Digital BW, The Print

I have read numerous unsharp mask workflows from a variety of sources.
Some say to perform the unsharp mask only once as the last touch 
prior to printing. Some say use it twice.. once after scanning, and 
once before printing. Some say three times with the third application 
coming between the scanning and printing. Some say apply the unsharp 
mask and then apply the FADE UNSHARP MASK. I have experiented with 
multiple  methods, sometimes with the effect of 
photographic "progeria"( medical term for premature aging). It seems 
that there as many workflows as there are experts.Currently, I 
perform unsharp mask as a last procedure. I set the amount around 
200, threshold around 1, and then play with the radius( .3 to 1) till 
I see achieve some crispness without too much artifact. I was just 
wondering if there is anyone out there who is pleased with whatever 
method they are using and if they wouldn't mind sharing it.Also, do 
any of the "remove grain" software fixes out there help reduce the 
grain-effect of the unsharp mask filter? 
thanks,
Kevin  Monroe

This isn't a right/wrong, or one answer issue.  There are too many variables to get it down to a single answer.  
 
The various 'sharpening' tools/methods seem to vary quite significantly in the way they accomplish the task.  Then, the image size/type/pixel density/final print size all enter into the equation.  And, I am finding that, given equal image sizes and resolutions, there is a significant difference in the results of applying the same sharpening process/settings to a digital vs. scanned film image.
 
There does seem to be an increase in the number of people subscribing to the three pass sharpening approach.  The middle sharpening pass is often described as the 'creative' sharpening step.  So, if you don't need creative sharpening, then it becomes a two pass.  I am liking this approach more and more for most images.
 
There are several sharpening packages available that get high marks.  Some provide a high level of user control.  In theory, those should be the most versitle, but I don't know if that's true in practice.  Most of these you can get trial versions of.  You might give some of those a try to see if one of them 'fits' your situation better than what you are doing.
 
 
Tom Baker

digikdm <monroekd@...> wrote:
I have read numerous unsharp mask workflows from a variety of sources.
Some say to perform the unsharp mask only once as the last touch 
prior to printing. Some say use it twice.. once after scanning, and 
once before printing. Some say three times with the third application 
coming between the scanning and printing. Some say apply the unsharp 
mask and then apply the FADE UNSHARP MASK. I have experiented with 
multiple methods, sometimes with the effect of 
photographic "progeria"( medical term for premature aging). It seems 
that there as many workflows as there are experts.Currently, I 
perform unsharp mask as a last procedure. I set the amount around 
200, threshold around 1, and then play with the radius( .3 to 1) till 
I see achieve some crispness without too much artifact. I was just 
wondering if there is anyone out there who is pleased with whatever 
method they are using and if they wouldn't mind sharing it.Also, do 
any of the "remove grain" software fixes out there help reduce the 
grain-effect of the unsharp mask filter? 
thanks,
Kevin Monroe




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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I put up a web page about getting sharp 35mm scans on desktop scanners
without using sharpening.  here it is:
http://www.historicphotoarchive.com/stuff/kodachrome2.html

When I began to scan film, I was very disappointed with the sharpness on
both my slide scanner and my flatbed.  I replaced my flatbed with a very
good one (Artixscan 1800, cost almost $1500) and the scans from the new
scanner were even worse than the old scanner. The higher a resolution I
scanned at, the softer the scans got.  I do a lot of scanning old glass
plate negatives, and I noticed the glass plates were always tack sharp.
Through troubleshooting and experimentation, I found that the heat of the
scanner lamp was causing the film to move ever so slightly during scanning,
just like the old days with enlargers.  I remembered how Leitz solved the
problem in the Focomat, by putting glass on the top of the neg but not the
bottom.  So now I use glass on all film scans.  I haven't had to sharpen a
scan in over a year.  I make tack sharp 13x19 prints from 35mm.

Comments and suggestions are welcome

Good luck
Tom Robinson

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "digikdm" 
<monroekd@h...> wrote:
Kevin,
I use a photoshop plug in software package called photokit 
(http://www.pixelgenius.com/sharpener/) review at 
(http://www.computer-darkroom.com/sharpener/sharpener_page_1.htm)
This has its own specific workflow which is in three stages: capture, 
creative and output. It is recommended not to use the sharpening 
software bundled in with your scanner but to use instead the capture 
software of photokit. After this stage the creative sharpening tools 
can be 
applied, and then, finally the output sharpening stage. This last 
stage makes allowances 
for the type of output device and the resolution that one intends to 
use. For example, copying from the 
website:
"..... To accomplish this, you need to know the output size and 
resolution, and the way in which the output device converts the 
pixels into marks on paper. For example, if you're printing to an 
inkjet printer at 300 ppi, you want to create a sharpening halo 
that's about 3 pixels wide. If you're printing to a halftone printer 
such as a press, using a 266-ppi file and a 133-line screen, you need 
a halo that's at least 4 pixels wide, because each halftone dot is 
made up of four pixels, and you may well be rewarded if you make the 
halo 5 or 6 pixels wide. Output sharpening doesn't require any 
complex masking -- all the image-specific local concerns have already 
been addressed in the capture and creative sharpens -- so the output 
sharpening can be applied globally."

I find that this workflow works for me and not only matches but 
surpasses 
anything I ever achieved in the darkroom! 
Keith

> I have read numerous unsharp mask workflows from a variety of 
sources.
> Some say to perform the unsharp mask only once as the last touch 
> prior to printing. Some say use it twice.. once after scanning, and 
> once before printing. Some say three times with the third 
application 
> coming between the scanning and printing. Some say apply the 
unsharp 
> mask and then apply the FADE UNSHARP MASK. I have experiented with 
> multiple  methods, sometimes with the effect of 
> photographic "progeria"( medical term for premature aging). It 
seems 
> that there as many workflows as there are experts.Currently, I 
> perform unsharp mask as a last procedure. I set the amount around 
> 200, threshold around 1, and then play with the radius( .3 to 1) 
till 

> I see achieve some crispness without too much artifact. I was just 
> wondering if there is anyone out there who is pleased with whatever 
> method they are using and if they wouldn't mind sharing it.Also, do 
> any of the "remove grain" software fixes out there help reduce the 
> grain-effect of the unsharp mask filter? 
> thanks,
> Kevin  Monroe