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Sharpen Edges (Studio Version Only)
A variation of the Sharpen filter that’s streamlined for detecting edges to create a key used to limit sharpening to the selected edge details of an image. This is a good filter to use when attempting to make mildly soft-focus clips less objectionable.
Main Controls
Controls the overall sharpening effect accomplished with this plugin.
— Sharpen Amount: The primary global control for adding sharpening to the edges detected by this filter.
— Sharpen Radius: Controls the granularity of the detail that’s added using Sharpen Amount.
Edge Detection Controls
These controls let you customize the sharpen effect in very specific ways.
— Display Edges: This checkbox lets you see a grayscale preview of the edges that are being detected for sharpening while you use the other controls in this group. If you turn this checkbox on, you can see precisely the effect that the four other controls in this section have on the key that determines which parts of the image are sharpened.
— Pre Denoise: Smooths the matte to remove individual pixels of noise. Reducing Pre Denoise lets you minimize edges from the key that you don’t want to sharpen and soften edges that are jagged because of excessive noise. Raising Pre Denoise adds more edges to the sharpening operation and strengthens the edges that are already there.
— Edge Detect Threshold: Lets you adjust how strong edge detail needs to be in order to be included in the key. Reducing this parameter includes more edges in the operation, while raising it excludes edges from the operation.
— Edge Mask Strength: Lets you increase the intensity of the edges in the key. Reducing Edge Mask Strength diminishes the edges and reduces the intensity of sharpening in those areas. Raising Edge Mask Strength intensifies the edges and adds more of the image within the region of each detected edge to the sharpening operation.
— Edge Blur: Lets you control the softness of the edges in the key. Reducing Edge Blur sharpens the key and narrows the edges that are affected by sharpening. Increasing Edge Blur softens the key and potentially includes a wider area of image detail in the sharpening operation.
Soften and Sharpen (Studio Version Only)
A variation of the Sharpen filter that’s streamlined for letting you both smooth some details and add sharpness to other details of the image based on the size of the structures. It can be used with any image for which you want to smooth some features while sharpening others, but this is an operation that’s often used for minimizing unwanted blemishes, wrinkles, or scarring when used within a window or qualifier that’s isolating the skin.
The advantage of using Soften and Sharpen is that you can use the Small Texture slider to leave a bit of natural skin detail intact, such as pores and other small naturalistic details, while you use the
TIP: The best way to achieve a more natural result is to leave Small Texture at 0 or just above, while reducing Medium Texture just enough to minimize whatever details merit minimizing and reducing Large Texture by somewhat less to minimize larger blemishes, while leaving overall face detail intact. This is the logic behind the default values of Small 0.000, Medium –0.800, and Large –0.300.
TIP: The best way to achieve a more natural result is to leave Small Texture at 0 or just above, while reducing Medium Texture just enough to minimize whatever details merit minimizing and reducing Large Texture by somewhat less to minimize larger blemishes, while leaving overall face detail intact. This is the logic behind the default values of Small 0.000, Medium –0.800, and Large –0.300.
TIP: The best way to achieve a more natural result is to leave Small Texture at 0 or just above, while reducing Medium Texture just enough to minimize whatever details merit minimizing and reducing Large Texture by somewhat less to minimize larger blemishes, while leaving overall face detail intact. This is the logic behind the default values of Small 0.000, Medium –0.800, and Large –0.300.