How to sharpen your images

without sharpening

I have discovered a useful technique for sharpening images to give them extra punch. This  is particularly useful for my on going project of faded hand painted adverts on brickwork. The passing of time and weather all contribute to the deterioration of the signs that are sometimes difficult to read. I have known of the ability to sharpen images in PhotoShop for a long time but fear of trying to master something new has always blocked me from taking the plunge. Like most things it was not as hard as I imagined......

sharpened

It is difficult to know how clearly the improvement is demonstrated in these pictures as the final one has been subtly changed  and the resolution is low affecting the appearance of over all sharpness. The technique that I have used is three different methods and picking the best one. The advantage is that each image is treated individually and you get the best one from your choice of three.  I have used this method on a few images and the improvement is worth the effort. Below is the tutorial that I used and the changes are noticeable for the purposes of demonstration. 

Really hope you find this useful.


The still must tease with the promise of a story the viewer of it itches to be told. - Cindy Sherman