- 1). Open the image in Photoshop, Paintshop Pro, Fireworks or another program. Although the interface may be a little different, these programs all use the same methods to sharpen a blurry image.
- 2). Adjust the image’s color and lighting aspects before you sharpen. In fact, sharpening should be the last thing you do to the image before you print it out or save it. Because you will lose pixels during the sharpening process, do it only after cropping and tweaking the other parts of the photo.
- 3). Keep the resolution as high as possible before sharpening. Some digital cameras take pictures with high resolutions. This is beneficial when sharpening because you have more pixels to manipulate. Resist scaling down the resolution until after you sharpen.
- 4). Flatten the layers of your image when you finish adjusting it and make a copy of the new layer. Turn off the visibility on the bottom layer. You’ll keep that one in case you don’t like your changes. Select the new layer and get started sharpening.
- 5
Open the “Sharpen” menu from the drop down “Filter” list. You’ll see a few different sharpening tools and each one has its own merit. Choose the “Sharpen” one at the top first. Click it and the menu will disappear and your image will be slightly sharper. This is fine if you have only a tiny bit of sharpening to do. - 6). Click on the next sharpening tool from the list, “Sharpen Edges.” This tool identifies the change in pixel patterns and adds contrast to the darker tones at the edges of objects. When you apply this filter, you may notice a distinct change in your image.
- 7
Sharpen your image if you took people pictures with the “Smart Sharpen” filter. This sharpening tool gives you more control over your image by using algorithms to remove previous blurring options. In addition, you can choose the advanced tab and sharpen only highlights or shadows for a custom look. This is a good sharpening filter for faces. - 8
Try “Unsharp Mask” to control the amount of sharpening while monitoring your image in a preview window. Choose the radius of the sharpening effect as well as the threshold. Despite the strange name, Unsharp Mask is Photoshop's leading sharpening filter. - 9
Repeat any of these sharpening options until you reach the desired sharpness in your image. Be aware that as the pixels are changed, the picture may take on a grainy appearance. This is because other pixels in the image are also subject to change. Choose a happy medium, flatten the layers and save your image.
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