PhotoKit Sharpener, Who's using it, Opinions

[Shootist]

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I've read a lot about this plugin/program for the last 4 years but have never tried it.

Does anyone use this on these forums with the M8 and what opinions do you have about it compared to other forms of sharpening methods or plugins/programs.

Thanks.

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[zeitz]

I just use the sharpener in Photoshop. But my printer is limited to 17" x 25".

[Shootist]

I just use the sharpener in Photoshop. But my printer is limited to 17" x 25".

 

Well I'm only printing 13x19 and I have been using both Smart Sharpening and Unsharp Mask but was thinking about trying this plugin out.

I have DL'ed the trial version but have yet to install or use it.

[stunsworth]

I use it and have found it excellent. With M8 images I normally don't bother sharpening for internet display, but I do use the pre-print sharpeners.

[thompsonkirk]

For web work, you can just Smart Sharpen; but I've found the PK Sharpener invaluable for careful or 'fine' printing.

 

The basic idea of the PK Sharpener, besides its 3 stages, is to use some USM sharpening & some high-pass sharpening at each stage of the game. This keeps artifacts from any one mode & stage of sharpening from becoming cumulative. This is why it might serve you better than USM or Smart Sharpening.

 

I've used PKS since it first came out. Now it's been incorporated partly into ACR/LR for the first or Capture Sharpening stage.

 

PK Sharpener layers increase the size of the file by 3X; so it's a good idea to flatten them After sharpening. If you want to make the sharpening reversible, put it on a copy of the background layer.

 

1. The main use of Capture Sharpening is to compensate for the anti-aliasing filter on other cameras; but a little bit seems to work out well on M8 images. I typically use the High Res & Narrow settings, but reduce the opacity of sharpening the layer to 66%.

 

2. Creative Sharpening is 'dealer's choice.' I rarely use it; I'm more likely to Erase part of the sharpening layers when the effect would be too obvious (e.g. in landscapes, where the outline of trees might get too sharp, while the leaves remain less sharp; better not to wsharpen such areas at all!).

 

3. For Output Sharpening, pick your resolution & paper surface; but again I find that M8 files need less sharpening, at least on smaller prints. My usual practice (varying with the image) is 66% opacity of the sharpening layer on A3; 77 or 88% on 13x19"; 100% on 17x22 or 25".

 

This is just one way of using it; I'm sure others have different ideas!

 

Remember that methods of sharpening & methods of res-ing up interact. Whether you res-up with Bicubic Smoother or another method (on Mac, best seems to be Genuine Fractals; on PC, QImage), the results will differ somewhat. In particular, I use the PK Sharpener because I found that Genuine Fractals & the Nik Sharpener combined to produce some weird artifacts.

 

In general, the reason for working this way & not just using USM or Smart Sharpen is that you get fewer sharpening artifacts, because of the several stages & the 2 kinds of sharpening at each stage.

 

Kirk

[erl]

What Steve & Kirk said is almost identical to my experience and practice. The beauty of PK sharpener is that it is so finely controllable at all stages.

[cbretteville]

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I use it (have done for several years now), mostly for print sharpening.

- Carl

[TimF]

I'm with Erl, Steve and Kirk.

 

PK Sharpener, for me, is just so intuitive. I could never really get the hang of unsharp masking in PS, and PK took the guesswork out the equation.

[fjmcsu]

Used it since it's inception, an excellent tool.Upgrades have kept up with the Photoshop versions all for free. Current version updated for CS4.Highly recommended