"Unsharp Mask" - How to use it?

Naboo32

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Andy
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Sorry, I did a search but couldn't find the answers that I was looking for, so ...

Could anyone (briefly) describe what the and "Radius" and "Threshold" settings do and give me an idea of typical settings for different size images, please :)?

I'm using Nikon Capture NX2 and the instruction manual doesn't go into great detail about these things :|.

Thanks!
 
Just type this in at google...'explanation of unsharp mask'

Or

Radius controls how wide the edge rims become, and Radius = 1.0 is about the right ballpark, with 0.6 to 2.0 often being useful. Higher Radius values can cause halos at the edges, a detectable faint light rim around objects. Radius units are not the same as pixels, the units step in tenths, but the Radius width is usually at least 4 pixels overall, you will see various effects. Radius is a very important parameter, and the easiest way to ruin a good scan is with too much Radius. Inanimate objects can use the most radius, human faces can tolerate the least, and landscapes fall in between. But it really depends on the size of the details. Fine detail needs a smaller Radius, or else you may obliterate tiny detail of the same size as the Radius width. Large images have larger detail (more pixels involved) and can use more Radius, so therefore printing at higher resolution can support the larger radius. Radius and Amount interact, reducing one allows more of the other.

Threshold specifies how far apart adjacent tonal values have to be (values of 0..255) before the filter does anything to the edges, before it is judged to be an edge at all. This lack of action is important to prevent smooth areas from becoming speckled. Low values should sharpen more because fewer areas are excluded. Higher threshold values exclude areas of lower contrast. Human faces want values greater than 1 or 2, like perhaps 5 or more. For inanimate objects, perhaps 0 or 1 is useful. General work, try 3 or 4. This control has little effect at high values, but has more effect changing between low values of 0 to 5. This Threshold is not to be confused with Line art Threshold.

Amount is like a volume control, exaggerating the edge differences (how much darker and how much lighter the edge borders become). Amount interacts with Radius as to degree of sharpening, but it does not affect the width of the edge rims. Amount has a large effect, and values of 80 to 120 are normally usable if the Radius isn't too large.



Plus you could try these settings

Background copy
USM 18-40-0
USM 150-.3-0
Edit>Fade USM 100% in Darken Mode
USM 150-.3-0
Edit>Fade USM 50% in Lighten Mode
Flatten image
 
Just type this in at google...'explanation of unsharp mask'


Plus you could try these settings

Background copy
USM 18-40-0
USM 150-.3-0
Edit>Fade USM 100% in Darken Mode
USM 150-.3-0
Edit>Fade USM 50% in Lighten Mode
Flatten image

Well, thanks for taking the time to post, but I don't think that those settings apply to Nikon Capture NX2, as the three sliders all go from 0-100% in 1% increments (unlike in Photoshop).

Anyway, I've just found a tutorial here on TP (by Matty), which answers my main question about what those two settings actually do, so I think that we can just ignore my OP ;).

/THREAD.
 
:lol: Sorry dcash29, you hadn't posted that middle part when I replied, so your answer seemed to miss the point a bit.

Anyway, thanks again for the reply ;).
 
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