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Adobe Firefly image upscaling: How to enlarge photos in Photoshop, Firefly and Lightroom

By Freedom251 Team · · 6 min read

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Adobe’s AI upscaling is not one single tool. You can enlarge an image in Photoshop with Image > Generative Upscale, in the Firefly web editor with Generative upscale, or in Lightroom with Enhance with AI > Generative Upscale. Each offers 2x and 4x enlargement, but the available models, maximum dimensions, output file and Lightroom Classic support differ.

Use Photoshop when you want a new document for further compositing, Firefly when you are working in a browser, and Lightroom when you want a separate DNG derivative inside a photo catalog. The sections below show the exact paths and limits.

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What Adobe Firefly upscaling actually does

Generative Upscale reconstructs detail while increasing pixel dimensions. It is intended for photographs or generated images that are too small for printing, cropping or high-resolution delivery. The process does not recover original sensor data; it creates plausible detail based on the selected model. Fine text, repeating patterns, faces and hard edges should therefore be inspected at 100% before you replace or publish the enlarged file.

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Adobe’s Photoshop documentation describes the feature as a way to “enhance image resolution and improve detail with Generative Upscale.” In the Photoshop implementation, Firefly Upscaler can restore low-resolution images up to 6144 × 6144 pixels. Adobe also integrates two Topaz models—Topaz Gigapixel and Topaz Bloom—so the model choice is part of the workflow rather than a separate plug-in installation.

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Which Adobe workflow should you use?

Host Models offered Scale Output Important limit or support note
Photoshop Firefly Upscaler, Topaz Gigapixel, Topaz Bloom 2x or 4x New Photoshop document Firefly Upscaler output is limited to 6144 × 6144 pixels.
Firefly web editor Firefly Upscaler, Topaz Bloom, Topaz Gigapixel 2x or 4x Generated image in Firefly JPEG, PNG and WEBP uploads are limited to 100 MB; Adobe says credit use varies by model.
Lightroom (cloud workflows) Topaz Gigapixel Generative Upscale 2x or 4x Separate DNG derivative; an original-and-derivative stack can be created Maximum 65,000 pixels on the long edge. The workflow is not currently available in Lightroom Classic.

Choose the host that matches where your originals live. Photoshop is best for a single image that will continue into a layered design. Firefly is convenient when the source is already online or was generated there. Lightroom is the cleanest choice for catalog-based photography because it preserves the original and creates a derivative rather than overwriting the source.

How to upscale in Photoshop

  1. Open the low-resolution image in Photoshop.
  2. Choose Image > Generative Upscale.
  3. Set the scale to 2x or 4x.
  4. Select Firefly Upscaler, Topaz Gigapixel or Topaz Bloom.
  5. Confirm the preview and create the upscale. Photoshop opens the result in a new document, leaving the original document available for comparison.

Selecting a Photoshop model

Firefly Upscaler is Adobe’s own model and is the option with the documented 6144 × 6144-pixel ceiling. Topaz Gigapixel and Topaz Bloom are partner models exposed in the same dialog. The available data does not establish a universal quality ranking between them, so inspect the model previews on the actual image: a portrait, a landscape and a scanned illustration can produce very different artifacts.

Check the new document before editing

Verify pixel dimensions in Image > Image Size and inspect faces, lettering, hair, foliage and diagonals at 100%. Keep the original document open until you have checked edges and texture. If the result will be printed, calculate the required dimensions from the intended physical size and resolution before choosing 4x; a larger file is not automatically a sharper print.

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How to upscale with the Firefly web editor

  1. Open the Firefly web editor and upload an image, or open an image you generated there.
  2. Switch to the Edit tab.
  3. Choose Generative upscale.
  4. Select Firefly Upscaler, Topaz Bloom or Topaz Gigapixel.
  5. Choose 2x or 4x.
  6. Review the expected dimensions and commit the generated image only after checking that the output fits your destination.

Firefly accepts JPEG, PNG and WEBP inputs up to 100 MB. If an upload fails, confirm both the file type and byte size before troubleshooting the model. Adobe states that generative-credit consumption varies by model; it does not publish one credit number that applies to every upscaling choice in the documentation cited here. Check the credit notice shown in your account or in the editor before submitting a batch.

How to upscale in Lightroom

  1. Open the photo in Detail view.
  2. Choose Enhance with AI > Generative Upscale. You can also reach it through Photo > Enhance with AI.
  3. Select 2x or 4x.
  4. Run the enhancement and wait for Lightroom to create the derivative.
  5. If you use a cloud workflow, enable the option to create a stack containing the original and generated photo when that choice appears.

Adobe describes Lightroom Generative Upscale as powered by Topaz. The result is a separate DNG derivative, not an overwrite of the source. Adobe’s Lightroom FAQ specifies a 65,000-pixel maximum on the long edge for Topaz Gigapixel Generative Upscale. Lightroom Classic does not currently support this Topaz Gigapixel workflow, so the menu will not appear there.

Place upscaling late in the Lightroom sequence

Apply noise reduction first when the image needs it, then perform Generative Upscale near the end of the workflow. Upscaling a noisy original can enlarge the noise pattern and make later corrections harder. Keep the original derivative relationship intact so you can return to the source if the generated detail is unsuitable.

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Do not confuse Generative Upscale with AI Sharpen

Lightroom’s AI Sharpen is a separate Topaz-powered feature. It is not the same operation as Generative Upscale: sharpening emphasizes existing edges, while upscaling creates a larger pixel grid and synthesizes additional detail. Choose the tool based on whether the problem is insufficient dimensions or merely a soft-looking image.

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2x versus 4x: choosing the scale

When 2x is the safer choice

  • The source is only modestly undersized for the final display or print.
  • Faces, small lettering or geometric lines must remain conservative and natural.
  • You want a smaller derivative and fewer opportunities for invented texture.

When 4x is justified

  • The source must support a substantial crop or a much larger output.
  • The original has clean focus and enough genuine detail for the model to analyze.
  • You have time to compare models and retouch generated artifacts.

Because both settings are available in all three hosts, start with 2x when the final dimensions allow it. Use 4x when the delivery requirement demands it, not simply because the larger number sounds better.

Dimensions, credits and file handling

Maximum dimensions are host-specific

Do not assume that a limit in one Adobe product applies to another. Photoshop’s Firefly Upscaler limit is 6144 × 6144 pixels. Lightroom’s Topaz Gigapixel derivative can reach 65,000 pixels on the long edge. Firefly’s documented 100 MB figure is an input-upload limit for JPEG, PNG and WEBP files, not a promise about the size or dimensions of every generated result.

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How generative credits fit in

Adobe explicitly notes that Firefly web credit consumption varies by selected model. The available documentation does not provide a single, fixed credit price for every Photoshop, Firefly and Lightroom combination described here. Before a large batch, read the credit information displayed by the specific host and model; do not extrapolate from one model to another.

Output differences affect your archive

  • Photoshop: a new Photoshop document is created, allowing side-by-side comparison and continued layered work.
  • Firefly web: the upscale is returned as a generated Firefly image, so download or save it according to your project’s asset-management practice.
  • Lightroom: a separate DNG derivative is created, preserving the original and allowing catalog organization or stacking in supported cloud workflows.
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A reliable quality-control checklist

  1. Record the source pixel dimensions and intended delivery dimensions.
  2. Choose the host that preserves the file structure you need.
  3. Run noise reduction before Lightroom upscaling when noise is prominent.
  4. Preview both 2x and 4x when the final size is uncertain.
  5. Inspect at 100% for halos, repeated patterns, plastic skin, warped text and invented edges.
  6. Compare the generated result with the untouched original before deleting or overwriting anything.
  7. Export in the color space, format and resolution required by the destination after quality checks are complete.

Troubleshooting common failures

The Generative Upscale command is missing

Confirm that you are in the supported host and the expected view: Photoshop uses Image > Generative Upscale; Lightroom uses Detail view and Enhance with AI > Generative Upscale. If you are in Lightroom Classic, the Topaz Gigapixel workflow is not currently provided there.

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The result looks artificial

Try 2x instead of 4x, compare another available model, and inspect the specific region that failed. Text, repeating fabric, foliage and facial features are high-risk areas. Retain the original and mask or retouch only the affected portions rather than treating the generated file as unquestionably accurate.

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The Firefly upload is rejected

For browser editing, verify that the file is JPEG, PNG or WEBP and no larger than 100 MB. Convert an unsupported format or reduce the file size before retrying.

The output is larger than your application or delivery target

Check dimensions before committing to 4x. In Photoshop, the Firefly model’s 6144 × 6144 ceiling may constrain the result; in Lightroom, the long-edge limit is 65,000 pixels. If the generated dimensions exceed your destination, use the smaller scale or resize a verified derivative afterward.

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