I use Photokit Sharpener with CS3 and 4x5 16-bit scans from an Epson 4990 scanner, both color transparencies and FP4+. From the Photokit instructions they suggest to do your capture sharpening before any image manipulation with a 16 bit file. The Mastering Digital Black and White book says to do your capture sharpening after your image manipulation. What is the logic behind when to do the capture sharpening?

Scott

There's no hard and fast rule, but with color, sometimes capture sharpening has a more noticeable effect on overall image contrast, so it can help to view that effect before you start editing. Personally I haven't found cases in bw where the capture sharpening would have changed subsequent contrast edits. And of course you have to convert the image from grayscale to RGB and back. So I'd rather do that later in the pipeline. With very large files I'll apply both capture and output sharpening after the file is dumped down to 8 bit for printing. YMMV, but it does help to get a routine and stick to it. Mistakes and omissions are less likely that way.

Amadou,

Thanks for your answer and it makes perfect sense that the sharpening work flow would be different depending on color or B&W. I was originally using the Photokit sharpener on scans from 135 Velvia and now in addition I'm shooting 6x6 and 4x5 as well as color transparency and B&W negative film AND a Nikon D40. I also like the idea of applying sharpening after converting large files from 16 down to 8-bit.

Thanks for a great book-I checked it out through a library and will add it to my Christmas list:)

Scott

This thread is very useful...thanks. Two more questions to add to it:

1) Relative to shapening, what's the best practice for when the file first opens (in this case a B&W drum scan - 6x6 neg) in Adobe Camera Raw? There is a "preset" of sharpness already attributed to the image. Should I wipe this out to zero and proceed to Photoshop after making other adjustments. OR... should I keep the basic sharpening that is attributed in ACR, or should I in fact do more sharpening in ACR.

2) When converting to 8 bits prior to printing, does my work flow need to be: convert to 8bits, then convert to RGB...OR by JUST going to RGB mode, does that automatically convert my 16bit file to an 8 bit.

Thanks, once again.

Ralph