How to sharpen a photo in photoshop. Let's convert the image to a Smart Object. Some general rules for sharpening
05/05/15 3.1KMost, if not all, digital images require sharpening, even if taken with a mega-resolution digital SLR with fine-tuned sharpening. Most cameras or scanners have settings to increase sharpness, but better quality can be achieved with image editing programs.
Sharpening in Adobe Photoshop CS2 allows you to set the level of sharpening, as well as the areas of the image to which it is applied. As for the image on the monitor screen, here " what you see is what you get". However, if the image is intended for printing, then the picture on the screen is just a preview of the image.
In fact, the level of sharpness required for optimal image quality is usually slightly more than what is needed for comfortable viewing of the image on the screen. Especially when using LCD monitors (flat panels):
The best sharpening methods are characterized by the ability to set priority areas for their application; in this case, you need to sharpen the eye area of the portrait, but leave the skin texture intact.
The basic concept of sharpening is to send on a mission " find and process» filter « unsharp mask or Smart Sharpen. The algorithms of these filters are programmed to make light pixels on one side of any detected transition lighter and dark pixels on the other side darker.
You can think of it as localized contrast control. If you go overboard with these techniques, your images will look radioactive (glow), if not enough, then people will need glasses to see the details.
The best sharpening methods are those that prioritize areas for sharpening and leave smooth areas of the image intact, such as sharpening around the eyes but leaving skin texture unaffected. These advanced techniques are essential when sharpening images that have been scanned from film or have excessive noise, and none of them need to be applied." Unsharp masks". So let's get started.
Note: If your devices have their own sharpening tools, it's important to turn them off or set them to either minimum or very low ( when using raw camera, set sharpness level to 0). The sharpening features of most cameras are often very primitive compared to the techniques described below.
It is also not recommended to process photos that have been saved in the JPEG format using a high compression ratio and low quality settings. The sharpening process described below must be carried out on the last step editing, that is, before that, the color and tones of the image must be adjusted. If the sharpening level is too high, you can reduce it a bit later.
Method One: Color Contrast
Step 1
Duplicate the background layer and set the blend mode to Overlay. Select Overlay from the Blend Modes menu in the Layers Palette.
Step 2
Select . Increase the "Radius" values in pixels until you reach the desired level of sharpness. A radius of 1.0 pixels for printing on glossy paper and 3.0 pixels for printing on matte paper will be enough:
Select "Overlay" from the blend mode menu and go to Filter - Other - Colour contrast :
In the dialog box " Colour contrast» Increase the pixel radius value until you reach the desired level of sharpness.
Note: You can adjust the layer's transparency later to adjust the sharpness level. color contrast or set its blending mode to Soft Light or Hard Light to increase or decrease the level of sharpness.
Step 3
Click on the foreground color swatch in the tool palette to open the color picker. In field " Hue/Saturation"enter 0 and 50% - in the field" Brightness"To select midtones gray color. Click OK.
Color the layer " color contrast to remove areas where sharpening is not required, such as skin tones, skies, etc. This technique is especially useful for reducing noise or film grain:
Click on the Foreground color swatch in the Tools palette to open the Color Picker:
In field " Hue/Saturation"Enter 0 and 50% - in the field" Brightness":
This is a fragment of a portrait taken with the Nikon D1x. RAW image sharpness has been increased by 15%. There is no sharpening on the first frame. On the second frame, the layer " color contrast” (Radius 3 px) with Soft Light blending mode. On the third frame, the layer's blend mode is changed to Overlay.
On the fourth frame, sharpening was performed using a localized " Unsharp masks(100% ) with the Blending Mode set to Luminosity. You can use the opacity setting to adjust the sharpness level.
Step 4
Keep in mind that the settings you are currently using when viewing will be used directly when you print. To complete the process, you need to print the image, and then decide if it needs additional sharpening or if the current level of sharpening is already excessive.
If the given sharpening is excessive, you can reduce the opacity of the layer " color contrast". Alternatively, you can try toggling the blend mode of the layer " color contrast to Soft Light to reduce sharpness or Hard Light to sharpen it.
Saturation and sharpness
Most methods of increasing the contrast of an image entail a domino effect, which "results" in increasing the saturation of colors. How to apply the filter Colour contrast", and the filter " unsharp mask” often cause a problem such as increased color saturation.
In general, you may not pay attention to this when editing images. But if you notice it after applying " color contrast”, I recommend using the following method to limit the consequences.
Pay attention to the appearance of colored edging after applying " color contrast».
Method 2: Unsharp Mask / Smart Sharpen
The second method is an extension of the first and is designed to solve the problem of increasing the saturation of colors, causing the color fringing effect. If you use a merged layer to sharpen it and switch its blending mode to " Brightness", the effect of excessive color saturation is leveled.
This variant illustrates how the advantages of localized sharpening and brightness sharpening can be combined into one method.
Step 1
Change the blend mode of the layer " color contrast” back to “Normal”. Then apply to the layer " color contrast"Threshold" correction: :
Select in the menu of blend modes of the layer palette - " Normal»:
Go to Image - Correction - Threshold to apply the Threshold adjustment.
Step 2
Drag the slider directly below the histogram to isolate the edges that need to be sharpened. This is done in order to render all areas for which you do not want to sharpen in white. Click OK.
Paint over any areas that are not shown as white with the Threshold adjustment to sharpen them up. For example, in the photo below, the pixels remaining around the mouth, nose, and eyes have been painted over, as opposed to other areas that are painted over with white. It's set as the foreground color:
Drag the histogram slider to isolate edges that need sharpening:
Pixels around the mouth, nose, and eyes are colored differently from other areas that are painted white ( set as foreground color).
Step 3
Go to the Channels palette and Ctrl + click (Windows), Command + click (Mac OS) on the RGB thumbnail, or click on the icon " Load channel as selection» in the Channels Palette to load the details of the color transitions as a selection. Go back to the layers palette and drag the background layer onto the new layer thumbnail to duplicate it.
Drag the duplicate background layer on top of the rest of the layers:
Drag the background layer onto the new layer thumbnail to duplicate it:
Drag the duplicate background layer on top of the rest of the layers.
Step 4
Turn off the visibility of the layer " color contrast". Hold down the Alt or Option key and click on the " Add layer mask» in the layers palette. Make sure the layer mask is active and then go to Filter - Blur - Gaussian Blur. Give the mask a 1.5 px radius and a blue color:
Turn off the visibility of the layer " color contrast' and add a layer mask:
Give the mask a 1.5 px radius and a blue color.
Step 5
Now click on the duplicate background layer icon. Make sure the image is enlarged to 100% original size for small photos, or 50% for photos in print resolution (200ppi - 300ppi ). Go to Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen or Unsharp Mask. Set through the slider " Quantity»A value of the order of 80-150%.
This setting determines how dark or light the pixels in the color transition will be displayed. If the image is to be printed on paper, set the "Amount" to a value slightly larger than the value set.
Note: Read the information on the basic filter settings " unsharp mask"" Capture" and "Increase". Absolutely exact values of "Threshold" and "Radius" are not critical for this post-processing technique:
Adjust the values in the " unsharp mask».
Step 6
Change the blend mode of the sharpen layer ( upper layer) to "Brightness". The Brightness mode will limit the application of the contrast change to bright areas only. It will also prevent all changes in color saturation caused by using " Unsharp masks».
Such changes in saturation are often quite subtle, so this method is recommended only when color fringing appears:
Good bad
Everyone at some point in time is faced with the effect of blurring while taking a photo. This happens when jerking the hand, shooting in the process of movement, long exposure. With the help of Photoshop, this defect can also be eliminated.
Not only beginners are trying to catch the perfect frame. Even experienced specialists in their field with the availability of specialized equipment are trying to focus, monitor exposure and photosensitivity.
Before the photo is printed, the frames are processed in the editor in order to eliminate the existing visual defects.
Today we will discuss how to remove blur in a photo in Photoshop and sharpen the image.
Processing includes:
color correction;
brightness setting;
sharpening in Photoshop;
photo size adjustment.
The recipe for solving the problem is simple: it is better not to change the proportions and size of the image, but it is worth working on the sharpness.
In the case of uniform blurring, not very noticeable, use the tool "Sharpening". It is designed to correct sharpness and is located in the tab "Filters" Further "Sharpness" and look for the desired option there.
After selecting the desired option, you will see three sliders: Effect, Radius and Isohelia. The value that is most suitable in your case must be selected manually. For each image with different color characteristic these parameters are different and you can't do it automatically.
Effect is responsible for the strength of the filtration. By moving the slider, you can see that large values increase graininess, noise, and the minimum shift is almost not noticeable.
Radius responsible for the sharpness of the center point. As the radius decreases, the sharpness also decreases, but the naturalness is more accurate.
The filtration strength and radius must be set first. Adjust the values as much as possible, but consider the noise. They must be weak.
isohelia reflects the breakdown by color levels for areas with different contrast.
As the levels increase, the photo quality will improve. Thanks to this option, the existing noise, graininess are eliminated. Therefore, it is recommended to perform it last.
Option Color Contrast
Photoshop has an option "Colour contrast", responsible for fine-tuning the sharpness.
Don't forget about layers. With their help, not only photographic defects are removed. They allow you to accurately improve the quality of the object. The sequence of actions is as follows:
1. Open the image and copy it to a new layer (menu "Layers - Duplicate Layer", do not change anything in the settings).
2. Check on the panel whether you are really working in the created layer. Select the line where the name of the created layer is indicated and there should be a copied object.
3. Perform a sequence of actions "Filter - Other - Color Contrast", which will provide a contrast map.
4. In the area that opens, put the number of the radius of the area you are working on. Usually desired value is within less than 10 pixels.
5. Photo may contain scratches, noise due to damaged optical part of the device. To do this, select in the Filters "Noise - Dust and Scratches".
Despite the latest improvements and innovations in the Smart Sharpen smart filter, as well as the refinement of the Unsharp Mask, the method described in the lesson is very competitive and in many it gives a much better one.
Here is the image I will be using in this tutorial:
And here is the finished result.
Let's start. Open the image in Photoshop and immediately duplicate the background layer.
In the future, we will work with a copy, Photoshop automatically named the new copy layer "Layer 1" (Layer 1).
Change the copy's blending mode to "Overlap" (Overlay). Our image has become too contrasty:
Don't worry, it's temporary
And now we will apply the "Color Contrast" filter to the copy layer. Go to the main menu tab Filter --> Other --> Color Contrast (Filter --> Other --> High Pass). The filter dialog will open:
Filter high frequencies in Photoshop is very easy to use. It has only one setting that sets the intensity of the filter, this is "Radius" (Radius). You can change this value by dragging the slider, or by entering numbers from the keyboard.
And, what is important for us in this particular case, the filter has a preview of the action in the document itself.
To increase the sharpness of the photo, drag the slider to the left, to decrease it, to the right. It's best to start with a Radius value of around 2px or even less, depending on the size of the image. In this tutorial, I'm using an image that's 1000px wide, so 2 is too high. If the value is too high, the edges of the objects in the picture will have halos, as I have now, so I'll drag the slider to the left to a value of 1.2, which gives the optimal result:
If you are working with a larger image, you should use greater value radius, but it is necessary to increase the radius carefully, because. the smaller the radius, the higher the clarity, so it's important not to overdo it. Next, we will look at some techniques for fine-tuning the clarity of images.
Changing Blend Modes to Sharpen a Photo
Once we've pre-sharpened the photo, one way to further tweak it is to change the blend mode of the duplicate background layer.
We are currently using the Overlay blending mode, which levels out the sharpening over the entire area of the photo. You can increase the sharpness at the edges by changing the blending mode to "Hard light" (Hard Light).
If you want to reduce the sharpness of the picture, select the blending mode "Soft light" (Soft Light).
For comparison, I have given fragments of three versions of images with increased sharpness with different blending modes. The left one uses "Soft Light" mode, the middle one - "Overlay", and the right one - "Hard Light" mode:
Because Since the images themselves are small, the difference between them is implicit, but if you work with a large image, the differences will be obvious.
Soften sharpness by lowering layer opacity
Another way to fine-tune the sharpness is to change the opacity of the top layer. To get the desired result, I'll lower the layer's opacity to 80%.
In addition, in order to increase clarity not on the entire photo, but in its individual areas, you can add a layer mask to the top layer and paint over unnecessary areas of the photo with black.
In this tutorial, you will learn several ways to sharpen an image, allowing you to "get around" the shortcomings of the built-in sharpening filters in Photoshop. What are these shortcomings? Let's start in order:
1. Color halos may appear around contrasting objects.
2. Color and monochromatic noise increases. If the second is not so terrible, you don’t even always need to get rid of it, then the first one literally hurts your eyes.
3. In the scanned photographs, the above disadvantages appear even more strongly, in addition, the graininess that was originally inherent in them increases.
As a rule, in the process of working on improving a photo, you have to sharpen it several times, which can further aggravate the situation.
How to avoid similar problems? Beginning (and not only) users are often confused by this. But there are several ways, plus their variations and combinations, that allow you to sharpen without increasing noise and artifacts. So, let's get started.
1 way:
1. Open our image. Immediately transfer it to Lab mode Image-Mode-Lab(Image-Mode-Lab).
2. Choose a palette Channels(Channels) , press CTRL+1 to select a channel Brightness(Lightness), then ~ to see the image in color.
3. Apply to this channel Filter-Sharpness-Sharpening(Filter-Sharpen-Unsharp Mask).
Settings vary by image. Many do not know how to use this filter correctly. Now we will correct this gap in knowledge.
So the first thing to do is to set the value Effect(Amount) within 80 - 150, depending on the resolution of the image. Then gradually increase the values Radius(Radius) until visible flaws and artifacts appear. Next, increase the value threshold(Threshold) until the roughness data disappears, but the effect of sharpening the contours is preserved.
4. Press CTRL+ ~ to select the composite channel. Then, as in step 1, we convert the image back to RGB mode.
2 way:
1. Open the image. Copy to a new layer CTRL+J.
2. Apply to this layer Filter-Others-Color contrast t (Filter-Other-High Pass), with a radius of about 1 (depends on the resolution of the image, but I don’t recommend setting it large, I’ll explain why later).
3. Click CTRL+SHIFT+U to desaturate the image. This is very important point! Since we have removed color information from this layer (which it certainly has, although the layer looks gray), this will avoid increasing color noise.
4. Change the layer blend mode to overlap(Overlay). You can do this in the Layers palette, or by pressing SHIFT+ALT+O.
5. If the result does not suit you, for example, the sharpness has increased too much, you need to reduce the opacity of the layer. If you need to increase the effect, copy the layer right amount times (CTRL+J).
If you try to sharpen the sharpness immediately by setting great importance radius in step 2, this will degrade the image quality.
3 way: the same second, but adapted for scanned photos. I think many will appreciate its effectiveness. I don't include pictures to avoid repetition.
1. Open the image, copy it to a new layer.
2. Repeat step 2 from the previous method, but set the radius value much larger, from about 4 and higher, depending on the resolution.
3. Next, you need to blur the layer with Filter - Noise - Dust and scratches(Filter-Noise-Dust & Scratches) so as to remove the grain but leave the outlines of the images.
4. Then repeat steps 3-5 from the previous recipe.
In order not to waste time on performing these actions in the future, you can create actions, that is, operations, for each selected method.
In one of the following lessons, you will learn another way to sharpen. It is quite complicated, so I did not clutter up this lesson with its description.
I wish you creative success!
When you see a beautiful shot of a natural or urban landscape, the first thing you ask yourself is, “How did he manage to capture this shot like that?” Of course, the very moment of shooting plays important role in creating any outstanding photograph. Is the exposure set correctly, will the correct, well-balanced RAW file come out? Do I need to bracket to capture and then be able to process a wide dynamic range? Should you use a slow shutter speed to create a sense of movement or soften it (this is where ND filters come in handy)?
There are too many variables on this list, and you are probably already familiar with most of them.
Once you have a RAW file ready to go, post-processing software provides a wealth of options to make it sharper and stand out.
Using the 4 techniques in this tutorial, you can get your shots razor-sharp and ready to print or share online!
In the tutorial, I'll show you how to give landscape shots best view. However, these techniques also work for most other areas of photography. Since it's already spring outside, now is the time to get outside and capture some beautiful scenery!
1. Sharpening in Lightroom
Lightroom's full name is "Adobe Photoshop Lightroom", so when I talk about sharpening, I'm technically explaining the Photoshop method. However you want to call it, Lightroom has a very useful section in the panel. Details(Details) module Develop.
Sliders should be used when the image is open for at least full size 1:1. When making corrections, you need to see their impact even on the smallest details.
Holding the Alt key allows you to see the created mask.
All sliders can also be used in conjunction with the Alt key. Top slider - Quantity(Amount) will show the picture in black and white. Radius(radius) and Details(Details) will tone down the colors so you can see the outlines that are being made sharper. Slider Mask(Masking) changes to black and white, showing exactly where the sharpening is being applied (see figure above).
Sliders
Quantity(Amount) adjusts exactly what you might think - total applied sharpness. The further you move it to the right, the sharper the image will become.
Radius(Radius) is responsible for how far from the center of each pixel the sharpening increases. How less value, the finer the radius of sharpness. The more - the thicker the radius.
Details(Details) mainly affects the rest of the photo, not necessarily the edges (Radius is responsible for them). If there is a picture from large quantity textures, such as fabric or clothing, slider Details(Details) will accentuate them without creating an unwanted glow effect.
Mask(Masking) is nothing more than just a mask. If the slider is in the left corner, the mask is filled with pure white and the effect is applied in full. By holding down the Alt key and moving the slider to the right, you'll see that the white stroke only remains around some areas. If you drag the slider to the right, only the most obvious details will become sharp.
Even though it is very effective method, it is applied globally, and sometimes we need to sharpen only certain areas. This is where Photoshop comes to the rescue.
2. Unsharp masking in Photoshop
Unsharp masking(Unsharp Mask) - a function with a very ambiguous name. If you do not pay attention to the prefix "not" - this is a common tool for sharpening. The way it works is to create a slightly blurred version of the original image and take it away from the original to find the edges of the objects. This creates an unsharp mask. The next step is to increase the contrast of the edges using the created mask. The result is a sharper image.
Unsharp masking sliders
Quantity(Amount) is displayed here as a percentage and controls how contrasted the edges will be.
Radius(Radius) - Blur strength of the original to create the mask. The smaller the radius, the finer details will be affected.
Threshold(Threshold) sets the minimum change in brightness to which sharpening is applied. The threshold also works well to sharpen only the visible edges without affecting the rest.
Any sharpening operations must be applied at least at full 1:1 or better. The ideal zoom for working in Photoshop is 200%.
3. Smart Sharpening in Photoshop
most advanced Photoshop tool to work with sharpness - Smart Sharpen(Smart sharpen). It has the most options and correct use you can get the best result for landscape and almost any field of photography. Landscape photography is a very difficult subject, as you often have to deal with very close contours and very distant ones at the same time. However, each of them requires a separate approach. Working with masks in Photoshop, you can ensure that some areas are masked while others remain sharp. This is another advantage over younger brother- Lightroom. But back to the topic!
Also in tool popup Smart Sharpen(Smart Sharpen) You can save and load presets so you don't have to enter parameters every time.
Smart sharpening provides the largest number options. With its help, you can perfectly perform the finest corrections!
Slider Quantity(Amount) varies from 1 to 500%. In most cases, you do not have to cross 100%. Of course, no one forbids you to go further, but you will get common artifacts in the form of radiance and an unrealistic look.
Radius(Radius) is measured in pixels and is responsible for the edges that Smart Sharpen will adjust. You can choose from 0.1 to 64 pixels - the 0.1 step scale was created for the finest possible adjustment.
Noise reduction(Reduce Noise) is a very clear and excellent feature. This is another reason for the power and popularity smart sharpening. Now it becomes clear why Adobe created presets for this filter!
In line Delete(Remove) better install Blur at low depth of field(Lens Blur), since this item does a great job of reducing the glow effect.
Sections Shadow(Shadow) and Light(Highlights) also got their own set of fine adjustment sliders. Weakening the effect(Fade Amount) is responsible for the overall sharpening in light and dark areas.
Tonal Width(Tonal Width) sets the sharpening limits for certain tonal areas of the image. As an example, if you select a lower Tonal Width in these areas, the sharpening for them will be limited. More high value expands the range of tones.
Radius(Radius) here works the same as for Unsharp masking- moving the slider to the left defines a smaller zone, to the right - a larger one.
Its useful to note- to receive best results when using these tools, first convert copy original layer into a Smart Object. This can be done at the very beginning of post-processing, or later when the layer is merged and on top. Switching to a smart object will allow you to return and make corrections at any time. Also change Mode overlays(Blending Mode) sharpening layers (except Color Contrast) on glow(Luminosity) to avoid unwanted glow. This is highly recommended.
4. Filter Color Contrast in Photoshop
Another great way to sharpen landscape shots (and more) is to use a filter. Color contrast(high pass). Again, you can either make a copy of the layer itself, or a copy of all visible ones (Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E). Convert the resulting layer to a smart object by right-clicking on it and selecting the appropriate item from the drop-down menu. As already mentioned, this will allow you to go back and make corrections at any time.
The Color Contrast filter is very simple, but effective method sharpen the photo. Remember that with any adjustment layer or filter, you can always use a mask to hide unwanted areas. Slider Opacity(Opacity) - Another way to weaken the influence of the effect.
small radius within 1-1,5 usually enough with the head. Don't overdo it! We need quite a bit! After that, the image will turn 50% gray and only the stroke showing the edges will remain. This is exactly what we need.
Now just go to the layers panel and choose Blending Mode overlap(Overlay) or Linear light(Linear Light). The latter has a more prominent influence, while the former is less radical. A linear light is a better choice, as you can always adjust the layer's opacity and soften overly harsh areas with a mask. Using Luma Masks can also be a good option if you only want to sharpen a specific tonal range.
There are many more ways to enhance details with Photoshop - what's your favorite? Share your experience in the comments or ask a question of interest.
Practice shooting and editing more often!