What is the Denoise AI tool?

Denoise reduces grain in high ISO or low-light photos, without permanently changing your photo. You can always adjust or remove it later.

We recommend using the default denoise settings, which adapt automatically to each photo. For example, when photos have an ISO under 1600, Denoise will have no effect. However, when the ISO is high, the grain of photos will be corrected. Alternatively, you can set a denoise intensity for photos with a specific ISO. See Adjust the Denoise settings in Imagen.

Like any other AI tool, you add Denoise when you create a project. However, Denoise needs high-resolution photos, so uploading your photos and downloading edits might take a bit longer than other tools. 

After reviewing the results, you can change the denoise intensity on the whole project by editing again in Imagen. Or, if only a few photos need tweaking, you can edit the intensity of those photos in Adobe.  Also, you can remove its effect completely.

Keep in mind

• Denoise is only available for RAW photos. If you're uploading photos from a folder, Denoise doesn't support RAW DNG photos.
• The project size is limited to 1,500 photos.
• Downloading the edits takes longer than usual. Also, the processing stays at 0%, even though it's working.

Add Denoise as an AI tool when creating the project

1. When you create a project, choose a catalog or folder with up to 1,500 photos. Denoise requires high-res RAW photos, so uploading your photos might take a bit longer than expected. 
   Also, choose one of these photography types for best results: Wedding, Sports, Event, Landscape / Nature. Denoise isn't available for real estate photography.
    
2. Choose Denoise and the other AI tools for the project. Note that you can’t use Object Removal or Sky Replacement.
   
    
3. (First-time use only) Choose the settings for Denoise, and then click Save. We recommend keeping Automatic per photo. See Adjust the Denoise settings in Imagen for information about this setting and manually setting Denoise by ISO and intensity level.
   
    
4. Click Edit to start uploading photos and to edit them. In the Manage uploads window, you see two upload processes: one for editing and another for the high-res photos.
    
5. Continue to Review Denoise in Adobe and adjust as needed.
    

Review Denoise in Adobe and adjust as needed

In Adobe, you review your edits, including the results of Denoise. You can adjust selected photos if needed.

1. When editing is complete, you get an email and an in-app notification. Once the download is complete, you get an AI tool summary that includes how many photos Denoise was applied to. If the ISO level of all the photos is below the minimum ISO level, you get a message that no Denoise was applied to any photo.
   
   
    
2. Review your edits in your editing software. Note that when the ISO is below 1600, Denoise will have no effect. See Adjust the Denoise settings in Imagen to change the Denoise settings.
   Go to the relevant section below to see how to compare your photos before and after Denoise and how to remove Denoise from selected photos, if needed.
    
3. (If needed) If you want to change Denoise for the whole project, you can edit your photos again with a different Denoise intensity. See Edit a project again.

Lightroom Classic

In the Develop module, open the Detail panel. 

If you need to make changes, select the photos you want to adjust, and do this:

• To toggle Denoise to see its effect, click the eye icon.
• To remove Denoise, clear the Denoise checkbox. If you select the Denoise checkbox to add it back, the Denoise is from Imagen and not Lightroom Classic.

Lightroom

In the Edit panel, open the Detail panel. 

If you need to make changes, select the photos you want to adjust, and do this:

• To toggle Denoise to see its effect, click the eye icon.
• To remove Denoise, clear the Denoise checkbox. If you select the Denoise checkbox to add it back, the Denoise is from Imagen and not Lightroom.

Photoshop and Bridge

In Adobe Camera Raw (ACR), open the Detail panel. 

If you need to make changes, select the photos you want to adjust, and do this:

• To toggle Denoise to see its effect, click the eye icon.
• To remove Denoise, clear the Denoise checkbox. If you select the Denoise checkbox to add it back, the Denoise is from Imagen and not Photoshop or Bridge.

Edit again in Imagen to tweak Denoise for the whole project

If you want to use a different Denoise intensity, edit your project again with the changes in Denoise. You aren’t charged extra to edit your project again.

1. From the Projects page, click the 3 dots to the right of your project, and click Edit again.
    
2. Under Choose AI tools, find Denoise, and click the settings indicator.
   
    
3. Adjust the Denoise settings. See Adjust the Denoise settings in Imagen for more information.
    
4. Click Edit again. Your project is edited again at no extra charge with the changes you made to Denoise.

Adjust the Denoise settings in Imagen

You can either choose to let Imagen automatically set the best Denoise intensity level for each photo or manually set the Denoise intensity level from the ISO level you set.

Automatically adjust Denoise

With the automatic setting, Denoise detects the ISO level and finds the right intensity for each photo. When photos have an ISO level below 1600, Denoise will have no effect. However, when photos have a higher ISO level, the grain will be corrected. When you review Denoise in Adobe, you can adjust the ISO level there, if needed.

1. Under Choose AI tools, find Denoise, and click the settings indicator.
   
    

2. Click Automatic per photo, and then click Save.
   

    

Set Denoise by intensity and ISO

1. Under Choose AI tools, find Denoise, and click the settings indicator.
   
    
2. Click Set intensity by ISO.
   
    
3. Under Denoise intensity, choose one of the four intensity levels: Subtle, Moderate, Strong, and Stronger. Each photo that meets the minimum ISO level will have the Denoise intensity level you set.
    
4. From the list, choose the minimum ISO level to use the Denoise AI tool. 
    
5. Click Save.

Troubleshooting

Denoise is missing from some of my photos

Imagen couldn’t find high-res photos, or ISO metadata is missing.

No difference between the original photos and the ones after denoise

For some photos, the denoise effect is subtle. If you want to adjust the denoise level on all the photos, edit again in Imagen with a higher denoise intensity. Or, you can adjust the denoise intensity of specific photos in Adobe.

Photos lost details after denoise

Sometimes, when the denoise intensity is high, photos might lose details. If you want to adjust the denoise level on all the photos, edit again in Imagen with a lower denoise intensity. Or, you can adjust the denoise intensity of specific photos in Adobe.

Photos look oversmooth or like plastic

If you adjusted Luminance in your profile, sometimes the photos appear oversmooth. There are two ways to fix this:

• For individual photos, in your Adobe editing software, open the Color Grading panel, and remove the Luminance value.
• For all the photos in your project, adjust your profile, and open the Color Grading panel. Remove the Luminance value, and save the new settings. Then, edit again in Imagen with the new profile settings.