Can someone point me in the right direction for tutorials or threads on using the unsharp mask. I can't seem to get a handle on it. Don't quite understand amount, threshold and radius.
I'm using an older Adobe Home Edition 4.0. I would like to upgrade but I hate that learning curve!
Just how good is Photoshop? On a 1 to 10 scale.
Is 7.0 the latest and greatest?
What's the average cost?
Does it work miracles?
Thanks for any help.
Thanks, Incarlight.
When all else fails...go to the help section.
Look what I just found!
To sharpen a photo using Unsharp Mask:
1 Select the part of the photo to which you want to apply the effect. If you want the effect applied to the entire photo, do not make a selection. For more information, see Selecting parts of a photo.
Note: You can apply the effect to an entire layer (except for the text layer). Select that layer in the Layers palette, and then apply the effect. For more information, see Viewing or hiding the Layers palette.
2 Choose Effects > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask.
3 In the Unsharp Mask dialog box, select the following options:
• Choose an Amount from 1 to 500% to determine how much the contrast is increased. For high-resolution printed images, an amount between 150% and 200% is recommended.
• Choose a Radius from 0.1 to 250.0 to determine the number of pixels surrounding the edge pixels that are affected by the sharpening. For high-resolution images, a Radius between 1 and 2 is recommended. For low-resolution images, try a Radius between 3 and 4.
• Choose a Threshold from 0 to 255 to determine how different the brightness values between two pixels must be before they are considered edge pixels and are sharpened by Unsharp Mask. For images with flesh tones and other areas in which you want to avoid introducing noise, experiment with Threshold values between 2 and 20. The default Threshold value (0) sharpens all pixels in the image.
4 Click OK.
I seem to always struggle to get the sharpening results to look natural. I guess there is really no easy way and each photo is different. If I could shoot every photo perfect, I wouldn't have to mess with it, huh?
Too advanced for me to do in a hurry. (I've lived in the country too long...we move slow.)
I didn't even know anything like Kazaa was out there!
Thanks for the tip.
Also Photoshop 7 on Kazaa. Buts its a huge downlaod, and may take a few attempts.
I personally dont like altered photos for a photography contest and vote them very low. Photoshop should be for Fark or some other place that likes to alter an image that way.
In the Unsharp Mask dialog box, select the following options:
• Choose an Amount from 1 to 500% to determine how much the contrast is increased. For high-resolution printed images, an amount between 150% and 200% is recommended.
• Choose a Radius from 0.1 to 250.0 to determine the number of pixels surrounding the edge pixels that are affected by the sharpening. For high-resolution images, a Radius between 1 and 2 is recommended. For low-resolution images, try a Radius between 3 and 4.
• Choose a Threshold from 0 to 255 to determine how different the brightness values between two pixels must be before they are considered edge pixels and are sharpened by Unsharp Mask. For images with flesh tones and other areas in which you want to avoid introducing noise, experiment with Threshold values between 2 and 20. The default Threshold value (0) sharpens all pixels in the image.
4 Click OK.
I seem to always struggle to get the sharpening results to look natural. I guess there is really no easy way and each photo is different. If I could shoot every photo perfect, I wouldn't have to mess with it, huh?
Set the threshold value higher for flesh-tones or other smooth gradients to avoid banding effects. Set the radius lower if you have a lot of fine lines (like wires) to avoid haloing.
