Sharper Images

[Anthony]

I remember some time ago, someone mentioned a sharpening plugin or appllication that works with PS. Does anyone remember what that was called?

[DJ Dubovsky]

Could you be refering to Nik Sharpener Pro by Nik Multimedia? It's pretty good and you can find it here.
DJ

[Anthony]

Thanks DJ,
I'm not really sure. Sounds like it might be. Have you used it and does work well with photoshop? There are so many to choose from.

[DJ Dubovsky]

Hi Anthony,
Yes I do have Nik Sharpen Pro and it's nice but not worth the high price tag in my opinion. But then again maybe I'm looking for miracles when it comes to sharpening filters. I did find several threads that deal with sharpening images and think you might be able to get some good info from them as well as links to other possible sharpening plugins. Hope that helps.
DJ

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3847&highlight=Image+Sharpening

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2744&highlight=Image+Sharpening

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3458&highlight=Image+Sharpening

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2502&highlight=Image+Sharpening

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1687&highlight=Image+Sharpening

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1089&highlight=Image+Sharpening

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=814&highlight=Image+Sharpening

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3621&highlight=Image+Sharpening

[DJ Dubovsky]

I was specifically looking for this thread by Danny Raphael but was having trouble finding it. It gives you a link to a site that has done a comparison on several sharpening methods from the PS unsharp mask to one or 2 of the available plugins including NiK Sharpener Pro and a method devised by Jeff Schewe. Check it out here.. Hope this gives you something to go on.
DJ

[Anthony]

Thank you. I will take a look at this later - there's alot of helpful information here.

[Trimoon]

My company purchased (nik Sharpener Pro! Complete) it was a waste of time and money. I can do more with the high pass filter.

[DJ Dubovsky]

Trimoon,
I think I have to agree with you on that one.

Anthony,
I also found another one but I don't know of anyone who's tried it. It's called Sharpness Editor and is from Power Retouche. I think this looks interesting but I also think it's a bit pricey. There is a demo you can try out. Haven't tried it myself so I can't say what the demo allows.
DJ

[DannyRaphael]

Nik Sharpener - not all that impressive

Yeah, ditto on what DJ and Trimoon said. There may some cases where Nik sharpener is superior, but I haven't run into them yet.

I bought it at the recommendation of another guy when I was first getting into PS. Knowing what I know now, I would not bend over to buy it again.

- - - - -

Steve: Check e-mail from me again.

[Anthony]

Thank you for your comments, but I ran out and purchased NIK Sharpener after the first reply. Oh well! I purchased the least expensive one anyway and am looking forward to trying it on some old photos. I will keep you posted. The examples on NIK site are very impressive. The proof will be in the testing.

[Flora]

Hi everybody!

I'm surely no expert in all this...but I've read a lot and experimented just as much on the topic 'image sharpening'.

The one thing everybody seems to agree on is that sharpening is one of the most delicate procedure when manipulating images.

As for methods, software, plug-ins concerning this topic.....well....I think I could fill my HD with what I found on the www .... Of what I tried, (demos you could download, or free software), some I found acceptable, some so-so, some absolutely useless, so, I carried on using PS USM or my good, old High Pass Filter.

It was only reading the chapter about sharpening in Katrin Eismann's book that I realized that the Custom Filter could be 1) used at all.....2) used for sharpening.

Unfortunately the best explanation about the usage of the Custom Filter I found, was the one in the PS Help file which isn't a big help for a profane like me....but I started fiddling with it anyway and some of the results I got were quite satisfactory!

I attach a B&A example, (I hope Lisa won't mind if I used her picture!), of what I achieved in sharpening with the Custom Filter. I do hope the difference can still be seen in spite of the strong compression...

Has anyone any tip, advice, explanation about this neglected PS Filter?

[Stephen M]

Flora - here is some stuff on the custom filter for sharpening:

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=001Mod

http://www.aim-dtp.net/aim/techniques/usm/better_than_usm.htm

The custom filter can be used for blur. sharpen, emboss and edge finding techniques.

More on custom filter for edgemasks can be found here, along with a download pack of five custom filter kernels for edgefinding:

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/ST_utilitymasks.html

If you really wan't to get serious about custom filtering - then look into KPT Convolver...this is serious stuff!

More on sharpening can be found here:

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/PSTV_links.html#S

Regards,

Stephen Marsh.

[Flora]

Hi Stephen!

Wow!!! Thank you very, very much for the links!!!!...I'm sure all this will keep me busy for the next two years or so reading... and for the following 1000 years or so....trying to understand what I read!!!

Unfortunately I don't have the basis to get into the 'serious staff'....so I'll have to settle for a smattering of it all.....trying to put my curiosity at rest!!

Thanks again for everything!!!

[DJ Dubovsky]

Stephen,
After Flora mentioned her sharpening with the custom filter I decided to play around with the numbers. Boy, do I need those links. Thanks. This filter ranks right up there with calculations in its non user friendly feature.
DJ

[Flora]

DJ

...are you going to join the '1000 years or so...' league....or are you a fast learner?

Pleeease...let's keep in touch and compare findings....

P.S. I must be going through a masochistic phase because I've started 'fiddling' with Calculations as well.....