Selective unsharp mask

[Jose Luis Silva]

Hi people,

Hope that every one have a great entry on 2009. And hope you can get all the achivements you desire.

Where we go: tried to find it in here but with no positive results. Can someone tell me, how can use the tool unsharp mask only in particullar region, for exemple a tail?

Thank in advance for your attention.

Regards
José Luis

[magic48]

Hi José Luis,

I'm assuming you're using photoshop, so here's a quick tutorial you could try out:

1. Open up the layers palette (keyboard shortcut F7) and make a copy of the background layer (control +J).
2. Globally sharpen this duplicate layer using the unsharp mask tool as usual.
3. Now look at the bottom of the layers palette. There is an icon (second in from the left) which is a little grey rectangle with a circle in it - this is the add layer mask icon. Hold down the Alt key and simultaneously click on the add layer mask icon. Look again at the new layer box and you will see that a black box (layer mask) has appeared over this layer. Also the sharpening that was previously applied has now disappeared again.
4. Next, working with a suitably sized brush, paint on the image where you want the sharpening to be applied. To paint, hold down the left mouse button and move the circle over the area to be sharpened (for example the tail fin of a plane). You will notice that a white hole in the black layer mask is appearing in the layer mask dialogue box where you are painting over the black mask with white - making it transparent again.
5. Set the foreground color to white before painting on the sharpening. This is done by ensuring that the two rectangles in the tools to the left of the screen are arranged white over black.
6. Finally, select Layer > Flatten Image and then save your image as usual.

I know this sounds a bit complicated at first, but once you've done it a couple of times it all becomes very easy. I use this technique on most of my pictures and I think it works very well.

[wrxflyer]

That is a very clear explanation Gianluca.

I had the same question myself and now I can work on it.
Agree; I have to reed this tutorial a few times again and do everything a couple of times as well, but it'll work!

Thank you,

Freek

[Billsville]

The other way to do it is to duplicate the layer, apply the sharpeneing to the whole layer, then erase the parts of the upper layer you dont want sharpened.

[Jose Luis Silva]

Hi José Luis,

I'm assuming you're using photoshop, so here's a quick tutorial you could try out:

1. Open up the layers palette (keyboard shortcut F7) and make a copy of the background layer (control +J).
2. Globally sharpen this duplicate layer using the unsharp mask tool as usual.
3. Now look at the bottom of the layers palette. There is an icon (second in from the left) which is a little grey rectangle with a circle in it - this is the add layer mask icon. Hold down the Alt key and simultaneously click on the add layer mask icon. Look again at the new layer box and you will see that a black box (layer mask) has appeared over this layer. Also the sharpening that was previously applied has now disappeared again.
4. Next, working with a suitably sized brush, paint on the image where you want the sharpening to be applied. To paint, hold down the left mouse button and move the circle over the area to be sharpened (for example the tail fin of a plane). You will notice that a white hole in the black layer mask is appearing in the layer mask dialogue box where you are painting over the black mask with white - making it transparent again.
5. Set the foreground color to white before painting on the sharpening. This is done by ensuring that the two rectangles in the tools to the left of the screen are arranged white over black.
6. Finally, select Layer > Flatten Image and then save your image as usual.

I know this sounds a bit complicated at first, but once you've done it a couple of times it all becomes very easy. I use this technique on most of my pictures and I think it works very well.

Gianluca!!!!

What a tutorial!!!! Man, that's just great. That's why I love JP.net instead of other aviation related sites!!!

Thank you very, very much!!!
José Luis

[jid]

Hi José Luis,

Here are another couple of methods to sharpen, the first is an edge selection and sharpen method. The second is a duplicate layer form of shapening

http://www.jid.me.uk/workflow/Workflow2/sharp.html

Hope these can be of help also.

Jid

[Jose Luis Silva]

Hi José Luis,

Here are another couple of methods to sharpen, the first is an edge selection and sharpen method. The second is a duplicate layer form of shapening

http://www.jid.me.uk/workflow/Workflow2/sharp.html

Hope these can be of help also.

Jid

Thanks Jid for also helping me. I have yr WF2 in my favourites and dind't recall it.

Anyway thank you guys for yr kind help. All the best to you.