So after writing 3 Basic tutorials on Photoshop - Introduction to Basic Selection tools in Photoshop, Photoshop Tips on How to do Selections in images and Beginners Tutorial on Photoshop layers - How to do Layering in Images. This is on
The unsharp masking is an image manipulation technique now found in most image processing software. Despite its name, it is used as a sharpening filter, to increase the acutance of the image.
The unsharp mask tool found in Photoshop has three sliders through which the amount, the radius and the threshold of the filter can be changed.
When applying different masks or using tools in Photoshop, it is advisable to have the image to be modified viewed at 100%. The zoom in the unsharp mask’s window allow to view the picture at even greater zoom levels. If the image is either zoomed in or viewed from distance, the details of the manipulation will not be accurately reproduced. It is best to view it at 100% because the picture will be displayed with one pixel on the screen corresponds to one pixel in the picture.
The Unsharp Mask is a flexible and powerful way to increase sharpness in digital images. It works by identifying the edges of the elements present in the picture (the lines of strong contrast) and increases the contrast along these lines. If the line of contrast is between a very bright and a very dark part of the picture, two thin lines will be used to create a halo: a thin line of light and a thin band of dark. In this way, that particular edge will appear more defined.
Usually there are three settings which control the unsharp mask tool in Photoshop:
- the amount slider. This slider, listed as a percentage, controls the magnitude, how much sharpening will be applied by modifying the halo along the edges (how much darker and how much lighter the borders will become). For images which already are in a good shape, usually an amount of 50% will be necessary. For photos, the amount used can be up to 100%. The upper values of the slider are often used for applying special effects on the image.
- The radius slider. The radius refers to the width of the halo. Images that are small usually require a low value, while larger images without may small detail can use a higher value (up to 7)
- The threshold value. The threshold setting can be used to sharpen more pronounced edges, while leaving more subtle edges untouched. Low values should sharpen more because fewer areas are excluded. Higher values exclude areas of lower contrast.
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