Recraft Crisp Upscale Prompts & Examples

Recraft Crisp Upscale is the budget-friendly AI image upscaler on AetherWave. 8 credits at 2x is competitive against Topaz's 10 credits. Best when cost matters and Topaz-level fidelity isn't required.

This page collects prompts that consistently produce strong output from Recraft Crisp Upscale when called via the AetherWave MCP server. Each example is structured to highlight what makes the prompt work, so you can adapt the pattern to your own scenes.

Tested prompt examples

These are real prompts that work well. The italics under each example is the actual text to pass via Claude Code.

Prompt structure that works

For Recraft Crisp Upscale, the prompts that perform best follow a predictable structure:

• Subject first: lead with the main thing in the frame ("vintage Roland synthesizer", "musician in a rain-soaked alley")
• Style and lighting next: how it should look ("photorealistic", "35mm film grain", "soft purple bokeh", "golden hour")
• Composition and aspect: framing cues ("close-up", "wide shot", "16:9", "magazine-quality")
• Mood and atmosphere last: the emotional pull ("moody", "cinematic", "dreamlike")

How to use these prompts

Once you have the AetherWave MCP installed in Claude Code, just paste any of the prompts above. The agent will call aetherwave_upscale_image with model: "recraft-upscale" and return the asset URL.

Install in one command:

Free API key at your Profile page (Developer tab). Outputs auto-save to your Cloudflare R2 gallery.

When to pick Recraft Crisp Upscale

Recraft Crisp Upscale is the right model when your prompt matches its strengths: budget image upscaling.

For other intents, the AetherWave MCP rubric in aetherwave_upscale_image's description routes the agent to the right model automatically. Run aetherwave_list_image_models from Claude Code to see the full live catalog.

Comparison

vs topaz-upscale at 10 cr to 2K: Recraft at 8 cr is 20% cheaper for 2x. Topaz has more factor options (up to 8x) and slightly better fidelity. Pick Recraft for budget; Topaz for quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of prompts work best with Recraft Crisp Upscale?

Prompts matching its core strength: budget image upscaling. Specific subject, clear style cues, aspect ratio in the prompt all improve output quality.

How long should a Recraft Crisp Upscale prompt be?

30 to 80 words is the sweet spot. Lead with the subject, follow with style and composition, finish with technical specs.

Can I use these prompts directly via Claude Code?

Yes. After installing the AetherWave MCP server, paste any prompt into Claude Code. The agent will call aetherwave_upscale_image with model: "recraft-upscale" and return the finished asset.