Advanced High-Pass Sharpening

[bkravchenko]

Ok, here's a very specific question, LOL

For those of you who have Pixel Genius plugins, there is a high-pass sharpening as one of the automated sharpening options. It has a very specific effect that I can recreate when trying to sharpen with high-pass. The command flattens what it does into a single layer, but watching it flash quickly as it works, there are levels and photo filter layers involved.

I don't want to use automated commands and would much rather know how to do it manually.

Anyone know the steps?

[Southbay]

Yeah, things move by blindingly fast. Can't help you nail down the steps and I guess Schewe isn't telling. My layers looks like this...which for a PS noob like me, offers enough latitude.

Actually, I haven't used the pk sharpening tools so much, as I like to adjust high pass manually like yourself.

[bkravchenko]

thanks for the reply, are those your layers or the layers created by the tool?

[Southbay]

They're created by the pk sharpener. The light and dark default to 66% opacity.

[skydog]

What is the difference between the dark and the light...they look the same...

[Southbay]

From the PK Sharpener manual available at the Pixel Genius site.

[skydog]

umm...show me how this is done manually...so I can see the difference in what is being done...

[Southbay]

Like the OP, I've no idea how pk sharpener arrives at this?

When I sharpen w/high pass, I copy the bgnd layer, select the high pass filter, and then choose overlay/soft light/hard light, etc. I don't create dark and light layers.

[skydog]

I do the same...never been exposed to the dark/light layers

[Ich.Mario]

using a high pass layer for sharpening is overrated in my opinion. with unsharp mask, you can control, with the threshold slider, the sharpening process better.
am i wrong?

[igot2pman]

Originally Posted by Ich.Mario

using a high pass layer for sharpening is overrated in my opinion. with unsharp mask, you can control, with the threshold slider, the sharpening process better.
am i wrong?

You can compensate for the threshold with the "blend if" sliders... which in the end offers more control.

The high pass method is also non-destructive and can be toned down later if need be.

-Keven

[Southbay]

I tend to use high pass on scanned vintage negatives or on older prints where grain/texture is quite apparent. Particularly, tiny contact prints that need to go up in size and soften as they do.

Regardless of settings, it's hard work to get decent sharpness with USM while suppressing the graininess in these.

To my eye high pass offers an overall appearance of sharpness without highlighting the grain so much. It's a bit like the usual 10/50/0 local contrast USM, but with more edge detail and settings variety.

[Southbay]

Originally Posted by igot2pman

The high pass method is also non-destructive and can be toned down later if need be.

I'll 2nd that.

[undavide]

Hi,
HighPass is just the other side of the coin of Gaussian Blur, which is really close to sharpening. I won't go deeper in the subject here as I've posted something more exhaustive in another post in the forum here. I don't have PixelGenius plugin, but separating light/dark halos is something usually requested. You can use two copies of the sharpened layer in Lighten and Darken blending mode, toning down each opacity separately. You can also transfer light and dark halos only in two layers with different blending modes and use curves to tweak them.
Cheers,
Davide

[igot2pman]

Originally Posted by Southbay

Yeah, things move by blindingly fast. Can't help you nail down the steps and I guess Schewe isn't telling. My layers looks like this...which for a PS noob like me, offers enough latitude.

Can you double click the layers and check the blend if settings for the image lighten and darken layers. I have a feeling that the lighten has blacks protected and the darken has the whites protected. Having them separate ads more control if it is done this way.

As both grey layers are the same, or at least look it. You can check by setting both layers at normal blending mode at 100% opacity. Then turn the top on and off, if there the same let us know.

Also, if you could let us know if both layers are set to overlay blending mode and 66% opacity. Lastly, what is the blending mode of the folder?

-Keven

[Southbay]

These should help.

The PK sharpening set provides three levels of high pass – this is level 1. Both light and dark contours affect different parts of the image, with the light layer having the greater overall impact.

[igot2pman]

How its done:

1. Copy merge
2. Highpass at 1.9
3. Overlay blending mode
4. 66% opacity
5. Use the above blend if settings (Alt+ click to seperate sliders)
6. Duplicate
7. Use other blend if setting
8. Name appropriately
9. Move into folder and name appropriately

All done...

I am assuming that the level 2 & 3 would just be a higher Highpass. The key is the blend if settings.

Hope it helps,
-Keven

[Southbay]

Hey Keven,

You've got to get out and breathe some air once in a while. Seriously, tho...thanks for shedding some light (and dark) on this. I'm gonna stumble my way through your steps in a bit and see what happens.

Cheers
SB

[igot2pman]

Originally Posted by Southbay

You've got to get out and breathe some air once in a while.

I'll try and open a window...

-Keven

[Gobsmacked]

Far too clever for me ! I think I'll have to look for some tutorials and try getting my head round some of this stuff . Bill

[Ich.Mario]

using the blend if sliders is not the same as using the threshold slider in usm.

[igot2pman]

- SHARPENING: UNSHARP MASK -
Threshold sets the minimum brightness change that will be sharpened. This is equivalent to clipping off the darkest non-black pixel levels in the unsharp mask. The threshold setting can be used to sharpen more pronounced edges, while leaving more subtle edges untouched. This is especially useful to avoid amplifying noise, or to sharpen an eye lash without also roughening the texture of skin.
_______________________________________________________________

"Blend if" blocks the brightness or darkness, and only applys to where you want it too.

-Keven

[Ich.Mario]

so there is a difference in my eyes.

[Ich.Mario]

i think there is a difference. still... ^^

[igot2pman]

Originally Posted by Ich.Mario

i think there is a difference. still... ^^

I think its just a lot easyer to use and is designed to do a specific task. As aposed to blend if, you have to work with it to get it right.

-Keven

[volare]

Originally Posted by bkravchenko

Ok, here's a very specific question, LOL

For those of you who have Pixel Genius plugins, there is a high-pass sharpening as one of the automated sharpening options. It has a very specific effect that I can recreate when trying to sharpen with high-pass. The command flattens what it does into a single layer, but watching it flash quickly as it works, there are levels and photo filter layers involved.

I don't want to use automated commands and would much rather know how to do it manually.

Anyone know the steps?

I am relatively new to the site and would like to introduce myself by putting in my penny's worth. To sharpen an image with the high pass filter is not difficult. 1. Duplicate the layer of the image you want to sharpen. 2. Make sure that the duplicated layer is active and go to Filter>Other>High Pass.The highlighted layer turns gray. Move the Radius slider not more than 4 and click okay. 3. Change the blend mode of the highlighted layer to overlay and you've got the image sharpened.

Volare

[bkravchenko]

That's for the input guys, I'll try the two layers with the blend if sliders, that seems to be the key.

Volare, like most filters, the straightforward approach is only the beginning. I think most of us know about High-pass set to overlay mode, but there is always room to go much further than that.