Jump to content
You must now use your email address to sign in [click for more info] ×

Problems with the Sharpen Brush Tool


Recommended Posts

I'm using Affinity Photo version 1.10.5.1342 and found that the Sharpen brush tool doesn't work. Regardless of the Width, Opacity, Hardness, Clarity, or Unsharp Mask settings. The effect is zero. Sharpening the whole image with Unsharp Mask works fine, but sharpening just parts of the image with the Sharpen Brush tool definitely doesn't work. In the YouTube tutorials, you can clearly see how parts of the image are becoming sharper and sharper. But in practice the Sharpen brush tool doesn't work no matter how often you drag.

I would be very glad if someone could help me to solve this problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums, @George95.

If you're on Windows, I would suggest checking the application Preferences, and see if you have Hardware Acceleration enabled in the Performance section. If so, try disabling it, and see if the brush works better after you restart the application.

-- Walt
Designer, Photo, and Publisher V1 and V2 at latest retail and beta releases
PC:
    Desktop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 64GB memory, AMD Ryzen 9 5900 12-Core @ 3.00 GHz, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 

    Laptop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 32GB memory, Intel Core i7-10750H @ 2.60GHz, Intel UHD Graphics Comet Lake GT2 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU.
iPad:  iPad Pro M1, 12.9": iPadOS 17.4.1, Apple Pencil 2, Magic Keyboard 
Mac:  2023 M2 MacBook Air 15", 16GB memory, macOS Sonoma 14.4.1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On my system, the Photoshop way of using the brush doesn't work:
Left Button Down
Drag, Drag, Drag,... until you're happy with the result
Left Button Up

The method required here is (Hardware Acceleration on):
Left Button Down
Drag
Left Button Up
[Repeat that sequence until you're happy]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What zoom level are you viewing the area or your image when applying the Sharpen brush? In order to see subtle changes you need to be at 100%. To test if the brush is working, do like they do in the tutorials. Make a duplicate of the image, apply the brush. Then do the before/after comparison. Again Affinity Photo is designed where you need to zoom to 100% to observe how your image is being affected by the effect. :)

 

Affinity Photo 2.4..; Affinity Designer 2.4..; Affinity Publisher 2.4..; Affinity2 Beta versions. Affinity Photo,Designer 1.10.6.1605 Win10 Home Version:21H2, Build: 19044.1766: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-5820K CPU @ 3.30GHz, 3301 Mhz, 6 Core(s), 12 Logical Processor(s);32GB Ram, Nvidia GTX 3070, 3-Internal HDD (1 Crucial MX5000 1TB, 1-Crucial MX5000 500GB, 1-WD 1 TB), 4 External HDD

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Sharpen and Blur Tools do not give the same effects as using filters. Sometimes it's better to use a Sharpen/Blur Live Filter on the picture, invert the mask, then paint back in where you want the effect.

Acer XC-895 : Core i5-10400 Hexa-core 2.90 GHz :  32GB RAM : Intel UHD Graphics 630 : Windows 10 Home
Affinity Publisher 2 : Affinity Photo 2 : Affinity Designer 2 : (latest release versions) on desktop and iPad

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As PaulEC already said, the effect of the Sharpen Brush is very subtle. That is intended, I think. It is the same with the Blur Brush, and it should be the same in Photoshop, as far as I know. But there are some important things you should regard. At first, that the layer you sharpen has to be a Pixel Layer. If the Assistent is activated for that, it will rasterize the layer at the moment you start using the brush. If not, you need to activate that in the Assistent or rasterize the layer yourself. Then take a look at the Mode (context bar of the tool). It is responsible for the kind of sharpening. "Unsharp Mask" gives a stronger sharpening than "Clarity" (Sorry I'm german and I don't know the correct english names in the moment). "Harsh" gives a really harsh effect. I tested it a moment ago and as I compared the effect by using the History, there was a more or less subtle visible difference.

Edit: Not to forget a very basic hint: Sharpening should be generally done with a zoom factor of 100%. This is the only way to get an authentic impression of the effect.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello everyone,

i'm using Windows and regardless of whether I have hardware acceleration enabled or disabled, it makes no difference. Also I duplicate the layer into a pixel layer and rasterize it. But even with a zoom factor of 100%, no sharpening process can be seen, neither with "Clarity" nor with "Unsharp Mask". Even a harshness of 100% has no effect. When I compare the levels at 100% zoom factor, there is not the slightest improvement in sharpness.

By the way, I am also German so please excuse my not so correct mode of expression. ☹️

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can't believe that any tool can make Chuck Norris sharper than he already is.😁

OK, if there is no visible effect, there must be something wrong. I suppose you will not have made the simple mistake to forget a hidden selection somewhere in your document. And you are on the right layer for sure. Could you make a screenshot or a screen recording? Possibly this could give us an idea.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am attaching an afphoto document showing the two methods of applying the Sharpen Brush.  There are three layers, first the original and then:

  1. Using the Photoshop method: Button down, drag back and forth 10 times, button up.  Even at 100% I see little, if any change.
  2. Using what is apparently the Photo method: Button down, drag, button up (repeat 10 times).  The effect is pronounced at 2-3 repetitions, waaaay overdone at 10.

I don't use this method for sharpening (I think other methods are better) but Down-Drag-Up seems to be the Affinity designed way for the Sharpen Brush to work.

SharpenBrushMethod.afphoto

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hope you can see my settings on the attached files. On the photo from the Affinity Photo Help you can clearly see the effect you can achieve with the Unsarp Brush Tool. (See Sharpening E Before and After). Of course, the result is too exaggerated, but it is only intended to illustrate the efficient mode of operation of this tool. By the way, this difference cannot be overlooked even without a zoom factor of 100%.

Sharpen Brush Tool.JPG

retouching.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi George,

Sorry for being late. I suppose the problem is that you try to sharpen with the Sharpen Tool on a Sharpen Live Filter Layer, which is a Filter Layer to sharpen with the filter not with the tool. You can't sharpen on Adjustment and Live Filter Layers, if I'm not wrong. So try to sharpen on the Image/Pixel Layer. I think that should work..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, iconoclast said:

Hi George,

Sorry for being late. I suppose the problem is that you try to sharpen with the Sharpen Tool on a Sharpen Live Filter Layer, which is a Filter Layer to sharpen with the filter not with the tool. You can't sharpen on Adjustment and Live Filter Layers, if I'm not wrong. So try to sharpen on the Image/Pixel Layer. I think that should work..

Hi inconoclast,

i think i know what you mean I chose a new pixel layer, even rasterized it and then tried to sharpen it in unsharp mask mode. But that didn't work either. No matter what I do, what I set, nothing happens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seems you didn't understand what I mean. You don't need a second layer. You need only an Image or Pixel Layer and the Sharpen Tool. Forget the Live Filters for this case. You find the Modes for the tool in the context bar of the tool, below the menu bar. There are three Modes available: Clarity, Unsharp Mask and Harsh. Clarity is the most subtle one. Harsh, as it says...

Der Verständlichkeit halber, weil Du ja auch Deutscher bist: Du brauchst die Ebene "Unscharf Maskieren" nicht. Das ist eine Live Filter Ebene die per Filter global scharf zeichnet. Für das Schärfen mit dem Tool brauchst Du nur das tool und die Optionen der Kontextleiste des Tools, die Du oberhalb des Bildes, unter der Menüleiste findest. Da gibt es auch das kleine Menü "Modus" mit drei Modi zur Auswahl: Klarheit, Unscharf maskieren und Harsch.

"Unscharf maskieren" ist übrigens ein Begriff, der noch aus analogen Zeiten stammt. Da wurde eine unscharfe Kopie des selben Bildes über die scharfe Version belichtet, was bewirkte dass die Kanten der Bildinhalte geschärft wurden. Die Unschärfe stellte dabei eine Art Maske dar.  Der Begriff hat sich ins digitale Zeitalter hinüber gerettet, was manchmal für Missverständnisse sorgt. Eine Maske braucht man dafür jedenfalls nicht. Selbst in Zeiten der Maskenpflicht. 😀

Edit: Und noch ein Tipp: Wenn Du mit dem Effekt des Tools nicht zufrieden sein solltest, könnte ich Dir das Hochpassschärfen empfehlen. Dafür musst Du die Bildebene duplizieren und auf die obere Ebene dann den Ebenenmodus "Ineinanderkopieren" und den Live Filter "Hochpass" , den Du nach Wunsch justieren musst, anwenden. Du hast dann zunächst ein global geschärftes Bild. Wenn Du aber nur bestimmte Stellen geschärft haben willst, kannst Du die anderen auf der Hochpaaebene mit Grau übermalen oder sie sonstwie bearbeiten (z.B. verwischen).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Guidelines | We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.