(Click on the image to see it bigger to see the effect)
One of the useful recent technology previews Adobe has added into photoshop is the new algorithm for scaling images up: Preserve Details 2.0
As you can see from this 400% increase sample the new method makes for a much better image compared to the traditional bicubic smoother interpolation. On some images there can be added noise but this can be controlled with a preview for feedback in the Image size window.
Im very impressed with this new tool and there will be uses for this for my clients who require very large prints or need to get the best out of a cropped image over a double page spread. Credit to Adobe for adding this.
You will need the current 2018 version of Photoshop CC to use this tool, if its not visible as an option in the image size dialog then go to the “Technology Previews” tab in Photoshop preferences and tick “Enable Preserve Details 2.0 Upscale”
Update: If I was impressed by Adobe’s Preserve Details 2.0 then I must be dumbfounded by Topax AI Gigapixel! This new software (standalone $99.99 purchase). uses artificial intelligence to “remake” the image. I will be keeping an eye on the software to make sure the results Im getting are ethically fitting within the sphere of the subject matter but this holds great promise for taking extreme crops of stills or taking video frames further up in size for printing.
Note that AI Gigapixel is a stand alone program that does not need Photoshop to run , this software can work its magic regardless of where the image goes afterwards.
Link to AI Gigapixel page: https://topazlabs.com/ai-gigapixel/