User Guide PDF - Nik Software

nik Sharpener!

Welcome to nik Sharpener!
In this booklet, we will explain to you how to install and use nik Sharpener!
This software is a typical “one-time-read” software booklet, since
once you understand how to use its features, the booklet can be put right
back into the CD case. If you have already installed the software and do
not want to read any more information, we recommend one thing: Read
and remember the “Golden Rules of Using nik Sharpener!”. Following these
rules will decrease the likelihood of errors and bring you closer to that
“perfect” image.
The Idea Behind nik Sharpener!
Photo prints should be sharpened appropriately to optimize their
appearance. Since the development of computer image enhancement,
photographers and graphic artists have searched for a program which will
sharpen an image while maintaining the qualities that make each photo
unique.
In the past, programs such as Photoshop relied on an “Unsharp Mask”
algorithm to create the illusion of a sharper, crisper image, a principle that
comes from a traditional darkroom technique. In traditional photography,
to sharpen an image in going from negative to print, the photographer
masks the original image with a blurred copy of the same image.
Herzlich Willkommen zu nik Sharpener!
Diese gedruckte Anleitung enthält ausschließlich englischen Text.
Eine Anleitung mit deutschem Text finden Sie im Adobe ® Acrobat ® -
Format (*.PDF) auf der CD.
Viel Spaß und Erfolg mit dieser Software!
–2–

Numerous attempts over the years have been made to invent an effective
alternative to this algorithm and process. However, none of these alternatives
provided a more effective algorithm or overall approach, and none of
them simplified the inputs and parameters. nik Sharpener, though, now
provides true, simplified image sharpening,
using an “auto-optimizing” version of
the Unsharp Mask algorithm that actually
analyzes the parameters and sharpens
the image.
Optimally Sharpened Images
In studying images in even some of the best magazines, you will notice
varying degrees of sharpness, only a few being sharpened optimally. Many
of these variations in sharpness result from discrepancies between the
appearance of the image on the screen and the final print. The optimal
degree of sharpening depends significantly on the final printer type, so no
matter how sharp the image appears on the screen or in a test print, the
degree of sharpness of the final printed image cannot be accurately predicted.
However, once you set the desired image size and the printer type, nik
Sharpener eliminates the guesswork and optimizes final image, adjusting
its degree of sharpness.
–3–

Installing nik Sharpener!
1 Installing nik Sharpener is simple. Place the nik Sharpener CD in your
CD-ROM drive and find the folder named “Filters”.
2 You will want to install nik Sharpener
in the “Filters” folder (generally
located in the Plug-ins folder) for the
version of Photoshop that you are
using. If you are installing nik
Sharpener for use in another Adobe
compatible program, please check the
documentation of that program for
instructions on properly installing
Adobe compatible filters or check our web site at www.tech-nik.com for updated
compatibility information and instructions. (Note: While we cannot
provide support for host programs with which nik Sharpener operates, we
do our best to evaluate and provide updated information on compatibility.)
If you are not sure where your filters are installed within Photoshop:
a) Open Photoshop and from the file menu, select
Preferences “Plug-Ins & Scratch Disks…” The location of
your plug-ins will appear.
b) Next, click the Choose button/option to locate the filters
folder and scroll through the folders checking for your folder
named “Filters”.
–4–

c) After determining the location of your filters folder, make a notation of
this location and close the preferences dialog box by selecting “Cancel”.
d) Close Photoshop before proceeding with installing nik Sharpener!
e) Copy the folder “Filters” from the nik Sharpener CD-ROM with one
mouse drag into the “Filters” folder you determined in step 3.
f) Launch Photoshop and select the Filter menu (in Photoshop). Click on
it and locate “nik Sharpener” as shown and you are ready to Sharpen your
image.
If nik Sharpener does not appear in the Filters menu, you may have
copied the filter folder from the CD to the wrong location on your hard
drive. If this happens, check to see if you have
more than one copy of Photoshop installed or
if you selected a different folder location when
installing Photoshop. Return to step 3 and
check the “Filters” folder location again and
ensure that nik Sharpener is installed in this
folder. You may also want to check to be sure that you have not installed
nik Sharpener in the “Extensions” folder, often located one folder up from
the “Filters” folder.
–5–

Run no other sharpening options or sharpening programs in
conjunction with nik Sharpener! nik Sharpener is the only
sharpening tool that you will need. Turn off any other automatic
sharpening options that may be included with scanning programs,
and do not use any Unsharp Mask filters included with
Photoshop or any other image alteration software. Running
other sharpening options or programs with nik Sharpener will
result in incorrectly sharpened images.
Enter the CORRECT parameters. If you have a low quality
image, for example, it will be sharpened best if you set the
Overall Image Quality parameter to “below average” or “bad”.
Selecting a higher setting will lead to non-optimized sharpening.
In short, be honest about the variables you enter, not optimistic,
and do NOT play around with the parameters until the
image “appears” to be sharpened optimally. Doing so is completely
contrary to how nik Sharpener is designed to work.
–6–

Do not doubt what you see. Making sharpening adjustments
on the screen can and often will result in an inaccurately
sharpened image. While some images may not appear sharpened
optimally when viewed on the screen, they are nevertheless,
adjusted precisely using the parameters entered.
If a photo will be utilized in two different sizes, sharpen
each separately and keep two separate sharpened copies of
the photo on your computer. Because each photo is optimized
for printing using its size as a major variable, you will need to
sharpen the same image separately when the image will be
printed in different sizes.
When in doubt, see rules 2 & 3.
–7–

Using nik Sharpener
Once you have installed nik Sharpener successfully,
open the image you want to sharpen
using Photoshop or any other 100% Adobe
plug-in compatible program. Then open nik
Sharpener from the “Filter” menu in Photoshop. (In some applications,
this menu may be called “Effects”. Check the software manufacturer’s
documentation for the appropriate
filter menu location.)
In the filter dialog that appears,
begin by setting up all the parameters
of the image and of the
printing process that will be used.
The two most important variables
are image “Width” and image
“Height”. Set these parameters
and then proceed by making the
other parameter adjustments
appropriately, remembering to set the parameters as they correspond to
your image and the devices you are using. All of the nik Sharpener parameters
are explained on the following pages.
If you have not decided on the exact size of your printed image,
you may want to create the layout first and sharpen the images
afterwards.
–8–

The Image “Width” and Image “Height” Sliders
The two sliders “Width” and “Height” define the dimensions of the
image. These two sliders behave as one slider, i. e., they maintain the
image’s aspect ratio. As you move one slider, the other one will move proportionally,
depending on the width and height of the image. Setting these
two sliders correctly is critical. Errors in defining the dimensions of the
image will result in problems later. To sharpen the image optimally in the
final print, the sharpening dimensions need to be within 15% of the final
print size. This range allows you to make minor adjustments when preparing
an image for layout or when scaling an image slightly down or up in
layout applications such as QuarkXPress, Adobe InDesign or PageMaker.
And remember to keep a copy of your image in a folder on your hard drive
for each size you want to sharpen.
–9–

The “Image Source” Slider
APS Film
Small Format Slide
Medium Format Transparency
Large Format Transparency
Digital Camera (low-end)
The slider “Image Source” defines the format of the original image. The
first four settings identify traditional film size: “APS”, “Small Format
Slide”, “Medium Format Transparency” and “Large Format
Transparency”. These first four settings can be used when scanning either
slides or negatives. The next three settings identify photos that come from
a digital camera: “Digital Camera (low-end)” for cameras whose resolution
is below one million pixels, “Digital Camera (mid-range)”, for cameras
with a resolution between one and two million pixels, and “high-end”
for cameras beyond that. Professionals: If you have a camera with 4.2 million
pixels or above, you might want to choose the equivalent film format
(Medium or Large Transparency) providing a similar source quality setting.
–10–
Digital Camera (mid-range)
Digital Camera (high-end)
Scan (low-end)
Scan (mid-range)
Scan (high-end)

The last three source settings represent images that were scanned with a
flatbed scanner. Determining the optimal setting for scanned images can
be difficult since the quality of the scanned image depends on so many
factors, including scanner quality and age, paper type, quality of the source
image, size of the source image, etc.. Considering this, we recommend
using only top quality or “high-end” photo source images when scanning
on a flatbed scanner. However, if you must use a photo or image that is not
seen as a “high-end” image, two settings have been included to compensate
slightly for this, allowing you to scan and sharpen the image to the
greatest degree possible. Mid-range source images may not look entirely
crisp and clean, while “low-end” source images may contain even less definition.
Keep in mind, a source image can be sharpened, but it will result
in an optimally sharpened low quality image. We highly recommend using
“high-end” source images.
Avoid sharpening an image that was scanned from an offset
print (e.g. a brochure, magazine, poster, catalogue, etc.). Special
adjustments prior to sharpening are needed to obtain optimal
results.
–11–

The “Printer” Slider
300x300 inkjet
360x360 inkjet
720x360 inkjet
720x720 inkjet
The slider “Printer” defines the type of printer you are using. The first
six settings identify various resolutions of inkjet printers. If your inkjet
printer’s resolution is not represented here, select a setting which is closest
to your printer’s resolution.
The “Color Laser” setting suits all Color Laser printers from 300 to 400
dpi. Photo printers include all printers that are designed to print typical
photos in standard photo sizes approximately 4"x5" or 9x13cm. The setting
“Standard Offset” will adjust the sharpening for general offset printing.
However, if you seek more offset adjustments, a more advanced sharpening
process, and want to sharpen directly in CMYK mode, the professional
version of nik Sharpener (nik Sharpener Pro) provides these
advanced features. nik Sharpener Pro allows you to define the lpi resolution
and a number of other parameters, providing an optimized sharpening
process for professional offset printing.
–12–
1440x720 inkjet
1440x1440 inkjet
Color Laser
Photo Printer
Standard Offset

The “Overall Image Quality” Slider
bad
below average
The Overall Image Quality slider defines the overall source image quality,
allowing you to use source images that may not have been taken with
optimal settings. This slider setting is designed to compensate for lower
quality image sources. As always, however, we recommend that you use the
highest quality image source possible. If you choose to use a bad or below
average quality image, use the setting “below average” or “bad” to provide
a compensating factor within the sharpening process for the images you
want to salvage. Photos that were taken with a “throw-away” camera, for
example, or images scanned from old photos are appropriate with these
settings. If, on the other hand, you have purchased photos from a professional
image source such as The Image Bank, Photo Disc, etc., you will
probably want to choose “above average” or “very good” as the Overall
Image Quality.
average
When in doubt, the setting “average” for most images is appropriate
and will leave this variable within the sharpening process
unaffected.
–13–
above average
very good

The “Overall Printer Quality” Slider
bad
below average
The slider “Overall Printer Quality” is similar to the slider for the image
quality, providing an additional compensating factor. You will want to use
the setting “bad” or “below average” for draft prints or older printers. If, on
the other hand you are using a newer printer with high gloss, coated photo
print paper, you will want to use the “above average” or “very good” setting.
Remember, when in doubt the setting “average” for most images is
appropriate and will leave this variable within the sharpening process
unaffected.
average
You can NOT increase the overall image quality just by setting
the last two sliders both to “very good”.
–14–
above average
very good

A Closer Look at Sharpening with nik Sharpener!
With regard to sharpening images, very little has changed over the years.
Additionally, not much is written about what is behind the technology
that you buy (such as nik Sharpener). As a result, we decided to include
information in this booklet that tells you, the user, a little more about what
is behind the design of nik Sharpener to “open the door” and hopefully
help you understand the technology and why it does what it does.
Leading the development team for nik multimedia is head programmer
and founder of nik multimedia, Nils Kokemohr. Nils is not just a computer
programmer, but also a recognized Photoshop expert and graphic
designer. In designing tools such as nik Sharpener, he and his team take
great care in designing efficient tools for graphic artists, designers and
photographers, while focussing on improving overall design capabilities.
–15–

From the Developer Nils Kokemohr
In designing nik Sharpener, we set out to take a new look at sharpening
and optimizing images. More specifically, we began by taking a close look
at where improvements to a final image can be made while automating
this optimization process. This approach not only involved sharpening,
but also took into account the overall process of optimizing images. The
result brought about a few issues and key changes with regard to sharpening
and the development of nik Sharpener!
–16–

Good-bye “Pixels”!
Eliminating the “pixels” variable was at the top of our list. The radius
with which an image is to be sharpened depends on the printer type, not
on its resolution. To sharpen an image that has 400 dpi, for example, you
need to sharpen it with twice the radius as if it had 200 dpi. This is a simple
fact. However, to sharpen an image correctly it means that you must
perform various calculations each time you would want to sharpen an
image. Even knowing how to do the calculations and make the adjustments,
few graphic artists and
designers look forward to doing
this. So, we started by removing
the pixels variable from sharpening
and incorporated this internally
within nik Sharpener. Errors
that typically occur in traditional
sharpening are shown in the two
images on this page; errors that nik
Sharpener will help you avoid.
The images shown are the same size, but different resolutions
in pixels. Although the right image’s pixels are twice
as large, the image must NOT be sharpened twice as much.
–17–

Sharp? Sharper? Too Sharp!
When most people sharpen an image, they focus on making the image
as sharp as possible. However, the objective in sharpening is not to optimize
the sharpness of
an image – but rather
to optimize the image!
Like a bad face-lift,
over-sharpened images
create an effect that
something just doesn’t
look right. To remedy
this we incorporated
internal calculations for
sharpening images that
prevent over-sharpening.
The image on the left is sharpened correctly while the photo on the right
is over-sharpened.
Sharpening Depends on the Printer Type!
High resolution printers need sharpening with a small radius while low
resolution printers require stronger sharpening. nik Sharpener considers
this variable within its calculations and adjusts the image for optimal
results.
–18–

Sharpening Depends on the Image Source!
Higher resolution images require different parameters than those with
lower resolution when sharpening an image. A 2,000x2,000 pixel image,
for example needs to be sharpened with a high radius when scanned from
APS film. However, an image of the same size must be scanned with a
lower radius when scanned from a large format negative. This is another
adjustment we made in nik Sharpener. We take the source of the image
into account as a variable within the sharpening process.
Sharpening ALL Images to the Same Degree!
Looking at the overall process of image optimization, graphic artists and
designers seek predictability and consistency in the tools they use.
Simplicity and consistency is the basis on which we designed nik
Sharpener.
nik Sharpener takes true sharpening parameters and uses them to sharpen
each image to the optimal degree – never more or less. The images in
any layout should be sharpened optimally and to the same degree in order
to optimize the appearance of the overall effect of the page.
There always seems to be a temptation to try to sharpen blurry
or fuzzy images. I cannot emphasize this enough: DO NOT
sharpen blurry images! Sharpening cannot fix a fuzzy or blurry
image.
–19–

You may be able to bring out some of the structure of the image, making
it appear more crisp. However, a bad or blurry photo is still a bad or
blurry photo. Remember, painting glitter on a duck will not make it a
swan!
Have Fun!
Nils Kokemohr
nik multimedia
–20–
While the image on the right is a
sharpened version of the image on the
left, sharpening a blurry image can
merely add some contrast and not
“fix” a blurry image.

Additional features of “nik Sharpener Pro”
While nik Sharpener focuses on inkjet and color laser printers
for home and occasional professional uses, nik Sharpener
Pro serves the needs of professionals who regularly do layout
design and need to have more precise control of image sharpening
and incorporate individual offset lpi resolutions.
nik Sharpener Pro!
• Supports Grayscale and CMYK image modes.
• Includes “Save” and “Load” features, enabling settings to be stored.
• Allows batch processing of images so that you can sharpen entire folders of
images – very helpful for catalog production.
• Enables users to enter parameters using the keyboard.
• Incorporates additional parameters and multiple lpi settings for optimizing
images for offset printing.
• Utilizes a new antialiasing algorithm that avoids aliasing during sharpening.
• Provides various “eye distance” settings, enabling images to be optimized for
normal reading distance, product display distance, large sign and display distance,
larger format distance and much more.
• Incorporates a new and advanced color space, different from the Photoshop
color mode, maintaining higher color integrity.
For the most recent list of features for nik Sharpener Pro, contact TECHnik
using the information on page 22 or visit our web site at www.tech-nik.com.
–21–

TECHnik USA TECHnik Europe
The TECHnik Group
6549 Mission Gorge Rd. #220
San Diego, CA 92120
U. S. A.
Phone: (619) 562 - 4456
Fax: (619) 562 - 5583
E-mail: infous@tech-nik.com
HIGH PERFORMANCE GmbH
Wendenstraße 130
D-20537 Hamburg
Germany
Phone: + 49 - 40 - 25 40 48 - 0
Fax: + 49 - 40 - 25 40 48 - 40
E-Mail: infoeu@tech-nik.com
nik multimedia software is
produced and distributed exclusively by
The TECHnik Group.
© Copyright 1999 by The TECHnik Group. All rights reserved.
–22–

Interested in adding more creative power to Photoshop? Check out other nik
software, including nik Efex, nik Type Efex, nik Color Efex and nik
Radioactive Backgrounds - all giving you creative power and additional
functionality with Adobe Photoshop and all other Adobe-compatible products.
Find more information on these products on this CD or go to our Web Site.
Möchten Sie Photoshop mit noch mehr kreativen Effekten erweitern?
Software wie nik Efex, nik Type Efex, nik Color Efex and nik Radioactive
Backgrounds erweitert Adobe Photoshop und Adobe-kompatible
Produkte. Informationen finden Sie auf dieser CD oder im Internet.
http://www.tech-nik.com
–23–

certificate of authenticity
Authentic and original versions of this software are accompanied
by a certificate of authenticity and a numbered registration
card. Versions not accompanied by this certificate and registration
card are considered invalid. If your version does not
include this three-part-document or if you question the authenticity
of your software, please contact your software dealer
immediately, and/or contact TECHnik at http://www.technik.com/registration,
or e-mail us at regalert@tech-nik.com .
registration card, page 1 registration card, page 2
Sharpener_Booklet D/US 1.0