# Is Unsharp mask the best way?



## Mary (Aug 17, 2007)

Hey Everyone,

i was just wondering is unsharp mask the best way to give a bit more sharpness to an image, i use it and leave it as it is, 50% at radius 1, is this d right way to use it, also what is the quick way to use it for alot of images at once, 

your advice would be great, thanks


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## Big Mike (Aug 17, 2007)

There are different ways to sharpen.  U.S.M. is a pretty good way to do it, but I find that different images often need different levels of sharpening.  

Sharpening could be considered an art, in it's own right.  Often, the best results are created by sharpening in multiple passes or steps.



> also what is the quick way to use it for alot of images at once,


Just make an 'Action', then you can run it with click or run it on a batch of images.


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## zendianah (Aug 17, 2007)

Big Mike said:


> There are different ways to sharpen. U.S.M. is a pretty good way to do it, but I find that different images often need different levels of sharpening.
> 
> Sharpening could be considered an art, in it's own right. Often, the best results are created by sharpening in multiple passes or steps.
> 
> ...


 

Mike How do you run an action on a batch of images?


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## Big Mike (Aug 17, 2007)

> Mike How do you run an action on a batch of images?


Open the Photoshop file browser and then under the 'Automate' menu is 'Batch'.  Just run that command and it will let you pick a group of files (or a folder) and an action to run on them.  You can set options for saving the images or saving copies to a different folder etc.


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## domromer (Aug 17, 2007)

*I copied this off another page, didn't feel like all the typing before the coffee kicked in, I uses batch functions all the time they are great. Did you know once you create an action you can send it like any file and someone else can load it on their computer, or you can go to an action website and download all sorts of cool actions.*

To begin this process you need to create an action. If you don't know how to do this or never used Photoshop's actions before, I'll explain it. First you must create a new action from the actions menu, give it a name and hit the record button. Photoshop will now memorize everything you do in between pressing the record button on and off. Just like a tape player (am I old?). In my case, I would load my image, press record, then reduce the resolution and change CMYK to RGB. After I'm finished with all my actions I would hit the record button again to stop recording. Photoshop now knows that every time that action is played it will recreate everything you've done in the recording mode. Remember to give your action a name.
Now, on to automating the actions via the batch command. From the actions menu select the batch command. It will then show the batch dialogue box. You have little variety here to select from, which is good because it makes things pretty easy. In my case, I just wanted to modify each file then load a new one and continue in a loop. So select a destination folder where all your graphic files are, then select one of the actions to be performed on each file. Select the option (Save and Close). Photoshop will now be automated. You can watch as Photoshop mechanically and quickly goes through all your files while you can sit back and relax. Your boss might be impressed as he wonders how you completed the task so efficiently, while you didn't even break a sweat.


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## Jon, The Elder (Aug 17, 2007)

Now that is a worthwhile post !

Thanks a lot.


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## Sw1tchFX (Aug 17, 2007)

I haven't' used USM in a long time. I stick with the smart sharpen tool, it's much better.


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## Hertz van Rental (Aug 17, 2007)

zendianah said:


> Mike How do you run an action on a batch of images?



You'll find I gave a step by step for batch processing in PS in this thread 2 years ago.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33424

It's always worth doing an archive search before asking a question. The answer is usually in there somewhere


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## Mary (Aug 18, 2007)

great, thanks guys, i will put ya advice into action (",)


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## deputydan (Aug 20, 2007)

I very rarely use the usm when I'm sharpening my images. I use the high pass method instead, seems to work rather well.

What you do is create a copy of the layer (ctrl+J) and set it to overlay. Then go to the high pass filter under the filters menu and use the slider to adjust the sharpness.


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## scottdg (Aug 21, 2007)

Does anyone know if Lightroom does as good using the sharpening sliders as Photoshop does? I have not used either technique much to notice a difference.


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## danalec99 (Aug 22, 2007)

I use Kevin Kubota's 'KPD Magic Sharpen' for sharpening.

For batch process, I use Dr. Brown's (free) Image Processor.
You could simultaneously batch convert to .jpg, .psd and tiff to different folders.

For batch conversion to jpeg's (from tiff or psd), I use Dr. Brown's (free) 'Jpeg 1 2 3'. With one click you can create three different sets (in 3 separate folders) of jpegs with different inputs - sRGB, RGB, resolution and/or different sizes, along with an action.
I normally have two sets of jpegs - for print and web.


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## abraxas (Aug 22, 2007)

deputydan said:


> I very rarely use the usm when I'm sharpening my images. I use the high pass method instead, seems to work rather well.
> 
> ...



This is pretty cool!  Thanks for the tip.


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## deputydan (Aug 22, 2007)

I showed it in my photoshop illustration class last semester and my instructor thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread lol.


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## The_Traveler (Aug 22, 2007)

do a web search for sharpening 101.
It may be on Luminous Landscape site.

There is a lot more to sharpening than one time or one way.


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## Mary (Aug 24, 2007)

Thanks alot for all ya advice, Thanx a mil to Domromer i did what ya said and was very easy absolutly brill, thanx a mill xxx (",)


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## Big Mike (Aug 24, 2007)

I also use the 'High Pass Filter' method...when I've got an image that I'm working.  I like it because it's on it's own layer, so you can easily change it at any point in the editing.

Technically, I believe that it's actually the same method of sharpening as UnSharp Mask...just a different way of going about it.


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