Leonardo Pro Upscaler: Precise vs Creative, 2x to 8x

Most upscalers are trained on real photographs, and Leonardo's argument for its Pro Upscaler is that AI images are different: they carry synthetic grain and textures that photo-trained upscalers misread and exaggerate. The Pro Upscaler is built to recognise those textures and clean them rather than amplify them. In practice it gives you two decisions, the mode and the multiplier, and both matter more than they look. This guide explains each, based on Leonardo's announcement and API documentation, and gives settings for common jobs.

Precise or Creative

• Precise enlarges while keeping the image faithful. Its one switch is Fix AI Image Artifacts: on, it reduces AI noise (the API calls this the clean setting); off, it keeps the original detail as it is (the detailed setting).
• Creative enlarges and reconstructs detail. Its control is creativity strength: Subtle, Balanced or Strong (low, mid or high in the API).

The rule of thumb is the same as for any upscaler: Precise for anything approved, branded or photographic; Creative for AI art and renders that need more texture at size. For real photographs, Leonardo recommends Precise with Fix AI Image Artifacts switched off, so the upscaler behaves as a pure magnifier without generative changes.

Choosing the multiplier

The Pro Upscaler offers 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x and 8x. Leonardo is explicit that the processing is not the same at every scale: the upscaler takes far more creative liberty at 8x than at 2x. Its guidance:

Leonardo's own tip: do not pick 8x because it is the biggest number. A web banner needs 2x; only large physical prints need 8x. Leonardo says the upscaler can reach outputs of around 105 megapixels, which covers billboards, magazine spreads and fine-art prints.

Working out the multiplier for print

For a print, calculate the pixels you need and pick the smallest multiplier that reaches them:

1. Print width in inches × 300 (close viewing) or × 150 (posters) = pixels needed.
2. Pixels needed ÷ the image's current width = the factor.
3. Round up to the next available multiplier.

Example: an A3 print at 300 pixels per inch needs about 3,500 pixels across the short side. From a 1,024-pixel image that is 3.4x, so choose 4x. Leonardo's FAQ also explains why "4K" is a weak measure for stills: it counts the long edge only, while megapixels (width × height ÷ one million) describe the whole image.

Step by step

1. Finish the image first: crop to the final ratio, fix details in the Canvas, then upscale once.
2. Open the image's upscale options and choose the Pro Upscaler.
3. Pick Precise or Creative, then the multiplier.
4. For Precise, decide on Fix AI Image Artifacts; for Creative, start at Subtle.
5. Inspect the result at 100% (faces, hands, text, edges) before downloading.
6. Record the mode, multiplier and setting with the file.

The upscaler accepts images you generated in Leonardo, variations and uploaded images. Check the credit cost shown before running large factors; it rises with output size.

Running an image through twice

It is tempting to upscale an upscale to go even larger. Leonardo's FAQ addresses the question, and the general principle applies to every upscaler: each pass is a fresh interpretation, so detail invented in the first pass is treated as real in the second and can be exaggerated. If you need more than one pass, make the first a Precise pass at a modest factor, check it at 100%, and keep every intermediate file. It is usually better to choose the right multiplier once, starting from the cleanest, largest original you have, than to stack several passes. For very large prints, it can also be worth regenerating the image at a higher native size in Lucid Origin, whose maximum output is much larger than Phoenix's, before upscaling.

Precise or Creative for common subjects

• Portraits and faces: Precise, Fix AI Image Artifacts on for AI images.
• Products and packaging: Precise, so labels and edges stay exact.
• Landscapes and textures: Creative Subtle can add convincing foliage and stone detail.
• Illustration and concept art: Creative Balanced, checked at 100%.

Common mistakes

• Creative on a client-approved face. Even Subtle can alter features at high multipliers. Use Precise.
• 8x for a screen. The extra pixels add file size and invented detail with no visible benefit.
• Fix AI Image Artifacts on a real photo. It treats real grain as noise. Switch it off for photographs.
• Upscaling before editing. Edits on a huge file are slower and can soften the upscaled detail.
• Mixing modes in one set. A campaign looks inconsistent if some images were upscaled Creative and others Precise.

For choosing the model before you upscale, see Lucid Origin vs Phoenix; for keeping a look or character consistent across the set, see Elements and Image Guidance.

Try it

Precise mode, 4x, Fix AI Image Artifacts on

Run these settings on an approved AI product shot, then run Creative at 4x with Subtle on the same image. Compare a label, an edge and a texture at 100%. For a painterly illustration, try Creative Balanced at 6x and see how much new brush detail appears.