PROMPT GUIDE

Hires.fix Settings (Upscale Ratio, Denoising Strength, Upscaler)

Hires.fix is what you use when faces get crushed in full-body pictures or details look blurry. It builds the composition at the recommended size first, then redraws it while enlarging, so you get a detailed picture without breaking it. This guide covers setting ranges and how to fix common failures.

Last updated: 2026-10-22 approx. 3 min read

日本語版

The short answer

Hires.fix enlarges a picture made at the recommended size and redraws it slightly. A good starting point is a 1.5x to 2x upscale, a denoising strength of 0.3 to 0.5, and an upscaler made for anime; try 1.5x and 0.35 first. Above 0.55 the face or composition tends to change.

What is Hires.fix?

Hires.fix enlarges a picture made at the recommended size and redraws it slightly to make it more detailed.

Hires.fix first makes a picture at the recommended size, then enlarges it and redraws it a little. Generating at a large size from the start leads to extra people or stretched bodies, but Hires.fix keeps the composition from the small size and adds detail at the large size.

Full body anime illustration where the face is small, a case for upscaling — 全身の絵は顔が小さくなる

Upper body anime illustration with detailed hair and clothes — 全身の絵は顔が小さくなる

Illustration usage rules

Method	How it works	Good for
Hires.fix	Enlarges and redraws in one generation	Getting detailed pictures from the start
Enlarging with img2img	Redraws a finished picture at a larger size	Finishing only the one picture you like
Upscaler only	Enlarges without redrawing	Keeping the shapes exactly, or working fast

What are the recommended Hires.fix settings?

As a guide: a 1.5x to 2x upscale, a denoising strength of 0.3 to 0.5, and an upscaler made for anime.

Setting	Guide	Notes
Upscale by	1.5x to 2x	Start at 1.5x. Use 2x if you have spare VRAM
Denoising strength	0.3 to 0.5	Low keeps the original, high changes the shapes
Hires steps	10 to 20 (or the same as the original)	Details tidy up even with few steps
Upscaler	An upscale model made for illustrations	See the table below

Rinka's tips

Start the denoising strength around 0.35. Above 0.55 the composition and face tend to change
With Latent upscaling, set the denoising strength a little higher, around 0.5 to 0.6, or it tends to look blurry

Which upscaler should you choose?

For an anime look use an anime upscale model; with Latent types, set the denoising strength a little higher.

An upscaler is the method used to enlarge the picture. For illustrations, upscale models made for anime art keep the lines crisp. Names and types differ between interfaces, so pick one from the list with "anime" in the name or described as being for illustrations.

Type	Character	Good for
Latent (enlarges in latent space)	Redraws a lot, fast	Adding a lot of new detail (higher denoise)
Anime upscale models	Crisp lines, smooth coloring	Anime-style illustrations in general
Photo upscale models	Fine texture	Photo-like or painterly styles
Plain resizing (Lanczos and so on)	No new detail, soft	When you do not want shapes to change

How do you use Hires.fix? (Finishing steps)

Fix the seed of a picture with a good composition, then try a 1.5x upscale at a denoising strength of 0.35.

Generate several pictures at a recommended size (such as 832x1216) with Hires.fix turned off
Fix the seed of the picture whose composition you like
Turn on Hires.fix with a 1.5x upscale, a denoising strength of 0.35 and an anime upscale model
Generate and compare with the original. If details are lacking, raise the denoising strength by 0.05
If the face or hands are still small and broken, fix just that part with inpaint or use an extension that redraws faces automatically

What if it does not work? (Common mistakes and fixes)

Here are common problems with their causes and fixes. Change only one thing at a time and compare with the same seed, which makes the cause easier to find.

Problem	Common cause	Fix
The face or composition changed after enlarging	Denoising strength too high	Lower it to 0.3 to 0.4
Still blurry, no new detail	Denoise too low, or low denoise with Latent	Raise it by 0.05. Try a different upscale model
Grainy patterns on skin or cloth	The upscale model does not suit the picture	Switch to an anime upscale model
Stops with an out-of-memory error	The upscale ratio is too large	Use 1.5x and generate one picture at a time
Tiny extra people or faces appear	Too much redrawing at the large size	Lower the denoising strength

Copy and paste: example prompts for finishing

With Hires.fix, keep the prompt the same as the original. Only when you want more detail, add a few quality and detail tags.

1girl, solo, [hairstyle], [outfit], standing, full body, [place], detailed eyes, detailed hair, masterpiece, best quality, absurdres

1girl, solo, [hairstyle], [outfit], portrait, upper body, detailed face, sharp focus, masterpiece, best quality

For the size to generate at first: SDXL Resolutions (Recommended Sizes) and How to Pick a Ratio →

For inpaint to fix only part of a picture: How to Use img2img and Inpaint (Fixing Only Part of an Image) →

For CFG, steps and samplers: What Is CFG Scale? How to Choose Steps and Samplers →

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the recommended Hires.fix settings?

As a guide, a 1.5x to 2x upscale, a denoising strength of 0.3 to 0.5, and an anime upscale model. Start with 1.5x and 0.35.

Why does Hires.fix change my picture?

The most common reason is a denoising strength that is too high. Lowering it to 0.3 to 0.4 keeps the original composition better.

Which upscaler should I choose?

For anime-style illustrations, upscale models made for anime tend to keep lines crisp. With Latent types, set the denoising strength a little higher.

What if it stops because of low memory?

Lower the upscale ratio to 1.5x and generate one picture at a time. If that is still not enough, enlarge afterwards with img2img or an upscaler alone.