Masking

Techniques and materials used to control the

development of art by protecting a desired area
from change
Used to
enhance
image
quality

Masking Protective Pattern

Like masking tape when house painting Darkest areas

– most protected
Gray areas
– Partially protected
White areas
– unprotected

Digital Masking Channel Mask

Consists of a grayscale
channel
– called
ll d an alpha
l h channel
h l
– can be displayed as a ruby
overlay
so underlying image can be
seen through the mask

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Masking - Shades of gray Apply Image

Represent areas of
partial protection
corresponding with the
level of gray
– Often masking is used
to apply varying levels
of transparency to a
layer or image

Layer Mask Layer Mask

Selections and Quick Mask

Layer
y
Mask

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 Quick Mask

Temporary
alpha
channel

A SHARPER IMAGE Photoshop Sharpening Filters

Software sharpening filters
Can often make an image appear
– sharper than original
can also oversharpen
– to the point of image degeneration

HOW SHARPENING
WORKS
UNSHARP MASKING

Originated in
Accentuating
darkroom
differences between
j
adjacent g and dark
light Provides
sample points controls that
allows
– increasing local
contrast increases adjustable
appearance of sharp sharpening for
edges particular
situations

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 HOW UNSHARP MASKING
UNSHARP MASKING
WORKS
Works by combining a slightly blurry Copy of image is blurred
(unsharp)
unsharp) image version with original this is the ''unsharp
unsharp'' part
– results in sharp details in high-
high-contrast areas – using a Gaussian-
Gaussian-type blurring algorithm
the edges,
edges, where adjacent light and dark user--defined radius for blur
user
samples are markedly different
blurred image is then compared
– without accenting tonal shifts in low-
low-contrast
areas – pixel by pixel if necessary
areas of smooth gradation To original image

HOW UNSHARP MASKING HOW UNSHARP MASKING

WORKS WORKS
Amount of difference between
– blurred pixel
– original pixel
– determines if it is an edge or not
If the difference is greater than the user-
user-
specified "threshold"
sharpening is performed

HOW UNSHARP MASKING HOW UNSHARP MASKING

WORKS WORKS

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HOW UNSHARP MASKING
UNSHARP MASKING PROBLEMS
WORKS
Too Much can
the pixel is changed
– by the OPPOSITE amount
of the difference between look artificial
or bizarre
the original and blurred
pixels accentuate
problems
– multiplied by the user
user-- in original
defined "percentage" image

Blips that appear on either

HALOS side of tonal shifts with Mach Bands
unsharp masking

An optical illusion
– bands of different brightness on either side of
a gradient
di t th
thatt are nott presentt in
i original
i i l
image

ALIASING SPECKLING AND MOTTLING

Hard diagonal edges get jaggy
– like a dark building against a light Images often contain random sample points that
sky don’t match their surroundings
Lower image resolution
– more potential aliasing
–noise/grain
irregularities in
original image

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SPECKLING AND MOTTLING Photoshop Unsharp Masking

Sharpening can Three

– accentuate variables
irregularities – Amount
– destroy smooth – Radius
gradations – Threshold

Each increases or decreases sharpening in

different areas and situations

RADIUS RADIUS

Set Radius first

– Controls how wide the blips are on each side In excess
of an edge, in sample points – Prime culprit
p in most sharpening-
sharpening
p g-related
– Large values make for wide blips problems

big halos, lots of sample points involved

Dependent on image resolution
– Small values make smaller blips – Higher resolution images need to have
larger radius means more sharpening larger radius

AMOUNT
Radius Value

Big enough to provide sharpening effect Control the volume, or amplitude

Not so big as to give impression of – adjusts how intense the blips are on each
artificiality side of a tonal shift

– big halos – how much tonal differences are

accentuated
Large values make large tonal differences
where edges meet

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AMOUNT THRESHOLD
Specifies how far apart
adjacent tonal values
Small values make less significant blips have to be before filter
does anything to them
Amount setting of 200 percent – on a scale
l off 0 tto 255
– good starting point
is set too high If set to three
– can get an artificial look – adjacent sample points are of values 122 and 124
a difference of two
they’re unaffected by sharpening

THRESHOLD Smart Sharpen

First Sharpen Filter
menu change in 14
years
Remove options
Low-contrast areas-
Low- areas-those with smooth – Gaussian Blur
gradations – Lens Blur
– aren’t affected; the gradations stay smooth – Motion Blur

– key to avoiding
Each option triggers a different algorithm that
mottling, speckling etc
Photoshop uses to remove these specific types of
High values result in less sharpening blurs

Removing Gaussian Blur Advanced More Accurate Mode

Same as regular unsharp masking
– Except: Uses state
state--of-
of-the-
the-art edge detection
algorithms and a sophisticated deconvolving
method to remove blur
– CPU iintensive
t i
Better control over
threshold Amount percentage values will need to be
– shadow tab
– highlight tab
More Accurate mode

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Removing Lens Blur Removing Motion Blur
Directional blur removal tool
Removes lens blur while finding edges and
not creating obvious halos
– image blurs are often caused by a
combination
bi ti off ffactors
t
– option to
– Some images may benefit from Lens blur choose
option angle
useful for images with fine detail

Advanced Mode Advanced Mode

Allows individual tonality sharpness settings

– Midtones
Midtones,, Shadows and Highlights
Tonal Width
– controls which tonal values will be affected by
the reduction in sharpness
Higher value greater range affected
Radius
– Controls size of area affected
Higher value larger area

Advanced Mode Tutorial - Smart Sharpen

Allows individual tonality sharpness settings http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opUaPvOyOIo

– Midtones
Midtones,, Shadows and Highlights
Fade Amount
– Controls sharpening strength
higher this setting = less sharpening