Topaz Image Upscale is 11 credits per 24-megapixel block, scaling with output size, with heavier Recovery and Redefine variants at 65. That pricing shape is the whole decision: it makes Topaz cheaper than Clarity for small images and more expensive for very large ones, which is exactly backwards from how people assume it works.
One scope note first, because it matters: this is still-image upscaling. There is no video upscaler on this canvas.
TL;DR
- 11 credits per 24-megapixel block, scaling with output size
- Recovery and Redefine variants: 65 credits, for heavier reconstruction
- Clarity is 13 credits flat, which makes it the better default
- Use Topaz when the output is physically large: print, billboard, packaging, transit
- Stills only. No video upscaling exists here
The two upscalers
Canon 8frame prices, a credit is $0.01 at pack rate:
| Tool | Credits | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| Clarity (image upscale) | 13 | Flat per upscale |
| Topaz Image Upscale | 11 per 24MP block | Scales with output size |
| Topaz Recovery / Redefine | 65 | Heavier reconstruction modes |
Clarity is the default because flat pricing is predictable in a batch and 13 credits is cheap.
Topaz is correct when output size is the point. Its per-block pricing means a modest enlargement costs less than Clarity, and a very large one costs more, which is appropriate: you are paying for the pixels you asked for.
When to pick Topaz
Print. Anything measured in physical dimensions rather than pixels. Posters, packaging, book covers, large format.
Billboard and transit. Where the enlargement factor is extreme.
When you need the heavier modes. Recovery and Redefine at 65 credits do more reconstruction than a straight upscale, which matters on a source that is genuinely low quality rather than merely small.
When to pick Clarity
Screen delivery. Web, social, a hero image on a landing page, a thumbnail that needs a resolution bump.
Batches. Flat pricing makes twenty upscales predictably 260 credits.
When you do not know the output size yet.
When to skip both
An upscale is a repair. If you know the deliverable is large, generate larger:
| Route | Credits |
|---|---|
| Imagen 4 Ultra, highest fidelity still | 12 |
| Seedream 5 Pro | 7 |
| Nano Banana Pro | 21 |
Generating at the highest tier and skipping the upscale is often cheaper than generating cheap and repairing.
What an upscale cannot do
Recover detail that was not captured. It infers plausible detail. On text and faces the inference is visible.
Fix focus or motion blur. The information is not there.
Repair heavy compression. Upscaling often amplifies blocking artefacts into a textured mush.
Un-blow a highlight. Clipped white has no data.
The one place it genuinely earns its cost in video
Video cannot be upscaled here, but the source still for image-to-video can, and that is worth doing:
A soft input produces a soft clip in every frame, and no model tier fixes it. Upscaling the still first at 11 or 13 credits propagates the sharpening into every frame. That is the highest-return upscale available on a video workflow.
For the clip itself: generate at delivery resolution. Base Wan 3.0 at 95 credits for 5 seconds is the cheap route to 1080p.
The workflow
- Get the image right first. Edit before you enlarge: Flux Edit at 7 credits, background removal at 12.
- Get the output spec from your printer or platform. Do not guess.
- Upscale once, at the end. Not iteratively.
- Set type after the upscale, in vector, never upscaled.
- Check at 100 percent for the inference artefacts an upscale introduces.
FAQ
How much does Topaz Image Upscale cost? 11 credits per 24-megapixel block, scaling with output size. Recovery and Redefine modes are 65.
Topaz or Clarity? Clarity at 13 flat for screen. Topaz when the output is physically large.
Can I upscale video? Not on this canvas. Generate at delivery resolution instead.
Does upscaling add real detail? No. It infers plausible detail, and on text and faces you will see it.
Clarity by default, Topaz when the print is big, and upscale the still before the clip. The 8frame canvas is free and unlimited, and generation is paid from $19/month.