To depixelate an image and convert it into a high-quality photo in Photoshop, you can follow these steps:
- Add some pixels: Increase the resolution of the image by going to
Imagein the menu bar and selectingImage Size. Change the resolution to 300 ppi and make sure that the resample box is checked. This should already clear up some of the pixelations. - Despeckle filter: To make the edits non-destructive, duplicate the image by pressing
Ctrl + JorCommand + J. Right-click on the duplicate layer and chooseConvert to Smart Object. Go toFilterin the menu bar, hover overNoiseand chooseDespeckle. You can do this a couple of times if you like.
- Gaussian blur filter: To further soften the edges, add a Gaussian Blur filter. Go to
Filter, hover overBlur, and chooseGaussian Blur. In the box that opens, choose the radius amount. More pixels mean more blur and a little goes a long way for this technique.
- Unsharp mask: Sharpen the lines with an Unsharp Mask filter. Go to
Filter, hover overSharpen, and chooseUnsharp Mask.
while these steps can help clean up a pixelated image, you cannot miraculously get a high-quality high-resolution image from a pixelated image. The quality of the final image will depend on the quality of the original image.