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Pixelated or blurry? What each look tells you about the image

Square blocks, soft edges, smeared patches and stripes in a gradient are four different problems with four different fixes. How to tell them apart at 100 per cent, and what to do about each.

Beginner2 min readUpdated 27 September 2026Editor · 100 per cent view

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Tell them apart

LookAt 100 per cent you seeCauseFix
PixelatedStaircase edges, square blocks of one colourA small image enlarged, or a tiny icon or GIFGet the original; or make it deliberate with the Pixelate effect
BlurrySoft edges, no squaresFocus, motion, or smooth enlargementLight sharpening if slight; otherwise a better source
CompressedBlocks in flat areas, halos and ringing round textJPG at low quality or saved repeatedlyRe-export from the original as PNG, or JPG at 90 or more; a little noise hides mild damage
BandingVisible steps or stripes in a sky or gradientToo few tones, often after compressionAdd Film Grain or Noise at a low amount; export PNG

Checking at the right zoom

Every zoom other than 100 per cent lies: zoomed out, problems hide; zoomed in past 100, even a perfect photo looks soft. Press Ctrl+1 in the Editor and pan with Space. For a print, 100 per cent on screen is close to what 300 dpi ink shows at arm's length; for a phone post, hold the phone at a normal distance instead.

Fixes in the Editor

  • Slight blur: Filter, Enhance, Sharpen at a low amount, checked at 100 per cent. See How to fix a blurry image.
  • Banding: Filter, Enhance, Film Grain with Amount 5 to 15 over the gradient. Fine grain breaks the steps up. See Add film grain that looks like film.
  • Mild compression: a little Noise or Film Grain hides the blocks; export PNG so you do not add more.
  • Pixelated on purpose: Filter, Stylize, Pixelate gives even, deliberate squares for a retro look.

Can a pixelated image be fixed?

Not truly. Smoothing turns the squares into blur, and AI upscalers guess new detail. The fix is the original file, or using the image smaller.

Why does my gradient look stripy only after export?

JPG compression and 8-bit colour reduce the number of tones in a slow gradient. Add a little grain before exporting and use PNG.

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