FEATURE REQUEST: Sharpening along with export for web jpegs

[Cameron Davidson]

In Affinity Photo you must resize and export your photograph before you sharpen it - ie, for web use.

 

Photoshop has combined that process for years. (it is one of my favorite features).

 

If Affinity photo could add this feature, it would greatly increase my use of the program. I feel that it would be helpful to many others also.

 

Please consider this for a future update.

 

Thank you for your consideration.

[loukash]

2 hours ago, Cameron Davidson said:

If Affinity photo could add this feature, it would greatly increase my use of the program.

It's not obvious at first glance, but the Lanczos 3 (non-separable) resampler has quite a strong sharpening algorithm built in.

[Cameron Davidson]

I will check that out - thank you very much.

[Pšenda]

19 hours ago, Cameron Davidson said:

In Affinity Photo you must resize and export your photograph before you sharpen it - ie, for web use.

Just curious, why does the photo have to be exported before sharpening?

I understand that after each size adjustment the photo must be sharpened, i.e. resize-sharpen-export, but I don't understand the need to export before sharpening. After export, the photo will be damaged by artifacts of the compression algorithm (jpeg), which the subsequent sharpening will rather emphasize. Thanks for the explanation.

[Cameron Davidson]

2 hours ago, Pšenda said:

Just curious, why does the photo have to be exported before sharpening?

I understand that after each size adjustment the photo must be sharpened, i.e. resize-sharpen-export, but I don't understand the need to export before sharpening. After export, the photo will be damaged by artifacts of the compression algorithm (jpeg), which the subsequent sharpening will rather emphasize. Thanks for the explanation.

Or, you could just resize it, sharpen it and then export it.  The goal is to get (for me) a simpler process in Affinity - something similar to what Photoshop does - which is resize and sharpen when you export.

[loukash]

4 hours ago, Cameron Davidson said:

a simpler process in Affinity - something similar to what Photoshop does - which is resize and sharpen when you export.

Attempting to replicate Photoshop workarou… er, "workflows" usually results in performing way too many unnecessary steps in Affinity.  

Anyway, I just checked Photoshop CS5.1 on my old Mac:

• The "Save For Web" module offers only the "Quality: bicubic sharper" option. In my comparative tests a few years ago, the results roughly matched the aforementioned "Lanczos 3 (non-separable)" option in Affinity.
• Regular Save As (e.g. JPEG) doesn't have any sharpening option at all.

So what you're talking about: is that something new in PS CC?
In any case, when sharpening in PS, I have always preferred to use the regular Unsharp Mask filter which has given me precise control. Same as in Affinity.

[Cameron Davidson]

[Cameron Davidson]

21 minutes ago, loukash said:

Attempting to replicate Photoshop workarou… er, "workflows" usually results in performing way too many unnecessary steps in Affinity.  

Anyway, I just checked Photoshop CS5.1 on my old Mac:

• The "Save For Web" module offers only the "Quality: bicubic sharper" option. In my comparative tests a few years ago, the results roughly matched the aforementioned "Lanczos 3 (non-separable)" option in Affinity.
• Regular Save As (e.g. JPEG) doesn't have any sharpening option at all.

So what you're talking about: is that something new in PS CC?
In any case, when sharpening in PS, I have always preferred to use the regular Unsharp Mask filter which has given me precise control. Same as in Affinity.

I've attached two screen shots from the Current PS CC 2024 version. 

[loukash]

Yeah, those are more or less similar options like Affinity's Resample options in the Export window. PS has a few variations on the Bicubic algorithm whereas Affinity offers Lanczos 3 instead.

For example, GraphicConverter offers a dozen of unique resampling algorithms (incl. Lanczos) that may or may not be useful in specific scenarios.

Real sharpening happens before exporting, e.g. by using the Unsharp Mask or Clarity live filters. Resampling algorithms like Lanczos 3 can then improve sharpness especially when scaling images down on export.

[Cameron Davidson]

Thank you very much.

[max1josef]

On 10/27/2023 at 3:02 PM, Cameron Davidson said:

In Affinity Photo you must resize and export your photograph before you sharpen it - ie, for web use.

Photoshop has combined that process for years. (it is one of my favorite features).

If Affinity photo could add this feature, it would greatly increase my use of the program. I feel that it would be helpful to many others also.

[...]

I would also welcome this feature. Since I use export persona a lot, it would be nice to include this feature there as well.

For now, Loukash's suggestion to use Lanczos 3 (non-separable) as a resample algorithm is very helpful.

 

[Bit Disappointed]

Configurable Output sharpening in export dialog and persona, yes please. For print, web and screen.

Not as live sharpening layers in the image itself (work arounds) in every single document - no, as options during export than can be saved and selected exactly there.

[loukash]

14 minutes ago, Bit Arts said:

as options during export than can be saved and selected exactly there

Please read again:

On 10/28/2023 at 6:41 PM, loukash said:

those are more or less similar options [in Photoshop] like Affinity's Resample options in the Export window. PS has a few variations on the Bicubic algorithm whereas Affinity offers Lanczos 3 instead.

[Bit Disappointed]

6 hours ago, loukash said:

Please read again:

I did - not the same, at all. Like in not at all. Those are resample algorithms only used for resizing the document during the export. Applied only when you change the output size, that is. Output sharpening is for all types of export and could also be an option in a print dialog for that matter.

Output sharpening is applied to an image even if it is not resized during export. The purpose of output sharpening is not just to compensate for the softness that may occur due to resizing (like the algorithms with geeky names you refer to), but also to enhance the perceived sharpness of the image for its intended output medium.

For instance, an image being prepared for web display might benefit from different sharpening settings than one being printed on a high-quality photo printer, even if the image dimensions remain unchanged. The sharpening is adjusted based on the characteristics of the output device and the viewing conditions. It’s about optimizing the image for the final presentation, regardless of resizing.

Output sharpening is for applying a type of sharpening for the actual output media - can be quite extreme sharpening for some types of print. (Optimally) output sharpening is tailored to the output Medium: It is usually tailored to the type of output you're preparing the image for, such as screen display, glossy or matte paper, etc. Each medium displays sharpness differently, so the sharpening is adjusted accordingly. Users can often adjust the intensity - amount of sharpening applied - from low to high, depending on how much is needed for the particular image and output method. Output sharpening is the final polish on an image before it is shared, ensuring that it looks its best on whatever medium it is presented.

In Lightroom it is kept simple:

Capture One Professional:

Personally I would prefer these options in Affinity - some I could configure myself.

 

[loukash]

13 minutes ago, Bit Arts said:

not the same, at all. Like in not at all.

12 minutes ago, Bit Arts said:

Lightroom
[…]
Capture One Professional

In this thread, we were discussing Photoshop vs Affinity.
Not the same as Lightroom or Capture One Professional at all. Like in… not at all.

[Bit Disappointed]

Look closely and you will see some relations and similar workflows.