How should sharpening change for print versus screen output?
Asked 3/4/2011
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When preparing the same photo for different outputs, how should sharpening be adjusted for print versus on-screen use? What factors matter most: final image resolution/size, display or print medium, and the surface/material used for printing? For example, how would sharpening differ for a large print compared with a small web image, and does paper, canvas, or other print media affect how much sharpening is needed?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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It's mostly the resolution of the image that affects the sharpening. When using unsharp mask, a radius of 0.1 mm is a good starting value. For an image displayed on a computer monitor at about 100 PPI, that translates to a radius of about 0.5 pixels.
Then there are also differences in the media that causes the sharpening to have varying effect. A printing processes may for example have a slightly blurring effect, so you would have to over-sharpen the image slightly to compensate for that. Some display screens are a bit blurrier than others (e.g. a CRT screen is blurrier than an LCD screen).
Originally by user149. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user149
15y ago
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Yes—output sharpening should vary by the final use. The main factor is the final resolution of the image. With unsharp mask, a radius around 0.1 mm is a useful starting point; on a monitor at roughly 100 PPI, that corresponds to about 0.5 pixels. So if the output size or resolution changes, the sharpening settings should change too.
The output medium also matters because different media soften detail differently. Printing often introduces a slight blurring effect, so prints usually need a bit more sharpening than an on-screen image to compensate. Likewise, displays vary: blurrier screens can make sharpening appear weaker than on sharper displays.
So in practice:
- sharpen based on the final output size/resolution,
- expect print output to need slightly more sharpening than screen display,
- and adjust for the characteristics of the medium or surface, since some materials/processes soften detail more than others.
The exact amount depends on the specific printer, paper/surface, and display, so test output is often the best guide.
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