Remove JPEG Compression Artifacts In Photoshop
104K views 4,191 likes 132 comments
Jump to a step in the video (3)
Click a time to play the video from there.
Your choices stick across every tutorial on this device.
Remove JPEG artifacts with the Reduce Noise filter by turning on its built-in Remove JPEG Artifact checkbox, which smooths out blocky compression damage in one pass.
Have you recently saved an image from Facebook and it looks badly compressed?
In today’s tutorial, you will learn how to instantly remove JPEG compression artifacts to improve the quality of an image and make it look better than before!
If you have Photoshop 2021 or newer, then you can try the new A.I. Filter to remove JPEG compression artifacts.
Key Takeaways
- The Reduce Noise filter has a Remove JPEG Artifact checkbox built right in, made specifically to erase blocky compression damage.
- Converting the layer to a Smart Object first keeps every filter editable, so you can adjust the settings later without starting over.
- The Preserve Details slider is the setting people misjudge most, since too high brings the blocks back and too low turns fur or texture into mush.
- The Masking slider in Camera Raw lets you sharpen the subject without also sharpening the noise in the background.
- Adding a touch of Grain back at the end helps a heavily blurred photo look photographic again instead of artificial.
Table of contents
- What You Will Learn
- Requirements
- Keyboard Shortcuts to Remove JPEG Artifacts With the Reduce Noise Filter
- Did you know?
- Reduce the Noise and Preserve the Details
- Enhance the Tonal Range and Texture
- Adjust the Saturation and Bring Out the Colors
- Sharpen the Details
- Recover the Soft Pixels
- Tutorial Image
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
- Related Links
What You Will Learn
- How to convert a layer into a Smart Object so every filter stays editable.
- How to remove JPEG artifacts with the Reduce Noise filter’s built-in checkbox.
- How to rebuild shadows, highlights, texture, and color with the Camera Raw filter.
- How to sharpen just the subject with the Masking slider without sharpening the background noise.
- How to add back film grain so a smoothed photo doesn’t look artificial.
Requirements
Before you start
- Photoshop 2020 (version 21.0) or the current version.
Keyboard Shortcuts to Remove JPEG Artifacts With the Reduce Noise Filter
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Select the Zoom tool | Z | Z |
| Toggle the Preview checkbox in the Reduce Noise dialog box | P | P |
| Hold to preview the sharpening mask on the Masking slider | Alt | Option |
Did you know?
Every time you save a JPEG file, you lose more details of the image because of the compression.
As a result, these may ruin a great photo of a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
That is why I will be tackling how you can save important images with the easy-to-follow steps below!
Reduce the Noise and Preserve the Details
To remove JPEG compression artifacts, you need to start by converting your Background layer into a non-destructive file. To do this, right-click on the layer and select Convert to Smart Object.
Next, go to Filter > Noise > Reduce Noise.
On the Reduce Noise window, enable the Preview checkbox. Press P (Windows) or P (macOS) to toggle it on and off, so you can see a quick before and after.
Adjust the Strength slider to what is necessary. The Strength controls the amount of luminance noise reduction applied to the RGB image channel. This blurs the image on all channels at the same time.
Adjust the Preserve Details slider to the point that it’s not too blurry that it affects small details such as fur, pores, or textures in objects. Set the adjustment enough to smoothen the noise in the background, but also sharp enough to keep the necessary details of the subject.
Use the Sharpen Details slider to bring details back to your image. You have to be careful with the slider because, although it may help to sharpen your subject, it could make the JPEG artifacts more noticeable.
To remove JPEG compression artifacts, you will need to enable the checkbox in the bottom of the window, titled Remove JPEG Artifact.
Checking the box will tell the algorithm to determine which lines or color bleeding were a product of the JPEG compression and will work on removing JPEG compression artifacts.
Click OK to apply the adjustments.
Enhance the Tonal Range and Texture
You can use the Camera Raw Filter (Filter > Camera Raw Filter) to enhance the image further.
In the Basic panel, you will find the Shadows and Highlights sliders to control the amount of detail in those tonal regions.
You can enhance the texture in the image by adjusting the Texture slider, or the Clarity slider.
Adjust the Saturation and Bring Out the Colors
In the Basics tab, you can adjust the Saturation to amplify the colors while the Vibrance brings out the color of the pixels with less saturation.
On the HSL Adjustment tab, you can adjust the Hue, Saturation, and Luminance of individual colors.
This means you can make a color, like orange, darker or brighter and increase or decrease saturation.
You can even shift the hue over to another color. Apply the necessary adjustments that your photo needs.
Sharpen the Details
Go to the Detail tab and control the amount of Sharpnessyou apply to your image.
For a full comparison of Camera Raw sharpening against Smart Sharpen, see Two Ways To Sharpen Photos in Photoshop.
Adjust the Masking Slider to keep the sharpening effect from sharpening the JPEG compression artifacts in the background.
Tip: To see the sharpening effect in action, hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) and drag the Masking slider.
The image turns white, then the edges you’re sharpening turn black as you drag right. Black hides the effect, white reveals it, just like a Layer Mask.
Keep adjusting until the white edges show only on your subject, not the background. Release Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) to return to the normal preview.
Recover the Soft Pixels
When you blur an image, you lose all the film grain from your photo and it may look too fake or too computer-generated. To avoid this issue, consider adding a bit of film grain to your image.
Go to the Effects tab and increase the Amount slider in the Grain section to add film grain back into your photo for a more natural appearance.
When you have set the adjustment, click OK to save the changes!
And that’s how you remove the bad JPEG compression artifacts and enhance photos that you want to keep!
Tutorial Image
Frequently Asked Questions
Convert the layer to a Smart Object, then go to Filter > Noise > Reduce Noise. Turn on the Remove JPEG Artifact checkbox at the bottom of the dialog box, then adjust the sliders until the blocks disappear.
It tells the Reduce Noise filter’s algorithm to find the blocky lines and color bleeding caused by JPEG compression. Turning it on removes those artifacts without extra work on your part.
A Smart Object keeps every filter you apply editable. You can reopen the Reduce Noise or Camera Raw filter later and change the settings without starting over.
The Preserve Details slider protects fine texture, like fur or skin pores, from the blur the filter applies. Push it too high and the compression blocks come back, so balance it against the Strength slider.
The Masking slider limits sharpening to the edges of your subject. Hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) while dragging it to see exactly which areas the sharpening will affect.
Yes, if you push the Strength or Preserve Details sliders too far. Add a little Grain back in the Camera Raw filter’s Effects tab to keep the photo from looking artificial.
If you have Photoshop 2021 or newer, the JPEG Artifacts Removal Neural Filter does it in one click, without manual sliders. It’s a good option when you just want a fast fix instead of manual control.
Conclusion
The Reduce Noise filter’s Remove JPEG Artifact checkbox handles most of the blocky compression damage in a JPEG.
The Camera Raw filter then brings back the shadows, texture, color, and sharpness the compression flattened out.
None of these sliders have one correct setting, so adjust them by eye until your photo looks clean again. Watch the full video above for the exact settings used in the tutorial, and comment on the video if you have a question.
Selections and Masking Mastery
Complete course includes 2.5 hours of step-by-step lessons, 6 structured modules, downloadable practice files, and custom Photoshop brushes. Everything you need to master selections and masks in one place.
Keep going
Next, learn how to sharpen images the right way in Photoshop.
