Upscaling
Increasing an image's pixel dimensions beyond those captured, either by interpolation or by machine-learning reconstruction.
Measured in
× or MP
In depth
Traditional interpolation cannot add information; it only spreads existing pixels smoothly. Trained upscaling models infer plausible detail from what they have learned about similar images, which produces convincing results on textures and can invent detail on text or faces. Either way, the safest practice is to caption heavily reconstructed images honestly.
Examples in practice
A cropped 6-megapixel frame upscaled fourfold prints acceptably at A2 where straight interpolation would look mushy.