Why Photoshop’s Sharpen Filter DOESN'T Actually SHARPEN Your Images

In this video, I explain why sharpening isn’t really sharpening, and show you my techniques for enhancing the appearance of sharpness to create images with more bite.
➡️ Detailed Classes: bit.ly/Photo-Sharpening
To understand this better, we have to understand how image quality and resolution and how it relates to the apparent sharpness of an image. But simply increasing the resolution of an image doesn’t automatically result in sharper images.
So how can we use Photoshop’s sharpening filters to create the appearance of sharper images?
I find the most effective ways to do this is to use local and global contrast adjustments, and I also show you my process for doing this.
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⬇⬇ References ⬇⬇
FREE Photography Course: bit.ly/free-photography-classes
Join my photography community: bit.ly/karl-taylor-membership
Photoshop For Photographers: bit.ly/Photo-Sharpening
7 Facts For Better Image Quality: • 7 FACTS For Better Ima...

[@jlwilliams]

Stellar explanation as always. As a graphic arts industry old-timer, I can share this fun fact: the “sharpening” filters in Photoshop and elsewhere originally were intended to sharpen *halftone reproductions* of images, not the images themselves. Digital halftone dots were limited to specific shapes, so they couldn't generate as sharp a halftone as a traditional process camera, which could generate any shape dot needed to follow the contours of the subject (pear-shaped dot? No problem!) By adding artificial edges, the filter let the digital halftone achieve a better fit. Best practice back then was to apply sharpening only as the final step, once you knew the final size and output-device resolution... just like Uncle Karl says here!

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Thank you for that extra information, always interesting to hear new stuff (or old stuff and where it comes from in this case).

[@p4inmaker]

This actually blew my mind a little, I could never come up with a use for large radius sharpening, but this is brilliant. Great explanation too.

[@VisualEducationStudio]

It's quite an old technique, use it at various sizes and percentages based on the resolution of the image. I've got that and many more techniques like this on our site.

[@p4inmaker]

@@VisualEducationStudio It's funny how I've never come across this use before. I'm definitely going to use it, thanks for putting this out there.

[@speterlewis]

Extremely helpful, Karl, as always. Thanks for making us all smarter and better!

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you.

[@bala1000mina]

Thank you so much Karl for another great tutorial! I always learn a lot from your tutorials! God bless you and your exceptional team members!

[@Liam-B]

Now that is art!

[@peter_shadow7559]

I've long suspected that this "sharpening" tool was actually another way to add contrast in disguise. Thank you Mr. Taylor.

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Cheers

[@animallytics7964]

Very Nice explanation. I use Always the high Pass Filter with blend Mode to Multiply.

[@johnl4469]

Thanks Karl, always love your videos mate.

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Thanks 👍

[@the-musta]

Amazing way to do it! subscribed!

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Thanks for the sub!

[@stevieukuk]

Amazing explanation as always! Clear and concise! Top job Mr :D

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Thank you.

[@GrandEpicPhotos]

Applying this filter(Unsharp Mask) moderately to my images made them look awesome. I even recorded an action to apply it to all my images. Thank you for Sir, I appreciate these videos sooo much

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Great to hear!

[@voltKHAN]

Thank you Karl Taylor, you are the best photography content creator I've ever seen. The way you explaining is so easy to catch. Once again, thank you sir!

[@VisualEducationStudio]

My pleasure, thanks

[@bro7269]

Man, you are a treasure trove of information! Thank you!

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Glad to help!

[@Ma_cieK]

I been following Karl on social media for a while, but only recently I have joined his classes - guys his knowledge and ability to explain everything is a game-changer.

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Thanks for your testimonial and signing up. I look forward to hearing from you on our live shows.

[@MrSkate2night]

Thanks for sharing.

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Thanks for watching!

[@allenhunter86]

This was amazing

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Cheers

[@antonioterzo6403]

Thanks. The video is very useful

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Glad it was helpful!

[@andybaden5935]

What a great video, many thanks Karl, I use an apply image technique, and create an unsharp mask, then mask out areas I do not want sharpening, the final part is with the layers opacity to get it just right, I will give this a go though

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Hi Andy, thanks yes I also use Apply image - I use it as a frequency separator too.

[@lordr9485]

Very useful sir 🙏🏼

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Thanks and welcome

[@johnarnsdorf]

I've never heard of the technique to sharpen with large radius and low amount. Can't wait to give it a try!

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@johnarnsdorf]

@@VisualEducationStudio definitely! I always pick up some new tidbit of information ever time I watch one of your videos.

[@AndreiVaida]

The technique from 6:26 is great

[@longliveclassicmusic]

Wow! Never heard of this Unsharpen Mask approach! THANK YOU!!!!

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Happy to help!

[@phizzytfc]

Damn...you just earned my subscribe

[@realthoprivate]

Again a very good and instructive video. Thank you very much! I am very happy I found your channel. For global "sharpening" I personally like to duplicate the layer, add a High Pass filter (radius just a few pixels, avoid halos), Overlay blend mode, around 30% opacity. I think it looks better than the Sharpen filter, but maybe it's just me... :)

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Thank you and yes high pass is useful, I've also got some good techniques on KTE using 'Apply Image'

[@wellingtoncrescent2480]

I find the same, using the High Pass filter in GIMP

[@james-r]

5:24 that’s something Mr Fro needs to learn, he contrasts the hell out of everything

[@TheKillingTreeTT]

@6:30 is where the magic happens :) Very informational video with great examples. Considering signing up for the educational site soon

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kymcainday6677]

I have been watching Karl's videos for many years now, and I compared them to tutorials of other photographers like Peter McKinnon. Still Karl's tutorial are more detailed and informative. others are just showing off. THanks Karl

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Great to hear, thanks

[@nathanmoore7120]

This is old news to me! I am signed up to his online course and he goes into even more detail on there. You only get snippets of info on KZbin, I learnt lots from KZbin at the start as it is great for the basics. However, you get to a point where everyone is either trying to sell you something or telling you something you already know. My best decision this year was to sign up to Karl Taylor’s online course. I highly recommend!

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Thanks Nathan for signing up and glad you are enjoying our platform, much appreciated.

[@y0utube5uxx]

Great video, as usually, Karl! Just one note - your 100Mpx photo is not actually a 100Mpx photo because of the Bayer array.

[@jmgcg]

You can also use edge masks to apply sharpening only to the edges and supress halos. Used luminosity blend mode to apply the sharpening only to luminosity. Great explanations my I sujest a book "the real world of sharpening "by the late Bruce Fraser and Jeff Schewe

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Thanks for sharing José!

[@Distinctly.Average]

I wonder how the new Photoshop Neural AI Filters (super zoom) compares with the standard resizing methods in PS? Another video that has got me thinking.

[@VisualEducationStudio]

I'll check it out!

[@RS-Amsterdam]

First of all, what a beautiful shot !! Now I am NOT a fan of sharpening, at all, I switch it off and I hate applications that by default apply their (almost terrible) sharpening in the ratio they think it is good. At least in Phocus you can sett it on or off by a "switch" in the form of an opt in/out tick , but with those other application you always need to do a lot of tricks to switch it off. My 24 MP shots will never turn in to billboards so I don't need it and my camera and lenses are good at the least. Shooting bigger sizes, like yourself, I would go for a bigger sensor too. But people (and not the pro's like you who need to make money of their commercial shots) are pixel peeping too much. What is the average distance when we look to a print out ?? (and that depends on the size of the print) Then there is the thing, what needs to be sharp (in focus) and what has to be slightly out of focus (cause that is also often mistaken as unsharp) I have seen the most beautiful shots (from the past ) that are breathtaking beautiful and totally unsharp hehehe. Good video Karl, good explanation, all make sense.

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Thanks RS, yes and your right when you look back at some of the classic shots from the past they looked perfectly good as they were.

[@josephcoatofmanycolors]

Jason statham of photography back again, your the best sir 👊🏽

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Thank you kindly

[@brian5651]

Lol, at first I thought this channel is for self-defense teaching.

[@adrianvanleeuwen]

I often use High Pass filter over my image for added sharpness and texture detail enhancement. How would you compare High Pass filter compared to Unsharp filter or other methods. As I have a 24 mp camera, I actually save an PS action for High Pass filter for a pixel setting at 2.4 (I find it works best usually under 3 pixels or less) that works well for my studio portrait shots and Nikon D750, plus set the high pass layer to soft lighting blend. What do you use the most: between Unsharp filter, High Pass, or Frequency Separation for portraits for example? Portraits and product images sharpness may be different? For extreme face portraits closeups I imagine Frequency Separation is the best but may take the longest to do. Comments?

[@VisualEducationStudio]

I use the Apply Image function which is similar to high pass if I need to but most of the time working with good quality files I can work with the unsharp mask filter and the methods described here.

[@Misterrocckettaro]

May I ask which version of photoshop are you actually using? I don’t like CC and I’m thinking about switching back to CS6 Thank you!

[@VisualEducationStudio]

This was CC but the sharpening tools were the same in CS6

[@Nonixification]

The worst is when I see people on instagram posting oversharpened "hdr" pictures and all the comment section is loving it. Very frustrating.

[@Maxsdiscos]

Where are the KZbin subtitles?

[@metahduh4003]

How about impressionism - creating abstract and other types of photo art?

[@paulrichardson4715]

I kinda find myself thinking interpolate should have been extrapolate in that explanation, I may be wrong. Wouldn't be the first time.

[@mohit96mb]

This is the first video by Karl that I found difficult to understand

[@messylaura]

how to sharpen your image, first let me sharpen your mind............ great vid Karl.

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Thank you.

[@ianmills9266]

This is news to me. Do you know if this applies to Afinity photo?

[@VisualEducationStudio]

I'm afraid I've not used Afinity yet

[@ianmills9266]

@@VisualEducationStudio ah, no problem. Just wondered as it seems to do some things slightly different to photoshop but I'm not a programmer so not sure

[@PswACC]

What is the industry standard software option to increase interpolation?

[@aussie2uGA]

Sharpening is one aspect of photography I can't wait for AI to really master in portrait photography. If AI can already identify the subject and eyes, we should be able to develop an automated sharpening product that can really nail down that precision and accruracy in photos, without the over the top look.

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Yes it will probably come, there are already apps that draw from a library of similar images to 'comp' new sharp bits in places.

[@jlwilliams]

But if you're shooting something other than portraits... or if you don't want your portraits to have a standardized, commercial look... you'll still need to understand the theoretical basis of what you're doing - so let's hope Karl keeps the videos coming!

[@r09d98]

You mean like this skylum.com/luminar

[@olimg7059]

So best way to get sharpen image is shoot panorama with high resolution. It`s really crisp!

[@RobJorg]

oh no, i have misplaced my 100 megapixel camera. i left it on my cloud of future dreams i guess

[@VisualEducationStudio]

My first Hasselblad was a H1 22mp, I've seen billboard images from that camera and they looked perfectly good. As I said in a previous video about image quality, I wish the manufacturers would stop scrambling for megapixels and focus on other areas of image quality that are more important.

[@maciejtomkiewicz6733]

Nobody could cheat Kodachrome 64 mounted in A12 back. With proper set camera/lens. Sharp meant sharp, DOF rules applied. No algorithms, no presets.

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Kodachrome 25 was even sharper, but the sharpest was a black and white Kodak film called Tech Pan in 25ASA

[@jlwilliams]

Back in the day there were weird, squirrely guys called “dot etchers” who earned a living because they could cheat Kodachrome, or anything else. And if that didn't cut it, you'd get a big dye-transfer print made and then call in the airbrush wizard...

[@maciejtomkiewicz6733]

@@VisualEducationStudio All you mean what do you suppose as „sharp”? #1 A photo of a squirrel caught while hiding a nut pinpointed DOF from nose through eyes to disapearing ears, or #2 German Porn. Echte Deutsche Anatomischepräcision.

[@maciejtomkiewicz6733]

@@VisualEducationStudio Keep stilled the model to get the decent exposure or just fire Broncolor set Properly lit & it doesn’t require any further disuccions.

[@MAREKATINKA]

Karl you should be an English teacher too .

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Ha Ha my English is terrible, my wife is French and she speaks better English than me! Off camera spend a lot of time using words that aren't in the Oxford dictionary :)

[@nudeart8120]

💯 pro tutorial ❤️

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Much appreciated

[@nudeart8120]

Awesome

[@VisualEducationStudio]

Thanks