nik Sharpener Pro 2.0
Product Review by Stan Ashbrook
 The digital process
dictates that before an
image is output to
either a printer, for on
screen viewing or
projection it must be
sharpened if you want
the best quality.
Traditional sharpening
methods such as
unsharp mask are not
easy-to-understand and you base the sharpening
results on what you see on your monitor. While
this method may work okay for images intended
to be viewed on a monitor it is not really
adequate for other media such as prints.
Effective image sharpening must take any
consideration many different variables such as the
viewing distance, size of the print, how the print
has created, the resolution of the output device,
the viewing characteristics, and the viewing distance at which the image will be
displayed.
Last year I reviewed using nik Sharpener Pro 1.0
for the Bits & Bytes and since then I’ve been
using it to sharpen my digital images and I have
been very pleased with the sharpness of both my
inkjet prints and images that I project in slide
shows. As in version 1, nik Sharpener Pro 2.0
allows me to sharpen my image according to the
type of output and what details need to be
sharpened. All I need to do is indicate the type of
the display that I’ll be using, and if I’m making a
print, the resolution of the printer, the size of the
print, the viewing distance for the displayed
image, and the location and amount of
sharpening that will be applied. In the resulting
dialog box of this new version I adjust the amount
of sharpening by using a slider and then Nik
Sharpener Pro takes care of the rest.
 A
powerful
new
feature
of nik
Sharpener
Pro 2.0
is the
nik
Sharpener
Pro 2.0
Selective
tool.
You use
the nik
Sharpener Pro 2.0 Selective tool to apply any of
the sharpening filters selectively to images by
using a mouse or a graphics tablet to paint
sharpening into the image, controlling the amount
and location of the effect quickly and easily. For example in a photograph of a
Purple Gallinule I
wanted to sharpen the bird but not the
background. The new selective tool is located
within either the Automate or Automation tools
menu in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop
Elements. In the resulting palette, you pick your
output method, see Figure 1 and then you paint
on the images where you want sharpening. See
Figure 2. Photographers and print professionals
will often use sharpening as a creative tool. By
sharpening specific areas differently within an
image, the eye can be guided to specific areas of
the image.
 The complete
edition includes
sharpening
continuous tone
printers, halftone
printers, laser
printers, inkjet
printers, and
electronic display
devices such as
projectors and
monitors. The
complete edition also includes the RAW Pre-
sharpening filter for RAW files. The Inkjet
addition provides sharpening for inkjet printers
and electronic display devices.
The nik Sharpener Pro 2.0 Selective tool is
compatible with Adobe Photoshop 5.5 through
CS2 and Adobe Photoshop Elements 1 through
3.0 in the Windows operating system. It is
compatible with Adobe Photoshop 7 through CS2
and Adobe Photoshop elements 2.0 through 3.0
on MAC OS 10.2.4 and later.
Price: Inkjet Edition - $169.95;
Complete Edition- $329.95
Registered owners of nik Sharpener Pro 1.0
qualify for upgrade pricing.
Available from nik multimedia, Inc.
http://www.nikmultimedia.com/index/usa/entry.php
|
