Sharpening for web/print

[SabrinaO]

What is your process for sharpening images for web and print? I usually do it in lightroom when I export but I was told sharpening a picture is not good to do if i'm going to do further editing (photoshop). Im just wondering what you all do. If i should sharpen in photoshop... how should i do it? High pass? unsharp mask? Sharpening filter?

 

[kundalini]

I use Lightroom as an importer, organizer and keyword. Once loaded, zip through the images to cull out the ones that will never see the light of day. Synchronize white balance for same lighting conditions, and camera/lens profiles. I do gentle global adjustements, then export to DNG. Open that in ACR for more local adjustments, including tilt and a bit of sharpening. Finally in CS5, setting black, white and grey points, more detailed clean ups, crop output size. After making a duplicate layer, I've started using USM as the sharpening method. Prior to this, High Pass. If I haven't oversharpened to this point, I will add another USM on the jpeg destined to web viewing.

 

[SabrinaO]

I use Lightroom as an importer, organizer and keyword. Once loaded, zip through the images to cull out the ones that will never see the light of day. Synchronize white balance for same lighting conditions, and camera/lens profiles. I do gentle global adjustements, then export to DNG. Open that in ACR for more local adjustments, including tilt and a bit of sharpening. Finally in CS5, setting black, white and grey points, more detailed clean ups, crop output size. After making a duplicate layer, I've started using USM as the sharpening method. Prior to this, High Pass. If I haven't oversharpened to this point, I will add another USM on the jpeg destined to web viewing.

So do you sharpen more for web than for print or vice versa? I like how you use LR for an organizer. I do a lot of synchronizing too. Camera/lens profiles? What is that? Also in CS5 what do you mean by setting the white, grey and black points?

 

[SabrinaO]

So is this sharp, too sharp or not sharp at all? I used the unsharp mask. Amount @ 50. Radius @1.2 and Threshold @ 0. This picture looks way sharp(and grainy) here on this forum, but doesn't look like that on Flickr or photoshop.

 

[kundalini]

So do you sharpen more for web than for print or vice versa? I like how you use LR for an organizer. I do a lot of synchronizing too. Camera/lens profiles? What is that? Also in CS5 what do you mean by setting the white, grey and black points?

Increased sharpening for the web.
In the Development Module, the camera/lens profile sync is towards the bottom on the right side panel. It can make a positive difference when applied. Not all camera and lens combinations are available.
Black, white and grey set points can be found in the Curves dialogue box. The eyedroppers near the bottom are B,G,W from left to right. In a duplicate layer, select the black eyedropper, then select the "Show Clipping" box. The screen should go white, take the slider on the left and slowly move it towards the right until you see black patches in the image. Take the eyedropper and select a black point in the image and the screen should go white again. Rinse and repeat for the white. I generally remove the "Show Clipping" box for the greys. There's another little trick I do whle in the Curves adjustment at this point, but that'll cost you.

I used the unsharp mask. Amount @ 50. Radius @1.2 and Threshold @ 0. This picture looks way sharp(and grainy) here on this forum, but doesn't look like that on Flickr or photoshop.

According to Scott Kelby, a general starting point for sharpening on close up portraits is Amount: 75%, Radius: 2, Threshold: 3.
For web sharpening when you drop the resolution from 300 ppi to 72 ppi Amount: 200%, Radius:0.3, Threshold: 0.
Adjust these numbers according to your own tastes. I rarely use 200% on the amount, but I don't mind pushing it a little.

 

[Big Mike]

I like Lightroom for it's initial RAW editing capabilities (along with all the cataloging stuff), but I also like Lightroom for it's export options. As such, I want Lightroom to be my first step, but also my last. Many people don't do it this way, and instead they go from Lightroom to Photoshop (or Elements etc.) and that's it.

What I do when I want to edit images in Photoshop, is to go right from LR with the 'Edit in...' option. I click 'Edit in...' and choose Photoshop. The image is automatically opened into Photoshop. Then when I hit save in PS, the image is automatically brought back into Lightroom.

So when it comes to sharpening, I usually only apply it with the export dialog in Lightroom.

Having said that, if I'm working on an image that I think requires more advanced sharpening, then I'll do that in Photoshop instead.

 

[Drake]

So is this sharp, too sharp or not sharp at all? I used the unsharp mask. Amount @ 50. Radius @1.2 and Threshold @ 0. This picture looks way sharp(and grainy) here on this forum, but doesn't look like that on Flickr or photoshop.

For such small images, try a smaller radius of about 0,2-0,3 and then decide on the amount needed (usually close to 100 in my case, sometimes less, sometimes more).

 

[subscuck]

I'm not sure there are any hard, fast rules for which method to use. Sometimes USM gives me exactly what I need, other times I use Smart Sharpen, and on occasion I use Lab. The one hard rule I have seen mentioned time and again, tho, is it should always be the last edit you do. Certain operations, like resizing, can soften an image, so always sharpen last. Generally, you want to sharpen more for web, less for print.

There are good books and on line resources for sharpening, as well.

 

[KmH]

Image sharpening is such a complex subject and there are so many good sharpening techniques, an entire book has been written about it: Real World Image Sharpening with Adobe Photoshop, Camera Raw, and Lightroom (2nd Edition)