Even though it might not seem very creative, it is an enhancement of the original photo, to a level of sharpness, that you as an artist think is fit for this particular image.įinally, output sharpening takes into account how the image is going to be used or viewed.
In other types of images, the “creative” sharpening involves adding a suitable level of sharpness to the whole image.
In images with a low depth-of-field, you will only apply creative sharpening to the in-focus areas for instance. The goal here is to create a subtle sharpness enhancement that removes the softness that comes from the anti-aliasing filter in your camera.Ĭreative sharpening is where you sharpen the specific areas in your image, that you want the audience to pay special attention to.
Pre-sharpening is about getting the best starting point for processing your photo. In short, the 3 steps in the sharpening workflow are: What Are The Steps In The 3-Step Sharpening Logic? Once you get to know this 3 step sharpening logic, it is quite simple and straightforward. But, don’t worry, the principles are the same, no matter what kind of photo editing software you use. However, to demonstrate the approach I will use Affinity Photo and Nik Collection plugins. The 3 step sharpening logic is not tied to specific software. Many professional photographers suggest that you apply a 3 step sharpening logic, to get the optimal sharpness in your images. To properly sharpen an image, you have to take a lot of different factors into consideration, like which media the image is displayed on, the viewing distance, and resizing. In this post, you will get my suggestions on when to sharpen and what you should do to get optimal sharpness for both web use and your printed images.ĭownload a FREE e-book: 25 Techniques All Photographers Should Master When should you sharpen, to get the best result? How does the output media affect the sharpening process? Is there any room for creativity, when sharpening? Should I sharpen before resizing the image, and so on? There are many questions that need to be answered before you can take your sharpening skills to a new level. There are several pitfalls and obstacles to overcome in order to take your sharpening skills to a professional level. Sharpening is one of the hardest post-processing steps to understand for many photographers.