Photoshop Elements /

Sharpening /

Introduction

Without sharpening—digital photographs look slightly out-of-focus.

There are three reasons for the softness.

Reason #1

The low-pass filter that's in front of your camera's sensor degrades the photograph.

Reason #2

The software that determines pixel color and brightness (luminance) is not 100% accurate.

There are always some mistakes.

These mistakes make the photograph look less sharp.

Reason #3

As you know, digital photographs are made from square pixels.

Pixels don't look as sharp as the dye clouds in color negatives.

Where the dye clouds nestle together, the pixels jut back-and-forth into each other.

Sharpening

To remedy the softness, digital photographs need sharpening.

Unsharpened

Sharpened

A Little Art History

Sharpening isn't new.

Pigment artists have used various techniques over the centuries.

For example, Canaletto better defined the architecture of Venice by using narrow black lines along the edges of buildings in his paintings.*

Grand Canal, Looking Northeast

From Palazo Balbi toward the Rialto Bridge

In the painting below, you can see how El Greco used "sharpening" by placing black around the hand of Christ.

Christ Carrying the Cross By El Greco

Detail

JPEGS & Sharpening

You may not have noticed any softness in your photographs if they're saved using the JPEG file format.

If so, your camera is probably sharpening them automatically.

You can modify this automatic sharpening somewhat to fit the subject matter of your photographs.

For example, if you're photographing a headshot for an actor friend with a poor complexion, you may want to decrease sharpening.

Or, if your photographing the subtle color variations in a stone countertop for a brochure, you may want to increase sharpening.

Check the menu on your camera.

Methods

Quick Fix Sharpening

If you use Quick Fix, try the sharpening

Go to Quick Fix Sharpening.

Adjust Sharpness

Beginners may want to start with this method, although the High-pass Filter Sharpening below is easy as well.

Go to Adjust Sharpness.

High-pass Filter Sharpening

High-pass Filter Sharpening has several advantages over other sharpening methods.

Go to High-pass Filter Sharpening.

Unsharp Mask Sharpening

The Unsharp Mask sharpening method is the most popular sharpening method, even though it has some disadvantages compared to High-pass Filter Sharpening.

Go to Unsharp Mask Sharpening.

Selective Sharpening

You can apply sharpening to parts of a photograph.

For example, you could add sharpness only to the eyes, nose, and mouth, on a headshot.

By doing this selective sharpening, blemishes and wrinkles won't be emphasized by the sharpening.

If you already know how to use the methods below, jump to the selective sharpening tutorials for each method.

Go to Selective High-pass Filter Sharpening.

Go to Selective Unsharp Mask Sharpening.

Theory

1 - How Unsharp Mask Sharpening Works

2 - Unsharp Mask Sharpening Math

3 - Colors, Too

More

Experiment with Gray Boxes

Sharpening Methods Compared with Step Wedges

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Next

* Mitchell, W. (1992). The reconfigured eye. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.