Digital Photography Hacks

Secrets of Sharpening

Every digital photographer knows that some pictures need a little sharpening, but few understand the best way to do it. Here’s how.

I could tell you about the years of trial and error in which I’ve experimented with different sharpening settings, the countless articles I’ve read on the subject, or the debates in which I’ve engaged with other knowledgeable photographers. Or, I could just show you what I’ve learned through all those experiences. I’ll give you the shortcut.

Regardless of whether you’re using Photoshop 7, CS, or Elements, this hack works the same. The only sharpening tool I recommend is Unsharp Mask, which works its magic on the edges of the pixels by increasing their contrast. The more contrast, the sharper the image appears.

You’ll need to use this tool after scanning and when you sample down a picture [Hack #64] . Unsharp Mask can also help when your picture appears a little soft because of less-than-perfect photo technique. But it can improve things only so much, so always try to record the sharpest image you can.

Tip

Apply Unsharp Mask as the last step in your image-adjustment process. If you apply it early, other adjustments could degrade its effect and you’ll have to do it again.

First, open your image and choose Unsharp Mask from the Sharpen menu (Filter→Sharpen→Unsharp Mask). Make sure the Preview box is checked. You’ll see a close-up sample of your picture in the preview box, as shown in Figure 6-3. If you want to see a close-up of a ...