What is an AI image upscaler?+
An AI image upscaler enlarges a low-resolution image to a higher resolution using a neural network trained to invent plausible detail. ZNIX.ai routes your upload to one of five state-of-the-art engines — Real-ESRGAN, 4x-UltraSharp, SwinIR, GFPGAN and a Gigapixel-Style HD pipeline — so you can pick the strongest model per image. Photos, art, screenshots, scanned prints — sharp at any size.
Is the AI upscaler free?+
Yes. The Trial pack starts at $3 and includes 600 credits, enough to try the workflow end to end. Paid plans start under $20/month and unlock 8× / 16× scales, batch queues, the Gigapixel-Style HD engine, and priority queue. No watermark on free or paid output. Compared to Topaz Gigapixel ($199 one-time + paid upgrades) and per-image retouching, the cost-per-image is typically 95%+ lower.
Which engine should I pick?+
Photos of people → GFPGAN (face-aware) or Real-ESRGAN with Face Enhance. Anime, illustrations, line-art, packaging mockups → 4x-UltraSharp. Macro photos, fabric, wood grain, microscopy → SwinIR. Print-ready 300 DPI output → Gigapixel-Style HD. General photos → Real-ESRGAN (the default). The right engine halves your re-render rate.
How long does an upscale take?+
Most 4× upscales finish in 8–15 seconds. 8× takes 15–30 seconds. 16× and Gigapixel-Style HD take 30–60 seconds — still 10× faster than running Topaz Gigapixel locally on a mid-range laptop. Batch queues run in parallel, so 50 SKUs at 4× usually finish inside 5 minutes.
What's the maximum source resolution?+
Up to 4096×4096 source images are supported natively. The output cap is 16384×16384 (a 4× upscale from 4096, or a 16× from 1024). For larger sources, contact support — we can split the image, upscale tiles in parallel and stitch them back, with no visible seams.
Will the AI invent fake details?+
AI upscalers do "hallucinate" plausible texture in some areas — that's how they exceed simple bicubic upscaling. The five engines we route to are tuned for fidelity, not creative invention; they preserve faces, text and identifiable patterns. For forensic or legal use, where invented detail is a liability, use 2× scale only and disable Face Enhance, or stick to traditional bicubic.
Can I upscale images commercially?+
Yes. Every upscaled output includes a full commercial license — use them on ads, packaging, prints, marketplace listings, anywhere. Output is yours. No attribution required and no per-use fees, regardless of volume.
Can I batch upscale many images at once?+
Yes, on paid plans. Drop up to 100 images per batch, pick one engine + scale combo, and the queue runs in parallel. Common workflows: e-commerce sellers upscaling 100 SKUs to platform spec, photographers upscaling a wedding shoot for prints, game artists remastering a texture pack.
Are my images kept private?+
Yes. Images uploaded to ZNIX.ai are processed in-session and auto-deleted after the upscale completes. They are never added to any training dataset. Your image, your data, your output. Premium plans include private workspaces with no provider-side logging.
How is this different from Photoshop's Preserve Details upscale?+
Photoshop's Preserve Details is a high-quality interpolation algorithm — fast, but limited to 2×–4× before noticeable softness. ZNIX.ai routes through neural engines (Real-ESRGAN, SwinIR, GFPGAN) that invent plausible detail beyond what interpolation can recover. For 8× or 16× scales, or for any photo with faces, the AI-routed pipeline produces noticeably sharper output. No Photoshop license required.