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From the book

From the book

Photoshop CC: Visual QuickStart Guide (2014 release)Photoshop CC: Visual QuickStart Guide (2014 release)

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From the book

From the book

Photoshop CC: Visual QuickStart Guide (2014 release)Photoshop CC: Visual QuickStart Guide (2014 release)

Learn More Buy
Applying the Unsharp Mask filter

Applying the Unsharp Mask filter

In order to do its job of sharpening, the Unsharp Mask filter increases the contrast between adjacent pixels. To control the level of contrast, you will choose settings for three variables: Amount, Radius, and Threshold.

SUGGESTED SETTINGS FOR UNSHARP MASK

For an image that is 2000 x 3000 pixels or larger, try using these values:

Soft-edged subjects, such as landscapes

Amount 100–150%, Radius 1–1.5, Threshold 6–10

Portraits

Amount 100–120%, Radius 1–2, Threshold 4–6, or to the point that skin areas begin to look smoother

Buildings, objects, etc., for which contrast is a priority

Amount 150–200% or higher, Radius 1.5–3, Threshold 0–3

To apply the Unsharp Mask filter:

  1. Choose a zoom level of 50–100% for your image.
  2. Duplicate an image layer (Ctrl-J/Cmd-J),A then right-click the duplicate layer and choose Convert to Smart Object.

    3. A This original 300 ppi image is slightly blurry.

  3. With the Smart Object layer selected, choose Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask.
  4. In the dialog, choose an Amount percentage to control how much the contrast will be increased.B For some recommended settings, see the sidebar on this page.

    5. TIP

    Press P to toggle the Preview off, then on, to compare the original and sharpened images. To bring a different area of the image into view, drag in the preview or click in the document.

    B A high Amount value and a low Radius value for the Unsharp Mask filter barely sharpened the image.

  5. The Radius setting controls how many neighboring pixels around high-contrast edges the filter affects. When setting a value, consider the pixel count of the image and its subject matter. The higher the pixel count, the higher the Radius value needed.C For a low-contrast image that contains large, simple objects and smooth transitions, try a high Radius of 2; for an intricate, high-contrast image that contains many sharp transitions, try a lower Radius of around 1.

    6. C A high Radius value of 4.0, on the other hand, produced ugly halos around the numerals on the ruler and on the blue lines of the graph paper.

    NOTE

    The Amount and Radius settings are interdependent, meaning that if you raise the Radius, you’ll need to lower the Amount, and vice versa.

  6. Choose a Threshold value to establish how different in value an area of pixels must be from an adjacent area for it to be affected by the filter.A Start with a Threshold value of 0 (to sharpen the entire image), then increase it gradually. At a Threshold of 5–10, high-contrast areas will be sharpened and areas of lesser contrast will be sharpened much less. When increasing the Threshold, you can also increase the Amount and Radius to sharpen edges. A proper Threshold setting will prevent the filter from oversharpening low-contrast areas.

    7. A At a high Threshold value of 12, the Unsharp Mask filter sharpened only the high-contrast edges. The lower-contrast (light blue) lines on the graph paper remained blurry.

  7. Click OK.B To adjust the filter settings at any time, double-click the Unsharp Mask listing on the Layers panel.

    8. B A low Threshold value of 0–1 worked better for this image because it contains a lot of flat surfaces, hard edges, and fine lines.

    TIP

    If the sharpening produced color halos along the edges of some of the objects, choose Luminosity as the blending mode for the Smart Object. This mode will limit the sharpening to just the luminosity (light and dark) values and remove it from the hue and saturation (color) values.

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