How to Fix Blurry Images in NightCafe

by Cassandra Hood October 23, 2025

Blurry or soft-looking AI art is one of the most common questions creators have, especially after a final render.

If your NightCafe images are coming out unclear, here’s how to sharpen them up while keeping the details natural.

Start with a Strong Prompt

When you’re unsure what to create, try the “Shuffle” button under the prompt box. It generates random prompt suggestions designed to spark ideas.

For this example, the prompt “ancient tree and a raven” was used. Seedream 4.0 produced a crisp, detailed result right away – but switching to Flux revealed a common issue: the image looked slightly blurry around the raven and background. That’s where upscaling comes in.

Seedream 4.0
Flux Schnell

Use the Right Type of Upscale

NightCafe offers two main types of upscales:

Basic Upscale – sharpens details and increases resolution.
Clarity Upscale – enhances the image with new artistic details with options to increase resolution.

If the goal is simply to remove blur, Basic Upscale is the best choice.

If you'd like more details added where they weren't before, try Clarity Upscale.

Tip: Keep the creativity level at 20% or lower. We find higher values can cause the AI to add unwanted details.

For upscale size, 1.5x or 2.0x is ideal. Anything higher can make the image overly smooth and artificial.

Compare Before and After

After applying Clarity Upscale, the improvement is often immediate:

Colors balance out more naturally.
Harsh highlights soften.
Details like mist, feather texture, and moss become more realistic.

Side-by-side, the upscaled version usually appears sharper and more cohesive without losing artistic integrity.

Before Clarity Upscale
After Clarity Upscale

Edit with “Prompt to Edit”

If an image includes something extra (like a duplicate object or distorted area) try Prompt to Edit.

Simply describe what should change, and choose an editing model such as Gemini Flash 2.5 (Nano Banana).

Example: typing “remove the symbols and raven on the tree” cleanly deleted the extra element without affecting the rest of the composition.

When Not to Upscale

Upscaling isn’t always the answer.

If a piece is meant to look handmade, illustrated, or film-inspired, the natural texture adds character.

For example, using film-style prompts with modifiers like “Fujifilm Extra 400” or “Portra 800” creates intentional grain that gives the image depth. Upscaling removes that grain and can make the artwork look too polished.

In these cases, skipping upscale preserves the original mood and authenticity.

Key Takeaways

To fix blurry images in NightCafe:

Use Clarity Upscale for sharper detail.
Keep creativity under 20%.
Stick to 1.5x or 2.0x for natural resolution.
Avoid upscaling film or illustration styles where texture matters.

Experimenting with these settings helps you find the balance between sharpness and style.

If you’re new to NightCafe, explore different models and tools – and check the Help or Community sections for more creator tips.

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