Adobe recently added a powerful new Generative Upscale feature into Lightroom Desktop that utilizes Topaz Labs’ AI-powered resizing algorithms to double (2X) or quadruple (4X) your image’s resolution with remarkable clarity.
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Currently, this feature is only available within the cloud-based version of Lightroom (Lightroom Desktop) but don’t panic Lightroom Classic users. There is a simple workaround that allows everyone to access this incredible resizing option!
The Golden Rule: Edit First, Upscale Last
Before diving into the technical steps, there is one critical workflow point to understand: enlarging an image using Generative Upscale should be the very last thing that you do in your image editing workflow.
Ignore this feature until you have utilized every other tool in Lightroom, or Lightroom Classic, that you can use to perfect your image. Save this one until after you have finished all of your edits and applied your final a
How to Use Generative Upscale In Adobe Lightroom (Desktop)
Using the Generative Upscale tool is straightforward:
- Select Your Image: After perfecting your original, go to Photo > Generative Upscale.
- Choose Your Multiplier: You can choose to double (2X) or quadruple (4X) your image size using the Gigapixel algorithms from Topaz Labs.*
- Upscale: Wait for Lightroom to generate your new, high-resolution “Topaz-Gigapixel.dng” enhanced file.
The results are often stunning. This kind of upscaling provides four times as many pixels while maintaining, or improving, the sharpness and detail in your original capture!
The Lightroom Classic Workaround
Adobe has yet to include the Generative Upscale feature inside of Lightroom Classic. If you are a Classic user, and if you want to use this tool to create a much larger image, then follow these steps:
- Finish Your Editing in Classic: Complete ALL adjustments and set your final Crop.
- Save Metadata: Use the Metadata > Save Metadata to File command. This step is critical; it writes your edits directly to the file’s metadata header, or xmp sidecar, so that the Lightroom Desktop application can apply all of your hard work.
- Locate the File: Right-click on your image in Classic’s Library Module Grid View and choose the Show in Finder (Mac) or Show in Explorer (PC) command. This will open up an Operating System window. Keep this window open and move Lightroom Classic out of the way or close it.
- Open in Lightroom Desktop: Launch the cloud-based Adobe Lightroom Desktop application.
- Add Your Image Into Lightroom’s Local Browser: You can drag your image from the Finder/Explorer window onto the Lightroom icon (the one without the “C”) or use the Local browser tab within the app to navigate to this file.
- Run Generative Upscale: Select the image you want to enlarge and invoke the Photo > Generative Upscale command.
- Bring it Back to Classic: Once the upscaling is finished, Right-click on the new enlarged “Topaz-Gigapixel.dng” file in Lightroom Desktop and choose the Show in Finder/Explorer command.
- Return to Lightroom Classic: Once Lightroom Classic is open again go to the Library Module Grid View.
- Drag and Drop: Drag the high-res .dng from the OS window and drop it onto the Grid to trigger Classic’s Import Dialog. Use the Add command to include your enlarged image in your Catalog.
Why The Order Of Operations Matters
The Generative Upscale process creates a separate .dng file. Unlike a panorama or an HDR merge-—which happen at the start of our Lightroom image editing workflows-—Generative Upscale “bakes” your existing edits into the new enlarged .dng file.
When this new high-resolution files gets created your AI Denoise settings, for example, will be cooked into the enlarged copy. If you change your mind later, you cannot adjust these settings on the high-res file. To change the amount of Denoise applied, you would have to return to your lower-resolution original, adjust the Denoise slider, and then run the Generative Upscale again. Doing this wastes both time and Adobe Generative Credits.
Final Considerations: Credits and Control
While the integration of Topaz’s upscaling technology is a huge win for Lightroom users, there are two things to keep in mind:
*Generative Upscale vs. Super Resolution: If you only need to double your image size (2X) then consider using Lightroom’s internal Super Resolution tool instead. Super Resolution does not require any Generative Credits and it preserves your full editing flexibility. I suggest using Generative Upscale only on images where you really need that enormous 4X resolution boost.
Simplified vs. Full Topaz: Lightroom offers a streamlined version of Topaz’s upscaling engine. Users with standalone Topaz Photo or Gigapixel subscriptions will still benefit from advanced features, like specific AI model selection and AI-powered sharpening, that are not included in Lightroom. While Topaz’s standalone software requires a separate purchase, these additional controls might be worth the recurring investment for photographers pursuing the absolute pinnacle of image quality.
