the photo.

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Edit image areas in detail with the copy mark tool. You can only use this tool for free on Pixlr Editor, on Pixlr you have to pay. The copy stamp tool on Pixlr allows you to capture and copy a portion of an image. Thus, you can copy and paste individual pixels or entire objects. Because this tool can capture and copy multiple colors, it is great for eliminating or reducing mosquito noise from detailed image areas.

Zoom in on the photo until you see each pixel. Choose View > Zoom In.

On pixlr, you watermark with the brush tool. Select the brush tool and adjust the settings. Select the soft brush in line 2 and reduce the opacity. The soft brush and low opacity make it easier to blend colors together.

Select the copy mark tool, located just below the paint bucket icon. Hover the mouse over the location you want to capture and copy. To activate the copy mark, Windows users must hold down the key Alt, while Mac users must hold down the key ⌘ Command. You click on the area you want to select while holding down the key. Release the mouse and keys at the same time.

To stamp, hover over the area to be edited and click on it. Repeat the above operation if necessary.

Throughout the process, you should zoom in and out of the photo frequently to check the overall image.

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Fine-tune the color and contrast of your photo. Pixlr offers users many ways to change and enhance photos. You can use the 'Color' tool to adjust color, saturation, brightness and vibrancy. If the image is underexposed or overexposed, you can adjust the contrast and brightness of the image with the 'Contrast' tool.

To access this tool on Pixlr, choose Refine > Color or Refine > Contrast.

To access this tool in Pixlr Editor, choose Adjustment > Color or Adjustment > Contrast.

To access this tool on Pixlr Express, choose Tools > Adjustment > Color or Tools > Adjustment > Contrast.

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Adjust photo tones with many other tools. Pixlr is equipped with many tools similar to brushes and filters to help you erase small mistakes or change the entire photo. Here are some tools:

Sharpen: Use this tool to sharpen soft edges.

Blur: Use this tool to soften rough edges.

Smudge: use this tool to blend pixels.

Sponge: use this tool to 'absorb' color or 'saturate' color

Dodge: use this tool to increase brightness.

Burn: use this tool to add shadow and contrast to the image.

Spot Heal: use this tool to remove blemishes or scratches.

Bloat: use this tool to create a concave effect.

Pinch: use this tool to create a convex effect.

Red-eye reduction: use this tool to remove red-eye

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Add effects to photos. With effects on Pixlr, you can transform every pixel in your photo. Each effect engine uses an algorithm to change the appearance of each pixel. Pixlr offers 9 different effects, each with many sub-options. Here is the list:

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

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Save the photo and adjust the size. Once you're done editing, choose File > Save As, click the 'Save' button, or select 'Save Image'. If you use Pixlr or Pixlr Editor, you will see a dialog box appear on the screen. On Pixlr, you can rename the photo, select 'Files of Type' —choose JPEG— and decide where to save the photo. Once completed, click 'Save'. On Pixlr Editor, you can rename photos. Before saving, the program will ask you to select 'Image Quality'.

High quality images are less compressed and have more pixels, so they consume more data. The saved file is large in size and the image is sharp.

Low quality images are highly compressed images with few pixels, so they consume less data. The saved file is small in size and the image is less sharp, easily broken.

Use Topaz DeJPEG

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Verify that Topaz DeJPEG is compatible with the photo editing software you are using. Topaz DeJPEG is a JPEG quality improvement plugin for major photo editing software. The free trial version of this plugin can be used with Adobe Photoshop (Windows and Mac), Paintshop Pro (Windows), Photo Impact (Windows), and Irfanview (Windows).

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Download and install the plugin. To download the free trial version, visit www.topazlabs.com/download in a web browser. Enter your email address and password, click 'Download Now'. Scroll down to 'Topaz DeJPEG' and select the operating system (Windows or Mac). The download process will begin and the trial license key will be sent to your email address.

Turn off Photoshop. If you use Adobe Photoshop, you need to turn off the software before installing DeJPEG. If you use other software, it is not necessary to turn it off.

Run the installer. Double click on the downloaded installation file to start the trial process. Enter the trial license key (sent via email) when requested, then click 'Install' to proceed with the installation.

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Install DeJPEG into photo editing software. Before using the plugin you need to add the DeJPEG filter folder to the software you are using. The full path of the DeJPEG plugin folder is as follows Program Files >> Topaz Labs >> Topaz DeJPEG 4 .

Photoshop: Photoshop users can move on to the next step because DeJPEG has been automatically installed into Photoshop's plugin folder.

Paintshop Pro: From the File menu, select 'Preferences', then 'File Locations'. Select 'Plugins' on the left side of the screen, then click the 'Add' button. Navigate to the DeJPEG plugin folder then click 'OK.'

Photo Impact: Open the program and press the key F6. Select 'Plugins' in the list, click on the '…' button at the bottom of the first empty plugin folder in the list. In the folder list, select the DeJPEG plugin, then click 'OK'. Restart Photo Impact before starting to use the filter.

IrfanView: Open the program, expand the 'Image' menu. Click on 'Effects', select 'Adobe 8BF Filters'. Select 'Add 8BF filters' in the menu, navigate to the DeJPEG plugin folder and press OK.

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Start the filter. Open the JPEG image in editing software, then run the DeJPEG tool:

Photoshop: In the Filters menu, select 'Topaz Labs' then 'DeJPEG 4'.

Paintshop Pro: In the Effects menu, select 'Plugins', then 'Topaz DeJPEG'.

Photo Impact: Open the Effect menu and select 'Topaz DeJPEG'.

IrfanView: Open the Image menu, click 'Effects' then select 'Adobe 8BF Filters'. Select 'Topaz DeJPEG' in the filter list.

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Zoom in on the image area that needs editing. Click on the magnifying glass icon (+) to enlarge the image area with display error due to image compression.

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Try out the default presets. The default DeJPEG presets are on the left side of the screen. Click on each preset to preview the image. Note the points that improve or affect the image of each preset. Choose the preset that best suits the JPEG image you want to edit. Even though it's not perfect, we still have more room for improvement.

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Adjust the slider in Luminance mode. Select 'Luminance' in the option under 'Preview Display mode'. Click 'Main' to see some of the detailed editing options that the preset missed.

Reduce Artifacts: First, move the slider all the way to the left. Now, slowly move the slider to the right and observe the details in the preview pane. When you move the slider to the right, the boundary area will be softer but you will see noise and checkerboard patterns. Keep moving until the above factors are balanced.

Sharpen: This slider helps us re-evaluate the edge areas that have been softened with the Reduce Artifacts slider. When you move the slider to the right you will increase the sharpness.

Sharp Radius: This slider is used in conjunction with the Sharpen tool. Try moving the slider to the left or right until the edge looks sharp and the artifact disappears.

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Adjust color. If the image's color is affected by previous tools, switch to "Color" mode in Preview Display mode.

Smooth Color: Move the slider left or right until you are satisfied with the image in the preview pane.

Clear Edge Radius. If you want to make detailed adjustments to the edge color, click on the "Advanced" setting, then drag the "Clr Edge Radius" slider up. Use in parallel with the Edge Threshold slider until you are satisfied with the photo.

Adjust Saturation. If your photo is pale, move the "Saturation" slider to the right to increase the color level.

Add grain (Add grain). Try using the "Add Grain" slider to make your photo look more natural. Move the slider to the right to increase the number of particles.

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Zoom out the image to see changes. Before saving the product click on the magnifying glass (-) until you see the entire photo in the preview frame. If you are not satisfied with the result, continue editing with presets, opacity and color until satisfied.

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Click 'OK' to process the image. You have to wait a while to apply the filter to the photo.

Use Adobe Photoshop

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Consider what quality photos you need. Editing the details of a low-quality compressed JPEG image will take a lot of time and effort.

If you don't have much time or don't have Photoshop installed, see how to use Topaz DeJPEG.

If you want to improve photo quality for use on Facebook or Instagram applications, this method will not be as effective as using filters on applications. Pixlr has many free filters that can disguise imperfect JPEGs. If you want to make your photos stand out and don't care about space, try using Pixlr.

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Zoom in on the photo for a closer look. Open the JPEG image in Photoshop, zoom in on the image using the magnifying glass (+) at the top of the left toolbar. Continue clicking on that icon until the percentage in the lower left corner of the screen displays '300%'. Pay attention to the blocks and color gradations up close.

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Find the 'Reduce Noise' filter. Open the 'Filter' menu, select 'Noise' then select 'Reduce Noise'.

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Adjust noise reduction options. First, check the 'Preview' dialog box so you can preview the actual changes.

Strength: This is the number that determines the level of noise reduction. The lower the quality of the image, the higher this number should be. Drag the slider to the right to observe the effect of increasing the strength setting.

Preserve Details: The smaller the percentage, the blurrier and softer the image is, while also reducing noise.

Sharpen Details: You can offset the Preserve Details setting by increasing Sharpen Details because it will make the edges of the image clearer. Don't forget to check the "Remove JPEG artifact" dialog box.

When you are satisfied with the preview image, click 'OK' to save the new image.

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Reduce noise and color blocking on large image areas without much detail. (For example, skin, cheeks, hair). The goal of this step is to make the image transition more smoothly. Use the copy mark tool to manipulate details in specific objects (e.g. eyes, ears).

Zoom in on the photo until you can clearly see the color blocks (tiny square blocks of color) in the area of the photo you need to edit.

Use the eyedropper tool to select a color near the color block you want to remove.

Select the brush tool. You need to lightly paint over that color block. Set hardness to 10%, opacity to 40% and flow to 100%.

Click one at a time, "doting" the brush on the color block. Don't hold the mouse and paint in bulk because it doesn't look natural. You can freely transfer colors to match the colors, shadows, and highlights of the original image.

Reduce brush opacity to 10% for smoother transitions, such as the eyebrow area on the skin. You should choose a color that is neutral between skin color and eyebrow color to fill in the transition area. Because the opacity is low, the change happens step by step and looks very natural, don't be afraid to apply skin color to the eyebrow contour area and vice versa.

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Use the copy mark tool in areas that highlight details. (Such as eye area, teeth, insect wings). Since it is difficult to choose the right color to paint these areas, we can use a stamp to get the exact color. The copy stamp allows you to select an image area and copy it to another area.

Click on the stamp icon and press the key Alt until the mouse pointer turns into a crosshair. Select the area right next to the color block or image compression artifact, avoiding color block selections. You should not copy the artifact.

Adjust the brush size to match the artifact area when compressing the image, you can adjust the size to 1-10 px. Adjust the "hardness" of the brush between 10 and 30% and the "opacity" around 30%. Apply "pointing" one point at a time to correct miscolored blocks. Frequently re-select the area you want to copy (by pressing the alt key) because you have to move the entire image.

Reduced blur in transitions. Wrong color blocks sometimes also affect the shape of the photo (note that the circular iris area is not smooth and protruding in many places). You can use a brush to redraw the border affected by the wrong color block.

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Repeat the operation until you are satisfied with the photo. Zoom out the image to 100% for overall viewing.

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Save photos as high-quality JPEG or PNG, which supports more colors. You don't want all your effort to go down the drain when compressing the image again.

In Photoshop, select File >> Save for Web & Devices .

In the drop-down menu, select "JPEG" and set the quality value to around 80 to 100. Note that the higher the quality, the larger the file size.

Alternatively, you can select "PNG-24" to save the file as PNG. PNG files are larger than JPEG files, but the image is not compressed too much.