5 Top-Tier Tools to Remove JPEG Artifacts and Restore Image Quality

Have you ever captured a picture or found a perfect photo online, only to notice strangely blocky patterns or pixilation ruining its quality? These distractions are JPEG artifacts that are caused by forceful compression, which reduces the file size and image clarity. Though JPEG compression is great to store and share images, it sacrifices the fine details and creates noticeable imperfections.

This issue affects photographers who want to preserve sharpness or anyone looking to restore an old compressed picture. However, there are effective tools to remove JPEG artifacts that let you bring back the lost details, making your image cleaner and more refined. Hence, to know more about these, this guide will introduce you to the top 5 software that bring back the sharpness and visual appeal of images.

Part 1. Understanding JPEG Artifacts and Compression Issues

JPEG artifacts are unwanted distortions caused by excessive compression, leading to pixilation and loss of fine details. One major type is blocking, where square-shaped patterns appear in areas with solid or gradient colors.

Another one is ringing, which creates halo-like outlines around objects, especially in high-contrast areas. Lastly, color banding occurs when a smooth gradient, such as a sky or shadow transition, forms distinct bands. Before you learn about JPEG artifact removal, consider the following reasons behind JPEG artifacts:

1. Severe Compression: When you choose a low-quality picture, its setting can cause image detail loss and more visible artifacts.

2. Frequent File Resaves: Each time a picture is edited and saved, it compresses again, compounding the damage.

3. Size Adjustments: Enlarging a highly compressed JPEG magnifies its flaws, which makes pixilation and artifacts apparent.

Part 2. Top Software to Fix JPEG Compression Issues

By understanding these issues, let's explore the top 5 AI-based JPEG artifact removers that can help regain quality visuals:

1. Adobe Photoshop – The Ultimate Tool For Precise Artifact Removal

One of the well-known tools for editors is Adobe Photoshop, which detects and removes compression from its Neural Filter that contains JPEG Artifact Removal. If you see more noise or grainy effects on filters, use its Reduce Noise Filter with adjustable strength settings. Other than that, users can change the strength of the filter from High, Medium, or Low.

1. Replace the artifacts and unwanted elements by analyzing the nearby pixels.

2. Advanced AI Remove Tool easily removes imperfections from the pictures.

3. Smart Sharpen tool enhances the image by giving control over sharpness.

• Individuals Photoshop: $22.99/mo
• Individuals Photography: $19.99/mo
• Individuals Creative Cloud All Apps: $59.99/mo

2. GIMP – A Powerful Free Alternative With Advanced Filters

If you’re looking for a free alternative to remove noise from JPEG images, then GIMP is the best tool, as it offers unique methods. This tool works with layers, textures, brushes, and a list of great filters that can be applied to a compressed image. Besides, its Gaussian Blur filter is specifically made to smooth out the noticeable noise in pictures by adjusting Radius and Delta.

1. Allows you to paint over unwanted artifacts by sampling the nearby pixels.

2. The heal tool blends pixels with the target area to seamlessly remove artifacts.

3. Wavelet Decompose Plugin separates the image into multiple layers for precise editing.

• Free

3. Topaz Denoise AI – The Best AI Solution For Restoring Details

With an advanced AI-powered tool, Topaz Denoise AI, you can distinguish between noise and real image details and remove them without compromising image clarity. It offers multiple AI Models which is used for different types of blurriness, such as Standard, low light, and Severe Noise. Using its batch processing feature, you can edit more than one picture at once, which saves you time and effort.

1. Maintains and recovers essential image details during the noise reduction process.

2. Functions as both a tool and as a plugin for popular photo editing software.

3. Masking tools reduces selective noise by adjusting in specific areas.

• Photo AI 3: $199
• Gigapixel 8: $99
• Video AI 6: $299

4. Luminar Neo –The Top Choice For Photographers

Luminar Neo stands out as a top choice for photographers designed to remove dust spots and particles that appear due to lens imperfections or environmental conditions. It fixes blurry and pixelated JPEGs with the Dehalo Tool that blends light around subjects to restore detail and eliminate unwanted artifacts. Moreover, you can use Relight AI to correct the exposure issues caused by adjusting lightning selectively to enhance underexposed areas.

1. Remove unwanted objects with its Erase tool, which easily cuts the target object.

2. Sharpen details in images while keeping human subjects untouched and improving clarity.

3. Replaces the sky in images without manual masking, allowing enhanced visual appeal.

• 12 Months Subscription: $197
• Lifetime Perpetual License: $247

5. HitPaw FotorPea –The Over All Best AI Tool

Finally, HitPaw FotorPea is one of the best tools to improve low-quality JPEG images by using its AI Enhancer tool. It offers AI Models like the Upscaler Model that detect the blurriness from the picture and turn it into quality visuals. Moreover, if your picture contains the face, it recognizes the facial features and sharpens them while preserving natural skin.

Apart from this, if you want to post your edited image, you can choose its Aspect Ratio to change the size of the photo. Its preview feature allows you to compare the before and after results and helps you fine-tune the adjustments with precision. If you are working on a large number of pictures, you can use its batch processor to edit multiple images at once.

1. Denoise Model: For issues like grainy pictures, this tool enables users to use its Denoise Model.

2. Image Formats: You can choose various different formats to download the photo from its settings.

3. Export Quality: From High, Medium, and Low, users can select the quality of the image before downloading it.

• 1 Month: $27.99
• 1 Year: $112.99
• Perpetual: $162.99

Part 3. How to Restore Image Quality After JPEG Compression?

Now that you know the features of the best AI tool to fix JPEG compression artifacts, HitPaw FotorPea, let's see how it works:

Step 1. Download the FotorPea and Choose the AI Enhancer

Install the HitPaw FotorPea and choose the “Enhance Photos Now” option from its main interface.

Step 2. Upload Your Target Image and choose the AI Model

Press the “Drag and Drop Files Here” button to import your artifact picture. Then, from the “AI Model” section, toggle the compression artifact model and hit the “Preview” button.

Step 3. Check the Result and Export It

Afterward, compare the before and after results from the main screen, and if you are satisfied, press the “Export” button to download your clear image.

Part 4. A Comparative Analysis of the Best JPEG Artifact Removal Tools

For your better understanding, here is a comparison table to help you decide which tool is the best one:

Part 5. How to Prevent JPEG Artifacts in the First Place?

After learning about the tools to fix blurry and pixelated JPEGs, it is essential to know how to prevent this issue from happening. Therefore, you can follow the given section for precautions to maintain image clarity:

1. Right Compression Settings: Avoid excessive compression when you save the image, and try to choose a higher quality setting to minimize the artifacts.

2. Save in a Lossless Format: When editing, always use lossless formats like PNG and TIFF to prevent repeated quality degradation caused by compression.

3. Limit Repeated Editing: Work with the original file and apply edits in nondestructive formats before saving the final version.

4. Resize Images Properly: Scaling multiple images can create artifacts, so always resize images in one step and use high-quality methods to preserve quality.

Conclusion

This article has provided you with a detailed guide on what artifact compression is and how to remove JPEG artifacts without losing quality. Moreover, with a list of top tools that can help you regain the quality of your images and turn them into high-quality visuals. Among these options, HitPaw FotorPea offers multiple AI models designed to enhance images effectively.