LR4- sharpening on export?

Do you guys check the box for "output sharpening" when you're exporting from LR4 for prints? If you do, which settings do you use for it? I'm just curious.

I have it checked for my "proofs" preset for photos that are going to be viewed online and for proofs, but I'm debating if I should add it to my "prints" preset. What do you guys think?

Note that there is a significant difference between sharpening for the paper types (Matte Paper/Glossy Paper). If I were you I'd do your own testing using the two paper types and varying the Amount.

I always check it on export, for both screen and prints. All the prints I have gotten back from Mpix and Millers have looked very good. I use the middle setting (I forget what it's labeled as) as that has been the recommendation from everyone I've seen. Most agree that the lowest setting does nothing, and the highest setting is overdone.

Thanks guys!

bsmotril wrote in post #15645763
Turn on soft proofing and load the paper profile that you will be using and you'll find the answer to your question.

Connection between soft proofing and/or conversion to a particular color space and sharpening?

I think I might have encountered a little problem. I have always exported my RAW files to JPG using the Standard export sharpening for screen as I had never intended to make prints of my work. For some of these, I have then had to do some - sometimes a lot - of extra work in Photoshop, after which I view the pictures on my monitor and/or upload them to Flickr or Smugmug. However, I am now wanting to make prints of some of these and I dread having to re-export the RAW with print sharpening and then re-doing all my edits in Photoshop for print. I assume re-exporting the original JPG and re-exporting with print sharpening wouldn't be a good idea. What should I do?

Assuming your original PS-edits are big enough, I'd just use those.
If you have them printed at a shop, they might take care of sharpening for print, or you can do it in PS or LR if you print to an inkjet.

http://photo.net/digit​al-darkroom-forum/00YIWd
http://www.dgrin.com …e/index.php/t-219170.html
http://www.openphotogr​aphyforums.com/forums/​showthread.php?t=3962

Pericles77 wrote in post #15840610
I have always exported my RAW files to JPG using the Standard export sharpening for screen as I had never intended to make prints of my work. For some of these, I have then had to do some - sometimes a lot - of extra work in Photoshop,.....

I am pretty sure the golden rule is "sharpen last". You only apply export sharpening to an image if you have finished developing/editing. If you want to edit it in PS then you should not be applying export sharpening. In fact you wouldn't "export" you would "Edit in PS". Then, once you have finished editing in PS you return the image to LR and then export (doing any resizing and sharpening).

One thing to remember about LR 4 export sharpening, is that was well as the optiona that you can change directly, it also looks at the output PPI resolution setting when calculating the level of sharpening to apply. So if you are using the export dialogue to produce a file to be sent of for printing it should be set for your printer resolution. For output to screen then you also want to use a value that is going to match the majority of screens that viewers are likely to be using, I normally go for 100 PPI as that is close to the resolution of most modern displays. Of course we now have displays that will go up to 300 PPI, although they tend to be very small at the moment, although Apple do now have Retina displays on laptops so it is coming.

Alan

Dan Marchant wrote in post #15843521
I am pretty sure the golden rule is "sharpen last". You only apply export sharpening to an image if you have finished developing/editing. If you want to edit it in PS then you should not be applying export sharpening. In fact you wouldn't "export" you would "Edit in PS". Then, once you have finished editing in PS you return the image to LR and then export (doing any resizing and sharpening).

The advise I have taken to heart says that one should sharpen on import (straight out of camera), then again during post processing and finally do a pre print sharpen. So a 3 stage approach.

Lowner wrote in post #15844543
The advise I have taken to heart says that one should sharpen on import (straight out of camera), then again during post processing and finally do a pre print sharpen. So a 3 stage approach.

That needs a little elucidation for those who are not familiar with the 3 stage method:
1. Stage one, also called Capture or Input sharpening, should be minimal. The goal is not a great looking image, but merely to rectify the effect of the anti-aliasing filter in front of the sensor.
2. Stage two, also called Creative sharpening, will typically address local issues within the image such as the eyes in a portrait or might be limited to edge sharpening with an appropriate mask. It might even be accompanied by its opposite, blurring/smoothing of selected areas like skin smoothing in portraits or NR applied through a surface mask.
3. Stage three, Output sharpening, is delayed until the end primarily because any resampling, up or down but mostly upwards, will change the amount and kind of sharpening needed.

Lowner wrote in post #15844543
The advise I have taken to heart says that one should sharpen on import (straight out of camera), then again during post processing and finally do a pre print sharpen. So a 3 stage approach.

Right but you wouldn't do the pre-print sharpening before doing more post processing would you?

Dan Marchant wrote in post #15847501
Right but you wouldn't do the pre-print sharpening before doing more post processing would you?

No, using this 3 stage approach the pre-print sharpen is based on print size, ppi etc and is the very last stage before the printer starts churning.