How do I add a Unsharpen Mask or Sharpen Layer?

Alan Smithee asks …

I open my photo, a scan, add an adjustment layer for levels, one for contrast, then one for "dust". I then try to make a layer for Sharpening but it seems to have no effect. What am I doing wrong?

You need to sharpen on the bottom layer with the actual image data, not an adjustment layer or on a new blank layer on top of the layer stack.

I notice that if I just open my photo THEN add a layer for sharpening it seems to work (most of the time) but I don’t understand why it doesn’t work the other way

My guess is that you still have an adjustment layer selected and are sharpening on that instead of actual data (I’ve done this a hundred times myself).

Here’s a tip for you to get around all this … add your adjustment layers and make all your changes to them, then select the highest layer in the stack and make a new blank layer, which should come in on top of the stack. Now hold down the Alt key (Windows) and while holding it down do Layer > Merge Visible … it won’t actually merge all the layers if you hold down Alt but instead will make a composite layer at the top of the stack, with all the data in the layers below.

Now run USM on this composite layer … I usually name it after USM with the parameters, something like ‘USM 200 2.2 0’ for 200 amount, 2.2 radius, 0 threshold (as an example). Now you can turn this layer off and make other composites and run various USM values, and you also haven’t touched the base layer data while leaving the adjustment layers intact for future editing also.

Bill

Bill you’re a Diamond Geezer. Thx.

"Bill Hilton" wrote in message

Alan Smithee asks …

I open my photo, a scan, add an adjustment layer for levels, one for contrast, then one for "dust". I then try to make a layer for Sharpening but it seems to have no effect. What am I doing wrong?

You need to sharpen on the bottom layer with the actual image data, not an adjustment layer or on a new blank layer on top of the layer stack.

I notice that if I just open my photo THEN add a layer for sharpening it seems to work (most of the time) but I don’t understand why it doesn’t work the other way

My guess is that you still have an adjustment layer selected and are sharpening on that instead of actual data (I’ve done this a hundred times myself).

Here’s a tip for you to get around all this … add your adjustment layers and make all your changes to them, then select the highest layer in the stack and make a new blank layer, which should come in on top of the stack. Now hold down the Alt key (Windows) and while holding it down do Layer > Merge Visible … it won’t actually merge all the layers if you hold down Alt but instead will make a composite layer at the top of the stack, with all the data in the layers below.
Now run USM on this composite layer … I usually name it after USM with the parameters, something like ‘USM 200 2.2 0’ for 200 amount, 2.2 radius, 0 threshold (as an example). Now you can turn this layer off and make other composites and run various USM values, and you also haven’t touched the base layer data while leaving the adjustment layers intact for future editing also.

Bill

In article , bhilton
says…

Alan Smithee asks …

[SNIP]

My guess is that you still have an adjustment layer selected and are sharpening on that instead of actual data (I’ve done this a hundred times myself).

Here’s a tip for you to get around all this … add your adjustment layers and make all your changes to them, then select the highest layer in the stack and make a new blank layer, which should come in on top of the stack. Now hold down the Alt key (Windows) and while holding it down do Layer > Merge Visible … it won’t actually merge all the layers if you hold down Alt but instead will make a composite layer at the top of the stack, with all the data in the layers below.
Now run USM on this composite layer … I usually name it after USM with the parameters, something like ‘USM 200 2.2 0’ for 200 amount, 2.2 radius, 0 threshold (as an example). Now you can turn this layer off and make other composites and run various USM values, and you also haven’t touched the base layer data while leaving the adjustment layers intact for future editing also.

Bill

Bill,

I really like this workflow plan. Thanks!

Hunt

Alan Smithee writes …

Bill you’re a Diamond Geezer. Thx.

Dunno about the ‘diamond’ part but I’m definitely approaching geezer status 🙂

Glad the tip helped out.

Bill

On 1 Aug 2005 17:35:06 -0700, "Bill Hilton"
wrote:

Here’s a tip for you to get around all this … add your adjustment layers and make all your changes to them, then select the highest layer in the stack and make a new blank layer, which should come in on top of the stack. Now hold down the Alt key (Windows) and while holding it down do Layer > Merge Visible … it won’t actually merge all the layers if you hold down Alt but instead will make a composite layer at the top of the stack, with all the data in the layers below.
Now run USM on this composite layer … I usually name it after USM with the parameters, something like ‘USM 200 2.2 0’ for 200 amount, 2.2 radius, 0 threshold (as an example). Now you can turn this layer off and make other composites and run various USM values, and you also haven’t touched the base layer data while leaving the adjustment layers intact for future editing also.

What a really good idea. Thanks, Bill, I’m keeping this workflow for future use 🙂

—

Hecate – The Real One

Fashion: Buying things you don’t need, with money
you don’t have, to impress people you don’t like…

Alan Smithee wrote:

I’m using CS2. I’m fairly new user. I understand the basics (or so I thought) about layers. I’m working in Black & White currently. Here’s my problem. I open my photo, a scan, add an adjustment layer for levels, one for contrast, then one for "dust". I then try to make a layer for Sharpening but it seems to have no effect. What am I doing wrong? I notice that if I just open my photo THEN add a layer for sharpening it seems to work (most of the time) but I don’t understand why it doesn’t work the other way. Thx.

Would you please explain how exactly you add a layer for sharpening? As fas as I know Photoshop does not support sharpening in form of an adjustment layer. Sharpening can only be applied to the image data directly (i.e destructively). Am I wrong here?

—
Best regards,
Andrey

Bill Hilton wrote:

Here’s a tip for you to get around all this … add your adjustment layers and make all your changes to them, then select the highest layer in the stack and make a new blank layer, which should come in on top of the stack.

What is the purpose of that blank layer on top? As far as I can see it is not used anywhere else in your workflow. Is it just supposed to serve as a visual separation between the "real" layers an the composite layers in the layer palette?

Now hold down the Alt key (Windows) and while holding it down do Layer > Merge Visible … it won’t actually merge all the layers if you hold down Alt but instead will make a composite layer at the top of the stack, with all the data in the layers below.
Now run USM on this composite layer … I usually name it after USM with the parameters, something like ‘USM 200 2.2 0’ for 200 amount, 2.2 radius, 0 threshold (as an example). Now you can turn this layer off and make other composites and run various USM values, and you also haven’t touched the base layer data while leaving the adjustment layers intact for future editing also.

—
Best regards,
Andrey

Andrey asks …

What is the purpose of that blank layer on top? As far as I can see it is not used anywhere else in your workflow.

Select this top blank layer and while holding down Alt (windows) do Layer > Merge Visible to get a composite layer with all the data from the adjustment and data layers below it.

Bill Hilton wrote:

Andrey asks …

What is the purpose of that blank layer on top? As far as I can see it is not used anywhere else in your workflow.

Select this top blank layer and while holding down Alt (windows) do Layer > Merge Visible to get a composite layer with all the data from the adjustment and data layers below it.

Yes, but you can do the same thing by selecting the topmost of the existing layers and doing Alt + Layer > Merge Visible. This will create a composite layer on top of all others with all the data from all the layers. The composite layer will be the same as in your case. That’s why I don’t understand why you need that extra empty layer.

—
Best regards,
Andrey

Andrey Tarasevich wrote:

Alan Smithee wrote:

I’m using CS2. I’m fairly new user. I understand the basics (or so I thought) about layers. I’m working in Black & White currently. Here’s my problem. I open my photo, a scan, add an adjustment layer for levels, one for contrast, then one for "dust". I then try to make a layer for Sharpening but it seems to have no effect. What am I doing wrong? I notice that if I just open my photo THEN add a layer for sharpening it seems to work (most of the time) but I don’t understand why it doesn’t work the other way. Thx.

Would you please explain how exactly you add a layer for sharpening? As fas as I know Photoshop does not support sharpening in form of an adjustment layer. Sharpening can only be applied to the image data directly (i.e destructively). Am I wrong here?

No, you’re correct. However, a dup of the original layer, or a composite of said layer’s adjustments via Alt + Layer > Merge Visible, might be thought of as a sharpening layer, as the original is still intact.

—
John McWilliams

Select this top blank layer and while holding down Alt (windows) do Layer > Merge Visible to get a composite layer with all the data from the adjustment and data layers below it.

Andrey writes …

Yes, but you can do the same thing by selecting the topmost of the existing layers and doing Alt + Layer > Merge Visible. This will create a composite layer on top of all others with all the data from all the layers.

When I just tried this in CS with an adjustment layer on top it does make a composite but overwrites what was in the top adjustment layer while doing it, which I don’t want. So basically you lose one layer to make the composite. That’s why I start with a new blank layer on top.

The composite layer will be the same as in your case.

Are you sure? Try it with an adjustment layer on top of the layer stack and see if it doesn’t over-write that adjustment layer … what version are you using, perhaps it’s different in CS2?

Bill

Hecate writes …

What a really good idea. Thanks, Bill, I’m keeping this workflow for future use 🙂

I think I learned this from Barry Haynes in his "Photoshop Artistry" book several years ago, to give credit where it’s really due …

Bill Hilton wrote:

Select this top blank layer and while holding down Alt (windows) do Layer > Merge Visible to get a composite layer with all the data from the adjustment and data layers below it.

Andrey writes …

Yes, but you can do the same thing by selecting the topmost of the existing layers and doing Alt + Layer > Merge Visible. This will create a composite layer on top of all others with all the data from all the layers.

When I just tried this in CS with an adjustment layer on top it does make a composite but overwrites what was in the top adjustment layer while doing it, which I don’t want. So basically you lose one layer to make the composite. That’s why I start with a new blank layer on top.

The composite layer will be the same as in your case.

Are you sure? Try it with an adjustment layer on top of the layer stack and see if it doesn’t over-write that adjustment layer … what version are you using, perhaps it’s different in CS2?
…

I just tried it in CS2. I put a ‘Color Balance’ adjustment layer on top of a bunch of regular layers, selected my adjustment layer and did Alt + Layer > Merge Visible. It created a _new_ layer, which was put above my adjustment layer. The latter was not overwritten. Apparently, it was changed from CS to CS2.

—
Best regards,
Andrey Tarasevich

"John McWilliams" wrote in message
SNIP

No, you’re correct. However, a dup of the original layer, or a composite of said layer’s adjustments via Alt + Layer > Merge Visible, might be thought of as a sharpening layer, as the original is still intact.

Indeed, and make sure you set the Layer blending mode to "Luminocity" (it’ll reduce colored edge artifacts).

Bart

On 2 Aug 2005 17:01:01 -0700, "Bill Hilton"
wrote:

Hecate writes …

What a really good idea. Thanks, Bill, I’m keeping this workflow for future use 🙂

I think I learned this from Barry Haynes in his "Photoshop Artistry" book several years ago, to give credit where it’s really due …

LOL! That’s on my shelf right next to Photoshop Restoration and Retouching. That’ll teach me to pay more attention 😉

—

Hecate – The Real One

Fashion: Buying things you don’t need, with money
you don’t have, to impress people you don’t like…