SilverFast Knowledge – 2.3.9 Why was Unsharp Masking developed?

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		2.3.9 Why was Unsharp Masking developed?
		Many quickly taken snapshots are not sharp enough when printed as larger prints. With this tool you can use a slider to decide whether more or less sharpness is needed in the specific image. Overly sharp images often have unnaturally emphasized contours. How Does the SilverFast Unsharp Masking Work? This tool is a refined tool for luminance-based calculation of contrast values on edge lines, that is, color aspects are ignored because only the detailed contrast between bright and dark pixels creates the impression of sharpness on edges. The radius setting shows effect within the selected area. Using an algorithm that compares bright and dark pixels next to one another, edges are detected and the image is amplified only at those points. Whether using the automatically assigned settings (about +10% sharpness) or manual control, the user always has plenty of leeway to change dark or bright edges individually.