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]

Re: Advanced High-Pass Sharpening

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]

Re: Advanced High-Pass Sharpening

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

[Southbay]

Re: Advanced High-Pass Sharpening

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

[skydog]

Re: Advanced High-Pass Sharpening

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

[Southbay]

Re: Advanced High-Pass Sharpening

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

[skydog]

Re: Advanced High-Pass Sharpening

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

[Southbay]

Re: Advanced High-Pass Sharpening

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]

Re: Advanced High-Pass Sharpening

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

[Ich.Mario]

Re: Advanced High-Pass Sharpening

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]

Re: Advanced High-Pass Sharpening

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]

Re: Advanced High-Pass Sharpening

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]

Re: Advanced High-Pass Sharpening

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

I'll 2nd that.

[undavide]

Re: Advanced High-Pass Sharpening

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]

Re: Advanced High-Pass Sharpening

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