Sharpening Techniques

Topics covered in this Photoshop tutorial:

Sharpening with Smart Sharpen, Using blending modes to improve sharpening, Selectively adding sharpening with a layer mask, Using Smart Objects

Exercise Preview

Exercise Overview

Sharpening can add some detail to an image, but sometimes it can be too much. In this exercise, we show you some techniques to fine-tune sharpening.

Getting Started

1. Open model.psd. A Missing Profile dialog should appear.

2. Select Assign profile and choose ColorMatch RGB as shown. Then click OK.

   

   Explanation: This image doesn’t have an embedded profile. If we don’t assign one, Photoshop will use our RGB Workspace (which is Adobe RGB). We know this image is ColorMatch RGB, so we must assign it or else it will be displayed incorrectly. Please note that if we were assigning a device profile at this point (such as a scanner profile) we’d normally check on convert document to working RGB so we could then start our retouching. But because ColorMatch RGB is a perfectly valid RGB workspace, we will just assign the profile and use it for this image. Let this be a reminder to you that you should embed profiles, so you won’t get missing profile messages like this.

3. Zoom to 100% and make sure you can see the hair and eye on the left.

Comparing the Unsharp Mask & Smart Sharpen Effects

Before we learn some new sharpening tricks, we first need to see the difference between the original Unsharp Mask and the newer Smart Sharpen.

1. Duplicate the background layer by hitting Cmd–J (Mac) or Ctrl–J (Windows).

2. Duplicate the layer again by hitting Cmd–J (Mac) or Ctrl–J (Windows).

3. Name the top layer unsharp mask.

4. Name the middle layer smart sharpen.

5. Select the unsharp mask layer.

Sharpening the Image with Unsharp Mask

1. Go to Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask.

2. We’re going to over-sharpen this image so you see exactly how sharpening affects it. Choose the following settings:

   Amount:	500%
   Radius:	1.5 px
   Threshold:	3

3. Click OK.

4. Hide the unsharp mask layer.

Sharpening the Image with Smart Sharpen

1. Select the smart sharpen layer.

2. Go to Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen.

3. So we can properly compare the two effects we’re once again going to over-sharpen this image. Choose the following settings:

   Amount:	500%
   Radius:	1.5 px
   Reduce Noise:	0% (We are not applying noise reduction for comparison purposes, but feel free to use it on your own images.)
   Remove:	Lens Blur (This is important. Gaussian Blur makes this work more like Unsharp Mask.)

4. Click OK.

5. Show/Hide the unsharp mask layer to compare the difference with the Smart Sharpen adjustment. Notice how Smart Sharpen kept the finer detail. Look especially for haloing around edges. Unsharp Mask has more exaggerated halos. Smart Sharpen definitely did a better, more subtle job.

6. In the Layers panel, select the unsharp mark layer and press the Delete key so you only have the better Smart Sharpen effect.

Sharpening & the Luminosity Blending Mode

Sharpening essentially increases contrast around edges. Contrast adds color saturation. The more you sharpen, the more you are adding color saturation. While it might not be extremely noticeable, it’s also easy to avoid. Here’s a simple technique that will prevent sharpening from adding any color saturation.

1. Change the smart sharpen layer’s blend mode to Luminosity. You’ll notice a slight reduction in the color cast, especially in the strands of the model’s hair.

2. Reduce the Opacity of the layer to a more appropriate level of sharpening.

Selectively Applying Sharpening with a Layer Mask

Not everything in the image needs sharpening. Only the significant details should be sharpened where edges appear or specific textures will be improved by sharpening.

1. With the smart sharpen layer selected, go to Layer > Layer Mask > Hide All.

2. Choose a large soft brush and set its color to white.

3. Start painting on the mask in places you feel it’s needed, such as the eyes, some parts of the hair, etc. This will reveal the sharpened layer in only those places.

   HINT: Try adjusting the Flow and/or painting with various levels of gray if you don’t want to add as much sharpening.

4. Close the file without saving when you’re done.

Using Smart Objects

1. Open lifestyle color shirt-done.psd.

2. An Embedded Profile Mismatch dialog should open. This image uses ColorMatch RGB. Like Adobe RGB, it’s a perfectly valid RGB workspace, so there’s no need to convert. Leave Use the embedded profile (instead of the working space) selected, and click OK.

3. Do a File > Save As and call the file yourname-lifestyle smart objects.psd.

4. Click on the top layer, color shirt.

5. Shift–click the bottom layer, Background.

6. Go to Filter > Convert for Smart Filters.

   If you get a message about converting to a Smart Object, just click OK.

7. In the Layers panel, rename the new Smart Object layer to lifestyle edits.

8. Go to Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen.

9. Set the following:

   Amount:	70%
   Radius:	1 px
   Reduce Noise:	13%
   Remove:	Lens Blur

10. Click OK.

11. In the Layers panel, click on the Smart Filters layer mask.

12. Paint with black over any areas where you would like to hide the sharpening.

Editing the Smart Object

Hmmm, the color of her shirt isn’t quite right. Let’s change it.

1. Double–click the lifestyle edits layer thumbnail.

   If you get a message telling you to save when you’re done editing, just click OK.

2. Once again, in the Embedded Profile Mismatch dialog that opens, leave Use the embedded profile (instead of the working space) selected and click OK.

3. Double–click the color shirt layer thumbnail. (NOT the layer mask thumbnail.)

4. In the Properties panel, change the Hue, Saturation, and Lightness to make it a totally different color.

5. When you’re satisfied with the new color, do a File > Save.

6. Close the Smart Object.

   You’ll be taken back to your other file. Notice that the shirt color gets updated!

Changing the Smart Sharpen Blending Mode

Let’s set the smart sharpen blending mode to Luminosity.

1. At the far right of the Smart Sharpen layer, double–click the Edit filter blending options icon to edit the filter blending options, as shown below:

   

2. Set the Mode to Luminosity and click OK.

   It will be tough to see much difference, but any colorization that occurred as a result of sharpening will now be gone.

3. Save and close the file. You’re done!