Photoshop "Unsharp Mask"/Edge Enhancement (1 Viewer)

[Danny_Tam]

Hey guys,
I've read a few FAQ's that draw a comparison between edge enhancement and the "Unsharp Mask" feature in Photoshop, which 'sharpens' the image but in reality is giving you less detail.
If I take a somewhat blurred photo and sharpen it up slightly, am I automatically decreasing its detail? Or is only up to the point where I start seeing the ringing that quality has been compromised?
I would appreciate it if someone could clear this up for me.
Dan

 

[Ken Wagner]

Unsharp masking is by far better than using sharpening. If a photo is too out of focus nothing will help it. I usually experiment with different settings to see it looks. Now a good monitor helps you see the results better of course. A good book on Photoshop will give you a good place to start. I've read somewhere that if you run unsharp masking twice at lower settings you sometimes get better results. Happy editing.