Using High Pass in PS to sharpen images

03/04/07

Open your image in photoshop
Go to layers and create a new layer as a copy of the image
click on the new copy layer and then go to filters and select other - high pass. The High Pass settings window appears adjust the slider so that the edges you want to sharpen just appear in the gray image ypu will see. Click OK
In the layers window now change the layer type from Normal to either soft light or hard light - note the difference this makes to the sharpening. Be careful not to oversharpen.
Finally flatten the layers and proceed to print.

A development of this, useful if you have a complex image with a mix of soft or blurrd edges and sharp edges is as follows.
Create TWO copy layers.
In each of these apply the high pass filter as above (later you can try this with different settings for the high pass filter).
Then change the bottom layer to hard ligh and the uppwe layer to soft light.
Then adjust the opacity of each of these layers (20 - 50 %) until you get the amont of sharpening you want. Finally flatten the layers.
This takes some attempts as there are so many variations but it can greatly enhance an image without spoiling it by oversharpening.

Doug