# Image Upscaling — model skill for images & thumbnails

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Upscale and enhance low-resolution images with Real-ESRGAN, Thera, Topaz or the FLUX upscaler.

- **Type:** [Model](https://skills.varg.ai/models.md) · [Images & thumbnails](https://skills.varg.ai/browse/skills/image.md)
- **Slug:** `inference-sh-image-upscaling`
- **Status:** live
- **Publisher:** inference.sh (vendor, verified)
- **License:** MIT
- **Source:** https://github.com/inference-sh/skills/tree/main/tools/image/image-upscaling
- **Works in:** Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI
- **Requires:** inference.sh account, belt CLI (`belt login`)
- **Cost:** Billed by inference.sh
- **Adoption:** 6 installs, 781 GitHub stars (skills.sh, 2026-10-26)

## What it does

Upscales and enhances images through inference.sh with a choice of four upscalers. The options are Real-ESRGAN, Thera (any output size), the FLUX Dev upscaler and the Topaz Image Upscaler.

## Use when

- Enhancing a low-resolution image
- Upscaling a generation for print or 4K

## Install

- Claude Code: `npx skills add inference-sh/skills --skill image-upscaling -a claude-code`
- Codex: `npx skills add inference-sh/skills --skill image-upscaling -a codex`
- Cursor: `npx skills add inference-sh/skills --skill image-upscaling -a cursor`
- Gemini CLI: `npx skills add inference-sh/skills --skill image-upscaling -a gemini-cli`

**Models it drives:** topaz, real-esrgan, thera, flux-dev-upscaler

## Example output

https://skills.varg.ai/previews/inference-sh-image-upscaling.webp — Real-ESRGAN (the skill's quick-start model, infsh/real-esrgan) README teaser: bicubic input next to Real-ESRGAN output for anime, cartoon, branches, a coastline, signage and buildings (credit: Real-ESRGAN (Xintao Wang et al.), https://github.com/xinntao/Real-ESRGAN)

## More images & thumbnails skills

- [Higgsfield YouTube Thumbnail](https://skills.varg.ai/skills/higgsfield-youtube-thumbnail.md): Design truthful, high-CTR YouTube thumbnails and vertical covers with up to three consistent faces.
- [Slack GIF Creator](https://skills.varg.ai/skills/anthropic-slack-gif-creator.md): Make animated GIFs that pass Slack's limits: 128×128 emoji or 480×480 message GIFs, validated on export.
- [PixiJS GIFs](https://skills.varg.ai/skills/pixijs-gif.md): Load, play and control animated GIFs inside a PixiJS v8 scene.
- [AI Image Generation](https://skills.varg.ai/skills/inference-sh-ai-image-generation.md): Generate images with 50+ models from one CLI: GPT Image 2.5, FLUX, Gemini, Grok, Seedream, Reve and more.
- [Background Removal](https://skills.varg.ai/skills/inference-sh-background-removal.md): Cut subjects out of photos into clean transparent PNGs with BiRefNet.
- [FLUX Image](https://skills.varg.ai/skills/inference-sh-flux-image.md): Generate and restyle images with FLUX Dev LoRA and FLUX.2 Klein, including custom LoRA styles.

## Run the generation on varg

varg is one API key for the models these skills drive — Seedance 2.5, Kling 4, Veo 3.1, Wan 3, Nano Banana 2.1, GPT Image 2.5, ElevenLabs v4 and 200+ more — billed in credits, with a cost estimate before anything runs.

- Claude Code: `claude plugin marketplace add vargHQ/skills && claude plugin install varg@varg` (skill + hosted MCP)
- Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenClaw: `npx skills add vargHQ/skills --skill varg-ai -a <agent> -y`
- Claude.ai, ChatGPT, any MCP client: connect `https://mcp.varg.ai/mcp`
- API key: https://varg.ai/dashboard/api · Model specs: https://varg.ai/models/llms.txt