Sharpening images

Most digital photos need some level of sharpening because of the softness introduced in the capturing process of digital cameras. Camera movement at the moment of capture can also produce photos in need of sharpening, and digital cameras are more prone than film cameras to producing slightly out-of-focus photos. In most cases, this problem is easy to fix.

Color, tonal, and resizing corrections tend to soften your photo, so it is best to apply any necessary sharpening before you print, share, or archive your photos.

Corel PaintShop Pro provides sharpening commands that improve blurry photos by increasing the contrast of adjacent pixels. The following sharpening commands can be applied to a selection, a layer, or the entire photo:

• You can sharpen high-frequency details, such as edges, while ignoring low‑frequency details, such as large structures, gradients, and background colors.

• You can improve image focus and clarity by increasing the contrast between adjacent pixels, particularly along edges in the photo.

• You can sharpen the mid- to high-contrast edges in the image without enhancing noise, as is often done with professional color correction.

To apply high-frequency sharpening

Edit workspace

1 Choose Adjust  Sharpness  High Pass Sharpen.

The High Pass Sharpen dialog box appears.

2 Type or set a value from 0.00 to 250.00 in the Radius control to specify the distance (radius) within which dissimilar pixels are sharpened.

Note: Photos with close-up subjects and softer details usually require higher Radius settings; photos with lots of fine detail usually require lower Radius settings.

3 Type or set a value from 0 to 100 in the Strength control to specify the overall strength of the command.

4 In the Blend mode drop-list, choose one of the following options to determine how the high‑frequency sharpened areas are blended into the original image area:

• Overlay — removes the neutral tones in the image and makes edge details stand out

• Hard Light — produces greater contrast than the Overlay option

• Soft Light — produces a softer-looking photo

5 Click OK.

To apply minimal sharpening

Edit workspace

• Choose Adjust  Sharpness  Sharpen.

To double the effect, choose the command again.

To apply moderate sharpening

Edit workspace

• Choose Adjust  Sharpness  Sharpen More.

To double the effect, choose the command again.

To apply low-frequency and high-frequency sharpening

Edit workspace

1 Choose Adjust  Sharpness  Unsharp Mask.

The Unsharp Mask dialog box appears.

2 Type or set a value from 0.01 to 100.00 in the Radius control to specify the distance (radius) within which dissimilar pixels are sharpened.

Note: Photos with close-up subjects and softer details usually require higher Radius settings; photos with lots of fine detail usually require lower Radius settings.

3 Type or set a value from 1 to 500 in the Strength control to specify the overall strength of the command.

4 Type or set a value from 0 to 100 in the Clipping control to specify the lightness values that adjacent pixels must have in order to be sharpened.

5 Click OK.