Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Unsharp Mask
Although this feature sounds like the last thing you'd ever want to use on a photo, Unsharp
Mask reigned as the Supreme Sharpener for generations of image correction, despite having
the most counterintuitive name in all of Elements.
To be fair, it's not Adobe's fault. “Unsharp mask” is an old darkroom term, and it actually
does make sense if you know how our film ancestors used to improve a picture's focus. It
refers to a complicated darkroom technique that involved making a blurred copy of the photo
at one point in the process.
For several versions of Elements, Unsharp Mask ranked right up there with Levels as a con-
tender for most useful tool in Elements, and some people still think it's the best way to
sharpen photos. Figure 7-21 shows how much a little Unsharp Mask can do for pictures.
To use Unsharp Mask, first finish all your other corrections and changes. A good rule of
thumb for sharpening is “last and once.” That's because Unsharp Mask (or any sharpening
tool, for that matter) can undermine other adjustments you make later on, so always make
sharpening your last step. And repeatedly applying sharpening can degrade your image's
quality.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search