Upscaling and Variations: Maximizing Output Quality in Midjourney

Midjourney offers two primary upscaling options—Subtle and Creative—that double the resolution of your images while balancing fidelity and artistic enhancement. The Subtle upscaler preserves the original image’s details and style closely, making it ideal for maintaining integrity, whereas the Creative upscaler adds extra detail and artistic flair but may alter the image’s style somewhat.

To maximize output quality in Midjourney:

• Start by generating your image using the /imagine command. After the initial grid of images is created, choose one to upscale by clicking the corresponding U button (U1, U2, U3, or U4).

• Perform a basic upscale first (e.g., to 1024×1024), then optionally use the “Upscale to Max” feature to reach the highest native Midjourney resolution (around 1664×1664 or 2048×2048 depending on version and aspect ratio). Midjourney currently does not allow direct max upscaling without first doing a basic upscale.

• Choose between Subtle and Creative upscalers based on your needs:

  • Subtle for fidelity and minimal stylistic change.
  • Creative for enhanced detail and artistic variation but with potential style shifts.

• Manage GPU time carefully, as upscaling consumes more GPU minutes than initial generation, especially with Creative upscaling.

• For resolutions beyond Midjourney’s native max (e.g., 4K, 8K), use external AI upscalers such as Topaz Photo AI, VideoProc, or browser-based tools. These can further enlarge images while maintaining or improving clarity, especially useful for print or high-quality display.

• Prepare your source image for best results:

  • Minimize artifacts and compression noise by re-rendering or manual cleanup.
  • Maintain consistent lighting and standard aspect ratios to avoid distortion during upscaling.
  • Use post-upscale refinement tools like sharpening filters and noise reduction in Photoshop or GIMP for critical projects.

• Variations function can be used to create alternative versions of an image before upscaling, allowing exploration of different artistic directions while keeping the core concept.

In summary, maximizing output quality in Midjourney involves a workflow of generating, selecting, and carefully choosing between Subtle or Creative upscaling, followed by optional external upscaling and manual refinement to achieve the highest resolution and detail fidelity suitable for your project’s needs.