Autopilot automatically runs on each image upon import. It analyzes your image for:

Metadata - such as ISO, camera information, and lens information

Manually enable Autopilot by choosing it in the 

After the analysis, Autopilot selects the enhancements and settings needed to optimize the image based on the Preferences > Autopilot menu. Green lights appear next to the Autopilot selected AI filters and settings.

Personalize Autopilot from the Preferences menu.

Windows

 button after your changes to apply the current settings to all images in the current session and future sessions.

This controls Autopilot Upscale & Resize settings for:

minor denoise and minor deblur strength based on detected noise and blur

Set the height, width, long edge, short edge, or scale factor (2x, 4x, 6x) for all images on Autopilot. Images are upscaled to reach the selected dimension. Images larger than the selected output size are not upscaled.

Scale can be used to downscale images to 0.2x the starting size. No other option downscales images automatically.

When using height, width, long edge, or short edge, the dimensions can be changed from pixels to inches or centimeters. This will let you control the print resolution when paired with Output Resolution.

Set to Preserve Original Resolution by default. Set Default Resolution to select a resolution for all processed files.

The default setting, automatically upscales small images to 12 megapixels or a maximum of 6x the original size.

Images larger than 12 megapixels are not upscaled.

Pick a specific AI model for upscaling all your images. 

Modifies the Autopilot recommended noise removal strength lower or higher when resizing any image.

Modifies the Autopilot recommended sharpen strength lower or higher when resizing any image.

This controls Autopilot Remove Noise settings for:

default Remove Noise strength based on detected blur

Non-Raw and Raw files are treated differently because they use different Remove Noise models. Remove Noise - Raw has a separate section under the non-Raw controls.

When detected noise is at or above a set amount, Remove Noise is automatically turned on.

When detected noise is below the selected level, Remove Noise is not turned on.

Set to Autopilot Off if you do not want Autopilot to turn on Remove Noise automatically.

Pick a specific AI model for denoising all your images. 

Modifies the Autopilot recommended denoise strength lower or higher when the AI filter is turned on.

This controls Autopilot Sharpen settings for:

default Sharpen strength based on detected blur

When detected blur is at or above a set amount, Sharpen is automatically turned on.

When detected blur is below the selected level, Sharpen is not turned on.

Set to Autopilot Off if you do not want Autopilot to turn on Sharpen automatically.

Pick a specific AI model for sharpening all your images. 

Modifies the Autopilot recommended sharpen strength lower or higher when the AI filter is turned on.

Face Detection controls which faces are automatically selected to recover and the default Face Recovery strength. Click the dropdown menu for face selection settings:

: low quality faces are selected improved

: faces in the subject mask are selected and improved

: face detection is turned off and no faces are improved

All faces processed will use the selected Face Recovery Strength.

Parts to Enhance controls areas near the face which are improved.

Deselect Hair and Neck to improve only the face.

Selecting None disables face detection and will reduce processing time if your images have no faces to recover.

This controls the default strength for the exposure and contrast correction when it is turned on.

This controls the default temperature and strength of the color correction on the image.

Autopilot & Configuration

The Remove Noise filter eliminates distracting noise caused by low-light conditions or file compression while recovering crisp details. It also handles slight chromatic aberration.

 tab to select the AI model and adjust the settings. View the 

 article for more info on how to adjust the mask and select different parts of the image.

For RAW images, instead of estimating the missing color information for each pixel based on the values of neighboring pixels, the AI model uses context from the entire image. It also considers and compensates for noise that hinders traditional demosaicing methods.

 model to treat the vast majority of RAW images since most cameras have built-in noise reduction.

This model is reserved for severe noise. Use it to recover details lost when shooting in extended ISO.

 The RAW models are activated when the program detects a file with RAW Bayer sensor data.

 model to remove low-medium noise caused by low-light conditions or compression artifacts. It is ideal for images from smartphones and cameras with their own denoise models to avoid over-processing.

 model strongly emphasizes retaining image detail for medium-high noise images. Use it for images from very low-light conditions.

 model prioritizes removing as much noise as possible rather than preserving detail. Use it for images with severe noise or heavy compression, such as those shared over the internet.

 slider towards higher values to remove more noise. Moving it lower preserves more detail but allows more noise in the output.

 slider to counteract some of the smoothening done by removing noise. Avoid using this if the Sharpen filter is already on to prevent over-processing.

 (ROD) slider to restore fine details lost during noise reduction. Unlike reducing the 

 slider brings back some of the original details. Some luminance noise will also return, but not color noise, which is preferred for a natural look.

Remove Noise - RAW & Non-RAW

The Sharpen filter produces clear images with crisp details. Unlike traditional sharpening that darkens or brightens pixel edges, it reverses the root causes of blurriness, such as camera shake, motion blur, and missed focus.

 model for all-purpose sharpening. It is intended for images with slight amounts of lens and motion blur.

 model for very blurry and out-of-focus images. Try the 

 model to avoid over sharpening and generating unwanted artifacts.

 model to images affected by imperfections caused when the camera lens fails to focus correctly.

 model to correct the streaked or smeared effect caused by the movement of either the camera or the subject during the exposure time.

 slider to control the degree to which the AI model sharpens the image. It increases the clarity of the details by making the edges and fine features more distinct.

Sharpening can accentuate noise in an image. Use the 

 slider to remove slight noise so the Sharpen filter can enhance the details without amplifying unwanted artifacts.

 slider because it significantly sharpens all details. If there is noise that can be confused as detail, use the Remove Noise filter instead to remove it fully before sharpening the image.

 slider to soften and slightly extend the hard edges of the mask so it gradually blends with the rest of the image. Feathering helps avoid stark transitions between the focused and blurred areas.

Sharpen

The Upscale filter enhances the resolution of images by up to 600%. It also preserves more intricate details from the original image than other upscaling tools.

 panel to select the AI model and adjust the scale and dimensions. View the 

The AI models rely heavily on existing image quality. They may generate unwanted artifacts if the resolution of the starting image is too low. Upscale from an original image whenever possible rather than a copy that has been compressed.

Make sure to use the appropriate model for your image. The models are not interchangeable and using the wrong model may deliver unwanted results.

The Standard model is the go-to choice for general use unless the image clearly belongs to one of the other categories. It is tailored for medium-quality images from point-and-shoot cameras and older smartphones.

Use the Standard model for highly detailed AI-generated images from Midjourney, Dall-E, and similar tools.

Use the Standard V2 model to have a more generative output than the original standard model. 

Use this model for images that are already high-quality to preserve intricate details. Images from DSLRs and most modern smartphones will fall under this category. Use it for highly detailed AI-generated art as well.

Use the High Fidelity V2 model to intentionally preserve original grain or noise for aesthetic purposes. 

The Low Resolution model prioritizes preserving overall quality rather than fine details. Use it to upscale low-quality images that have been highly compressed.

The Graphics model upscales simple illustrations such as cartoons.

Low light conditions, sensor limitations, or compression artifacts can cause slight noise. The Minor Denoise setting removes this noise before the image is upscaled.

Use the Minor Deblur setting to avoid emphasizing existing blurriness caused by camera shake, motion blur, or a lack of focus when the image is captured.

: Avoid using the Minor Denoise and Minor Deblur if the Remove Noise and Sharpen filters are already enabled. Using both may result in overprocessing.

Visual distortions and artifacts may appear when images are compressed to make them more space-efficient.

Choose from pixels, inches, or centimeters to specify dimensions. Set values for each side or enter the overall DPI (dots per inch) or PPI (pixels per inch). Use this tool to define dimensions for printing purposes.

The pixels/inch and pixels/centimeter textboxes only appear when the dimensions are set to those units.

Upscale & Resize

Click the Crop button on the top right under the preview to enter the crop menu and change the input image size.

By default, the aspect ratio is locked to the dimensions of the original image. Click the dropdown to select commonly used aspect ratios. 

Click the Lock or Custom to unlock the aspect ratio and manually change the crop rectangle size.

Move the crop handles to change the crop area.

Click Reset to return the original image size. Click the Apply button to save the selection.

Crop

Clarity in facial features enhances an image’s communicative value. The Face Recovery filter recovers small or low resolution faces by generating a high quality version and blending it with the current face.

Use the Face Recovery filter on low resolution faces, even if it is large and takes up most of the image. Resolution is measured in pixels.

Use the Face Recovery filter when the faces are small and far away from the camera. The model generates the best results when the face still has sufficient detail. See the full image and zoomed-in portion below.

Using the Face Recovery filter can over-process faces that are already high resolution. This causes a loss of detail and creates a “plastic” feeling because it is too smooth.

Do not use the filter for out-of-focus images. The lack of detail hinders accurate facial reconstruction and generates unrealistic artifacts.

Recover Faces

The Preserve Text filter makes text as readable as possible. It optimizes text presentation by correcting issues such as poor focus, motion blur, small text, low-quality text, and artifacts.

The mask is the first thing that appears when the Preserve Text filter is enabled. It cannot be skipped because it is applied directly to the input image and overwrites the other layered filters.

No text is selected by default. Adjust the brush size and mask the text in the image. Click the Subtract button to unbrush portions of the mask and the Select None button to clear it entirely.

Choose “Select All” for images predominantly consisting of text. Keep in mind the masked area is not affected by other filters.

Use the Low Resolution model to preserve small text. It is best used when the text is a small part of a larger image.

Use the Noisy/Compressed model to preserve text in noisy or compressed images. It removes the noise to preserve the text under it.

: Low resolution reduces image clarity by decreasing pixel count, while image compression minimizes file size by sacrificing some details. The two models are not interchangeable because they address different root causes of poor quality.

Use the Strength slider to control the degree of generation that the AI model will use to preserve the text. The auto-select value will start low because setting the strength too high causes the text to look unrealistic.

Preserve Text

The Adjust Lighting filter modifies exposure and contrast to produce a well-lit and vibrant image. It makes changes on a pixel-by-pixel basis according to their unique characteristics and surrounding context instead of adjusting the image universally.

When Adjust Lighting is used with RAW images, the output is forced to TIF file format instead of DNG.

 slider to determine the extent of processing the AI model performs. It does not mean to increase or decrease exposure.

Unlike other editors, increasing the slider value does not necessarily result in a brighter image. It applies more or less of the effect of the AI model.

The default adjustment is 25. A slider value of 0 indicates no adjustment.

Set the slider value between 1 and 25 to have less of an adjustment but in the same direction.

Set the slider to a negative value to adjust in the opposite direction that autopilot recommended.

In this example, the AI model detected that the original photo was too dim and corrected it to be brighter. Increasing the slider would make it even brighter.

This example shows the opposite effect. The AI model detects that the original image is too bright and corrects it to be dimmer. Increasing the slider would make it even dimmer.

Adjust Lighting

The Balance Color filter neutralizes unwanted color casts and allows creative tone adjustments through cooler and warmer enhancements. It adjusts colors pixel-by-pixel, adapting to each pixel's surrounding context instead of applying universal changes to the entire image.

When Balance Color is used with RAW images, the output is forced to TIF file format instead of DNG.

Use the Temperature slider to shift the image color from cooler (left) to warmer (right). It starts at a default of 50 as a neutral baseline for true white.

Use the opacity slider to dictate how much the AI-generated image replaces the original. The input image is unchanged at 0 opacity. The output is entirely AI-generated at 100 opacity. The default is 100, but if the results appear over-saturated, decrease the opacity to soften it.

Balance Color

The Remove Tool uses generative AI to eliminate unwanted objectives from your images. By analyzing the surrounding context, it not only erases the object but also generates a background that blends with the rest of the image.

Due to the resource-intensive nature of this feature, it is currently not supported on Macs with AMD GPUs. It also does not work on MacOS 12 (Monterey) and below. 

 tab to adjust the brush and control the processing. 

Switch between the add and subtract mask buttons to refine the mask if necessary.

Choose between the Regular brush and the Object Selection brush. The Object Selection brush identifies and selects entire objects.

The Remove Tool's performance depends on the computer's system profile and the selected editing priorities. Prioritizing speed conserves resources and reduces processing steps on weaker computers while prioritizing quality yields optimal results when hardware performance is not a constraint.

 button to undo the most recent removal process. Click the 

 button once you are satisfied with the mask to remove the object.

Keep mask sizes below ¼ of the total image size. Process each object individually when dealing with multiple objects requiring separate masks. Ensure that the maximum distance between masked objects does not exceed 2000 pixels.

Mask the entire object rather than a partial section. Include the shadows and reflections of the objects. If those are not removed, the AI model may attempt to replace the object with something similar.

Remove Object

Command Line Interface

Workflow Tutorials

Dive into the details of various features of Topaz Photo AI. Learn different elements of the app and best practices for how to use them. 

Enhancements

Autopilot & Configuration

Denoise

Sharpen

Adjust Lighting

Balance Color

Recover Faces

Preserve Text

Upscale

Remove