photoshop sharpening is lame

I think the quick answer is that the best way changes depending on a lot of different variables - subject matter, iso, amount and type of detail, etc.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=34489

This is Scottes tutorial to using USM, Mike.
It took me a while to learn how to make this tool work well for me but I think I have the hang of it now.
Good Luck!

This was a memorable post for me, too. Thanks for putting up the link.

Wow, that's a blast from the past. I'm thinking that I need to re-write that or something - my sharpening knowledge and skills have improved quite a bit since then. While that tutorial certainly works, there's a lot of tidbits I've picked up which would make that tutorial a notch or two better.

For instance, I now set the USM Radius first, based on the detail level of the image. A Radius of 0.3 is good for highly detailed images, such as that picture or furry animals, etc. For softer shots, like a baby portrait, I'd use a much larger Radius, like 0.7. For stuff in between I'd use settings in between. (And note that these numbers are only for web display.)

When using Save For Web almost always check Optimized and *never* check ICC Profile. Very very few browsers can use ICC info so it just adds to the file size and does no good.

Rather than using Fade, duplicate the background layer and over-sharpen the top layer, then lower the Opacity until it looks good. Personally I think that if you fade by more than 30% (ie; set Opacity to 70%) then you should Undo and try again. Fading or Opacity should be used only for slight fine-tuning.

With noisy images, or images that you might wish to keep a little soft, raise the Threshold. Note that it doesn't take much.

To pinpoint sharpening a cheap easy way is to sharpen until the image looks good, then use the History Brush to "undo" the sharpening on places you want to keep soft or don't want to be sharpened too much. For instance, sharpen a portrait so it looks good, grab the History Brush and set it to Opacity 30%, then "brush away" the sharpening everywhere except the eyes. This will leave the eyes sharp but the rest of the image will be a little softer. This technique is also excellent on shots where you wish to have the subject "pop" from the background. (There are much better but more advanced ways to do this.)


If using CS2 for web display I actually use Smart Sharpen today. That's another day...

Sharpening for prints is also another day, as is a tutorial on 3-Pass sharpening.

No Doubt!

If you *really* want to improve your sharpening, read this post and the tutorials inside: https://photography-on-the.net …php?p=1096335&p​ostcount=6

Note that you will need some time to read them, even more time to play with them. It's not beginner stuff, but it is all written very well. If you can devote 5 hours to this your sharpening skills will certainly improve.

smittymike19 wrote:
why is it that photoshops smart sharpening is not as good as picasa's which a FREE program??? honestly i actually open my photos in picasa to sharpen them as the results are much better. Why doesnt photoshop have the ultimate in sharpening when it is supposed to be the premier photo editing program? the method i use for sharpening is described here (http://www.earthboundl​ight.com …sharpen-cs2-and-more.html) , and it is much more cumbersome than picasa AND doesnt do as nice a job

My guess is that you do not know how to sharpen using PhotoShop. There is more too it than clicking on the sharpen tool (of any flavour)

If you do not want to learn how to use PS then you have taken the correct option with picasa

N

[QUOTE=neil_r]My guess is that you do not know how to sharpen using PhotoShop. There is more too it than clicking on the sharpen tool (of any flavour)

If you do not want to learn how to use PS then you have taken the correct option with picasa

N[/quote

well like i posted, i thought i was following a fairly decent method of sharpening, though it would seem that ps should have a robust and easy method for sharpening, without having to read an entire thesis on the subject, which i suppose i am going to have to do, since it is one of the top 5 most important issues for obtaining great pics.

As they say "No pain, no gain...

As it can be quite complicated and involve many steps I have saved several different sharpening techniques as actions, this works very well and saves a lot of time.

Good Luck

N

Of course, the bottom line is that if you are happy with your shots, that is all that is required.

I, like most people, bit their lip a little when you posted such a title, because photoshop has served us well.

Sharpening is purely down to personal opinion. Some people are more discerning than others, but that depends on whether you value other people's opinion.

I used to use a programme that was great for print, but didn't look great on screen. I got a lot of feedback and changed. If my target audience is happy, then I have a great solution.

You can use this forum to your advantage. If you want to.

Graham