Sharpen a photo

Sharpen a photo using the Unsharp Mask filter.

In the Layers palette, select the layer containing the image you want to change.

If you want to sharpen only a specific element or area in the image, create a selection marquee around the area you want to sharpen using the selection tools. The selection marquee limits the changes to that area. To soften the edge of the selection so the changes blend in more naturally with the unselected areas, use the Feather command (Select > Feather).

Choose Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask.

In the Unsharp Mask dialog box, make sure Preview is selected. Then position the Unsharp Mask dialog box so that you can see most of the image.

Drag the Amount slider to the right to increase the contrast of the edge. For high-resolution printed images, an amount between 150% and 200% is usually satisfactory. Grainy images usually require a lower setting.

Drag the Radius slider to the right to increase the width of the edge created by sharpening. If you set this too high, the edges will acquire obvious halos. A setting between 1 and 2 is often adequate.

Drag the Threshold slider to the right to increase the difference needed between shades before the filter sharpens the edge between them. A threshold of zero sharpens all pixels in the image. A high threshold number sharpens the edges only between significantly different shades. Values between 2 and 20 are usually acceptable.

Experiment with these three controls until you are satisfied with the results, and then click OK.

You can let Photoshop sharpen the image for you using the three other Sharpen filters. Choose Filter > Sharpen, and then choose one of these filters from the submenu: Sharpen, Sharpen Edges, or Sharpen More.