Enlarge and restore an old photo without uploading it
A 600-pixel photo becomes printable at 20 × 30 cm, locally, for free, without watermark.
Beginner 10 min
The tools in this recipe
- UpscaylApp
Local enlargement and restoration, free
FreeData stays localSecurity: nothing to flag
See the card → Finer result on faces, paid, also local (optional)
PaidData stays localSecurity: nothing to flag
See the card →To rebuild a torn or missing area (optional)
Freemium · from 5 €Data with the vendorSecurity: nothing to flag
See the card →
Step by step
- 1
Scan properly
Scan at 600 dpi minimum, flat, without the scanner’s “auto enhance” mode, which smooths the details the AI will need to recover.
- 2
Pick the model in Upscayl
“Ultramix Balanced” for a family photo, “Remacri” for a document or a landscape. 4× first; 8× only if the 4× result is clean.
- 3
Compare before/after
Use the split view. Look at eyes, hair, any text: that is where the AI “invents” when it no longer knows.
- 4
Rebuild missing parts
For a tear or a missing corner, Firefly (generative fill) does the job online. Select the area tightly; the tool is better on a small surface.
- 5
Export for printing
PNG or TIFF, never JPEG for a print. Check the size in centimetres at 300 dpi before sending to the lab.
Real example
- Situation
- 1962 wedding photo, yellowed 9 × 13 cm print, scanned at 600 dpi, one corner torn.
- What we asked / set
- No prompt for Upscayl (Ultramix Balanced model, 4×). For Firefly, selection of the missing corner and instruction: “continue the plain background and the print’s white border”.
- What we got
- Final file 4,800 × 6,900 pixels, printable at 40 × 58 cm at 300 dpi. Rebuilt corner credible because plain. Time: 8 minutes, 3 of them computing on a laptop without GPU.
Check by hand before using it
- ✓Faces look like the people: ask someone who knows them.
- ✓No text (sign, plate, date) was rewritten with invented characters.
- ✓The exported file is at the expected size for the print.
Your data: precautions
- !A family photo is sensitive personal data: Upscayl works locally, which is why it comes first.
- !Generative fill fabricates: never present a rebuilt area as the original (archives, genealogy, expert appraisal).
- !“Free” online enlargement services often keep the photo; read the terms first.
Share this verdict
One link, the same shortlist, the same reasons.
Each recipe was actually done. The tools cited are scored and rechecked every week; no placement is sold.