Sharpening tricks by PS gurus

[Eric CAN]

Simplest method in Photoshop is to use USM (Unsharp Mask)

I always do this when its time to resize the original image - full size image for printing - for the web. So lets say I take a full size image, I resize to lets say 1024x XXX. I'll do this USM trick :

So you resized the image , make aDUPLICATELAYERat this time.

Now in the FILTERS menu, choose SHARPEN - UnSharp Mask

A menu window will appear, choose :

Ammount : 400%

Radius : 0.3

Threshold : 0

Now make another duplicate layer - so we now havebackground copyand background copy2

Sobackground copyis now a new layer which has USM applied,background copy2 has also the same USM applied, trick at this point is, go in the layer menu to the right of PS, and in the layers pallet, choose a new blending mode, instead of normal, choose darken for the 1st background copy, choose lighten for background copy 2.

Now the trick is to play with both layers blending mode opacity, reduce darken to about 30-35%, reduce the lighten opacity to 10-15%, what do we have ? A miracle !

Give it a try, it makes wonders.

More tricks coming up next reply

[Eric CAN]

Ok now we've mastered this simple but effective method of sharpening, you could actually isolate part of the photo so only the bird would be sharpened, the rest would stay as is. Why we should do that ? Lets say you just took a nice photo of a bird with a nice blurred background, the background is Out Of Focus (OOF), you don't want to sharpen that ! No !

So now in the layer menu, top of PS in the center, choose for Background Copy layer, then choose ADD LAYER MASK - HIDE ALL. Do the same with Background Copy 2.

Now choose the brush tool, to the size you want, reduce opacity of the brush tool to 20%. Last one, choose white for the brush.

Simply brush the bird or part of the bird you want to bring USM to. LAYER MASK and HIDE ALL works this way, when you pass the brush over an area, that area will gradually reveal itself - therefore since those layers were USM (darkern 30% opacity for one, lighter 10% opacity for the other), they will gradually show themselves.

Then you can do the same trick with the second layer and voila ! You've isolated only the bird for USM, the rest will be as the original image.

Don't forget to MERGE VISIBLE at the end.

[Eric CAN]

Another method is employing a different way to sharpen. The principle is the same.

So we use the resize image, make a DUPLICATE LAYER.

Now instead, we'll use : FILTER -> OTHER -> HIGH PASS

Set Radius at 10

Now in the Layers pallet, choose blending mode to Soft Light and set opacity to 20-25%, toggle the layers pallet between the layered one and the original. A miracle happened !

You could also carry on by isolating an object, like a bird by doing the ADD LAYER MASK - HIDE ALL trick described above

[UniSonBBS]

Holy.... crap....

That is all.

[djb]

Eric, can you give us a before and after example for each method? i'm just learning about PS and seem to be close to clueless as to what you said. maybe a step by step examples as you do each step? or is that too much to ask? thanx!!!

dennis

[Eric CAN]

djb wrote:

Eric, can you give us a before and after example for each method? i'm just learning about PS and seem to be close to clueless as to what you said. maybe a step by step examples as you do each step? or is that too much to ask? thanx!!!

dennis

Ok you asked for it !

(Stay tune, I'll make screenies of USM)

[Eric CAN]

Ohh Dennis, what version of PS you have ? Element 2 or PS 6, 7 or 8 (CS) ?

[djb]

i have access to PS7 & CS

[Eric CAN]

Ok, In have CS, they work the same, I'll do this step by step, gimme 45 min max will post before - while - after shots with screenies examples

[djb]

wow!!! 45 mins?? you're good. thanx!!!

dennis