Tutorial & Guide — PixelScale

Quick Start — 4 Steps

1

Upload your images

Drag & drop one or more images onto the upload zone, or click Browse Files. Supports JPG, PNG, WebP, and GIF up to 20MB each. You can add multiple files at once.

2

Choose your scale factor

Pick from the preset buttons (×1.25, ×1.5, ×2, ×3, ×4) or type a custom value between 0.1 and 8. A ×2 scale doubles both width and height.

3

Select resampling method

Bicubic — best quality, smooth results. Ideal for photos and complex images.
Nearest Neighbor — fast, sharp pixels. Great for pixel art or icons.

4

Upscale & download

Hit Upscale Images. Once done, download individually with the Save button per image, or grab everything at once with Download All (.zip).

Tip: Processing multiple images? Use Bulk Upload + Download All ZIP for the fastest workflow.

Credits & Plans

Each image upscale costs 6 credits, regardless of scale factor or file size. Check your remaining credits in the navigation bar.

Plan	Credits	Images	Price
Free	60	10 total	$0 / free
Essential	300 / mo	50 / mo	$9 / mo
Pro Creator	900 / mo	150 / mo	$19 / mo
Unlimited	∞	Unlimited	$49 / mo

View Full Plans

DPI & Print Quality

DPI (Dots Per Inch) is metadata embedded in an image file that tells printers how densely to place pixels on paper. It does not change pixel count — only the physical print size.

Keep Original

Preserves whatever DPI is stored in your file. Most web images default to 72 DPI. Good for digital/screen use — no DPI change needed.

Boost to 300 DPI

Sets the DPI metadata to 300 in the output file. Makes images print-ready. At 300 DPI, printers place 300 dots per inch — producing sharp, professional results.

Print size formula: Print size (inches) = Pixel count ÷ DPI. A 3000×2000px image at 300 DPI prints at 10×6.67 inches. The same image at 72 DPI would print at ~41×27 inches — blurry and pixelated.

DPI	Typical Use	Quality
72 DPI	Web, screen, social media	Screen only
96 DPI	Windows screen default	Screen only
150 DPI	Large posters, banners (viewed from distance)	Acceptable
200 DPI	Magazine, standard photo prints	Good
300 DPI	Professional photo, high-quality print	✓ Recommended
600 DPI	Fine art, archival reproduction	Excellent

PixelScale embeds DPI into JPEG (via JFIF APP0 header) and PNG (via pHYs chunk). GIF and WebP do not support DPI metadata — the setting is ignored for those formats.

Supported Formats

Format	Transparency	Max Size	Notes
JPEG / JPG	No	20 MB	Output quality: 92%. Best for photos.
PNG	Yes (alpha)	20 MB	Lossless. Best for graphics, logos.
WebP	Yes	20 MB	Modern format, good compression.
GIF	Yes (1-bit)	20 MB	Static only — animated GIFs not supported.

FAQ

Does PixelScale store my images?

No. Images are processed server-side for the upscale operation but are never saved to disk or a database. Your images remain private.

What is the maximum upscale factor?

You can upscale up to ×8. Be aware that very large scales on large source images may produce very large output files.

Why does my image look blurry after upscaling?

Upscaling adds pixels by interpolation — it cannot add detail that was never there. For best results start with the sharpest source image possible. Bicubic mode produces the smoothest result.

Can I upscale multiple images at once?

Yes! Add as many images as you need, then click Upscale Images. They are processed sequentially. Use Download All (.zip) to get them all in one ZIP file.

What happens when I run out of credits?

You will see a warning and the upscale will be blocked. Upgrade your plan to get more credits, or wait for your monthly credits to refresh (paid plans only).

Does boosting to 300 DPI make my image sharper?

No — DPI only changes the print size metadata, not pixel count. To get a truly sharp print, you also need enough pixels. For a 4×6" print at 300 DPI you need at least 1200×1800 pixels. Use the Scale Factor to increase pixel count first, then apply 300 DPI.

What DPI should I use for social media?

DPI is irrelevant for screens — only pixel dimensions matter. Keep Original is fine for any digital-only image. Only use Boost to 300 DPI when preparing for print.