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V. SHARPENING METHODS IN POST-PROCESSING 31
3rd Party Sharpening
Software
finely
-detailed landscapes and architecture, etc. usually need more sharpening) and
noi
se levels. (Sharpening accentuates noise, especially in shadow areas.) There are
m
any other Unsharp Mask “tricks” such as applying sharpening in the Lightness
c
hannel in the LAB mode in Photoshop rather than the entire image in RGB.
Ther
e is no “right answer” for sharpening. What looks great for one viewer may seem
e
xcessive to another, and vice versa. Optimum sharpening levels also depend on output
size, viewing distance and printing methods. For instance, many professional wedding
photo labs request their customers to send in unsharpened files so that the lab can
apply their own unique custom sharpening algorithms, which often vary according to
print size.
In fact, generally speaking it’s a good idea to save an unsharpened version of each
image file so that you’re always working from a “clean slate” so to speak, should there
ever be a need or desire to apply a different sharpening technique at a later date or for
another application. (This is one of the best reasons for shooting RAW files.) Remember
that sharpening an image is like using permanent ink: it’s easy to apply, but difficult if
not impossible to remove.
The necessity of sharpening digital images prior to printed output has resulted in a wide
variety of 3rd-party sharpening filters and plug-ins. Some of these, such as nik
multimedia’s Sharpener Pro, operate within Photoshop and other plug-in compatible
programs. Others, such as Digital Domain’s popular Qimage software are standalone
applications. Although Canon does not officially endorse 3rd-party products, we
encourage users to explore the available options in image sharpening software. Here is
a partial list of current sharpening filters and applications:
Vendor: nik multimedia, inc.
Software Title: Sharpener Pro
Web Page: http://www.nikmultimedia.com/sharpenerpro/usa/entry.php
V
endor:
Digit
al Domain, Inc.
Software Title: Qimage
Web Page: http://www.ddisoftware.com/qimage/
Vendor: Fred Miranda
Software Title: Intellisharpen II
Web Page: http://www.fredmiranda.com/software/
Vendor: Jonathan Wienke
Software Title: Sharpening Actions
Web Page: http://visual-vacations.com/Photography/SharpeningActions.htm