How to Use the JPEG Artifacts Removal AI Neural Filter in Photoshop
Tired of dealing with blocky or pixelated images caused by heavy JPEG compression? Photoshop’s JPEG Artifacts Removal Neural Filter uses AI to restore image quality with just a few clicks. In this video, learn how to activate and apply this powerful tool to clean up your photos and achieve smoother, more professional results. Watch now to see it in action!
This video is from our Photoshop Generative AI Editing MasterClass Course.
Video Summary:
This tutorial covers the JPEG Artifact Removal Neural Filter in Photoshop, designed to fix image quality issues caused by heavy JPEG compression. The filter smoothens out common problems like color banding (visible in plain backgrounds like skies) and blocky pixelation around edges. The host demonstrates its use in two key scenarios: first, to clean up a heavily optimized (low-file-size) web image before uploading, and second, to improve a high-resolution photo intended for a large print, where minor artifacts become visible. The process is simple (just enable the filter and choose “High” strength) but can be time-consuming for large images.
Timestamps:
0:04 – Introduces the JPEG Artifact Removal Neural Filter, a tool dedicated to fixing compression flaws without upscaling.
0:30 – Scenario 1: Web Image Optimization:
* 0:43 – Shows a high-quality 6.5MB original image.
* 0:59 – Explains the need to optimize (reduce size) for faster website loading, resulting in a 26KB file.
* 1:39 – Zooms into the optimized image, revealing severe color banding in the background and blocky pixelation on edges.
2:21 – Applies the filter: Opens the neural filter (Restoration > JPEG Artifact Removal), turns it on with High strength, and processes the image.
3:06 – Shows the result: The banding is eliminated and the edges are smoothed, making the small web image look clean while maintaining its optimized file size.
3:38 – Notes to re-export as JPEG with higher quality after applying the filter to avoid re-introducing artifacts.
4:30 – Scenario 2: Large Print Preparation:
* Shows a high-resolution landscape photo where minor artifacts become visible only upon extreme zooming.
* Explains that for a large print, these subtle flaws matter.
5:40 – Applies the filter to the full-res image, noting it took ~5 minutes to process due to the large file size.
5:52 – Compares before/after: Demonstrates how the filter smooths pixelated edges on buildings and other details, resulting in an image better suited for a high-quality print.
6:20 – Concludes by summarizing the filter’s utility for both web optimization and print preparation.
