Unsharp Mask

[vfdg]

Hi guys,

I need to sharp my images can anyone point me to how to use unsharp mask on psp with some examples of photos?

When I normally sharp them they get to much grain.

Thanks,
Bruno

 

[Shay Stephens]

I don't know if you have the same setting available as Photoshop Elements, but this may help. The threshold will help supress noise from being sharpened. On a full size image I will use a number of 3 to 6 for the threshold. On web size versions I will use 0 to 3 for the threshold.

--
Shay

My Sony F707 Gallery: http://www.shaystephens.com/portfolio.asp

 

[Ann McRae]

I don't know if you have the same setting available as Photoshop
Elements, but this may help. The threshold will help supress noise
from being sharpened. On a full size image I will use a number of
3 to 6 for the threshold. On web size versions I will use 0 to 3
for the threshold.

--
Shay

My Sony F707 Gallery: http://www.shaystephens.com/portfolio.asp

I'm trying to figure unsharp mask out as well. Here is a pic without unsharp mask (this pic is a very severe crop i.e. I was very far away from the action, and this is just a corner out of the whole image):



The same pic with unsharp mask:



In PSP 7 "threshold" is not a choice, the choices are radius (default 2.00), strength (default 100) and clipping (default 5).
Now it is obvious that unsharp mask sharpened the pic, but why?
Also, could different setting have been used to do it better?

Thanks for any feedback
Ann
--
Canadian Ann
http://www.pbase.com/canadian_ann
http://www.stfchallenge.com
http://www.cs.duke.edu/~parr/photography/faq.html

 

[Kerry Pierce]

I need to sharp my images can anyone point me to how to use unsharp
mask on psp with some examples of photos?

When I normally sharp them they get to much grain.

Using Unsharp mask is more of an art than science. It requires user experience for best results and a little understanding of the principals involved. Getting too much grain means you're sharpening noise by using a Clipping setting that is too low and perhaps the amount of sharpening is too high as well. A general rule of thumb that I use is to find the levels that produce halos and pronounce the noise and then back off a few clicks until I'm happy with the results.

I also suggest that you try making a duplicate layer of your image, set it to Luminance and use unsharp on that layer, then blend to suit. Also, I'd suggest playing with the Clarify filter. It can produce some additional pleasing results in this area as well.

Here are some links that might help you. The first is from a JASC employee that details how PSP's unsharp mask works and the second talks about using Clarify.

The makeashorterlinks take you to their home first, so be patient.

http://makeashorterlink.com/?Q14843EC
http://makeashorterlink.com/?D67845EC

This link is very good for describing the use of PSP's auto photo tools and unsharp mask. Plus, the whole site is dedicated to PSP tips and is highly recommended.
http://campratty.com/2photos/ppages/p01autotips.html
http://campratty.com/1earlyratty/13unsharp.html
http://www.pixilver.com/tutor_usm.html
http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=3C26DA6D.9F0994A7%40jasc.com

 

[Kerry Pierce]

I don't know if you have the same setting available as Photoshop
Elements, but this may help. The threshold will help supress noise
from being sharpened. On a full size image I will use a number of
3 to 6 for the threshold. On web size versions I will use 0 to 3
for the threshold.

In PSP 7 "threshold" is not a choice, the choices are radius
(default 2.00), strength (default 100) and clipping (default 5).
Now it is obvious that unsharp mask sharpened the pic, but why?
Also, could different setting have been used to do it better?

Threshold in PS is the same as Clipping in PSP. Settings will depend on the image. There is no magic bullet for these settings, especially when image sharpness is a subjective thing and pleasing results will differ from person to person.

 

[Ann McRae]

Kerry

Thank you for the information and the links. I've bookmarked them all. Now I need to make the time to check out the bookmarks. You are stf's resident PSP 7 guru.
Much appreciated.

Ann
--
Canadian Ann
http://www.pbase.com/canadian_ann
http://www.stfchallenge.com
http://www.cs.duke.edu/~parr/photography/faq.html

 

[Karl Harrison]

Kerry
Thank you for the information and the links. I've bookmarked them
all. Now I need to make the time to check out the bookmarks. You
are stf's resident PSP 7 guru.
Much appreciated.

The other thing I would suggest is pop into your local book store and find this book

Professional Photoshop 6: The Classic Guide to Color Correction

by Dan Margulis

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471403997/002-9520194-0008864

This book has a chapter on unsharp mask and how to use it with amazing examples.

Just reading it in the book store is enlighting enough without buying it.

The book also contains everything you ever wanted to know about photoshop to produce the better images.

Karl

P.s. I bought this bible to photoshop.

--
Curently DSC-S70 has made:

400 Oxford Panoramas -

http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/oxfordtour/

1300 Random Photos of Oxford -

http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/imagesofoxford.html

 

[Kerry Pierce]

Kerry
Thank you for the information and the links. I've bookmarked them
all. Now I need to make the time to check out the bookmarks. You
are stf's resident PSP 7 guru.
Much appreciated.

Thanks Ann, that's very kind of you to say. I would hasten to add that I am not nearly a guru...

I'm anxiously awaiting the new version of PSP. I think it is going to have some blockbuster photo tools.

 

[vfdg]

Thanks guys...

Regards,
Bruno

I need to sharp my images can anyone point me to how to use unsharp
mask on psp with some examples of photos?

When I normally sharp them they get to much grain.

Using Unsharp mask is more of an art than science. It requires
user experience for best results and a little understanding of the
principals involved. Getting too much grain means you're
sharpening noise by using a Clipping setting that is too low and
perhaps the amount of sharpening is too high as well. A general
rule of thumb that I use is to find the levels that produce halos
and pronounce the noise and then back off a few clicks until I'm
happy with the results.

I also suggest that you try making a duplicate layer of your image,
set it to Luminance and use unsharp on that layer, then blend to
suit. Also, I'd suggest playing with the Clarify filter. It can
produce some additional pleasing results in this area as well.

Here are some links that might help you. The first is from a JASC
employee that details how PSP's unsharp mask works and the second
talks about using Clarify.

The makeashorterlinks take you to their home first, so be patient.


http://makeashorterlink.com/?Q14843EC
http://makeashorterlink.com/?D67845EC
This link is very good for describing the use of PSP's auto photo
tools and unsharp mask. Plus, the whole site is dedicated to PSP
tips and is highly recommended.
http://campratty.com/2photos/ppages/p01autotips.html
http://campratty.com/1earlyratty/13unsharp.html
http://www.pixilver.com/tutor_usm.html
http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=3C26DA6D.9F0994A7%40jasc.com

 

[IM Dad]

Hi guys,

I need to sharp my images can anyone point me to how to use unsharp
mask on psp with some examples of photos?

When I normally sharp them they get to much grain.

Thanks,
Bruno