Unsharp Mask...a few pointers are requested...

[Jack Breakfast]

Hello there folks,
I wonder if any of you might contribute your opinions and tastes RE Photoshop's Unsharp Mask...
What I'm looking for here are some all-purpose numbers for all 3 settings...your "average" settings let's say, give or take...
Every image is different obviously, but I can't help but think there's a ballpark of USM figures here...
Would welcome any information, and I thank you in advance...

[John Chardine]

Hello Jack- For resampled images prepped for say BPN at 1024 wide and 800 high and sharp to begin with, my numbers are invariably around Amount = 75-100%, Radius = 0.3 or 0.4, Threshold = 0. However, I use Smart sharpen more these days and set to Remove Lens blur, Amount = 75-100%, radius = 0.3-0.4. For large images prepped for printing, the sharpening is more heavy-handed than this.

[Jack Breakfast]

Thanks John, very much...

[Roger Clark]

Hello there folks,
I wonder if any of you might contribute your opinions and tastes RE Photoshop's Unsharp Mask...
What I'm looking for here are some all-purpose numbers for all 3 settings...your "average" settings let's say, give or take...
Every image is different obviously, but I can't help but think there's a ballpark of USM figures here...
Would welcome any information, and I thank you in advance...

Jack,
I agree with John's post. Also see:

Important Sharpening Information!
http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/18534-Important-Sharpening-Information!

and the raw processing threads in workflow (we will start a new one this weekend), e.g.:

http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/93909-Processing-raw-images-exercise-for-January-2012

I'll also add, that depending on the image, unsharp mask levels will need to be different for different parts of the image.

Also see this one:
http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/94021-A-Moment-In-Time

Roger

[Jack Breakfast]

Roger, can't thank you enough. I'm so glad I joined this forum, by the way...

[AdityaPadhye]

That is some awesome info Roger, thanks a ton!