6 replies to this topic

[black rat]

I was talking to Roy C about this subject, as I appear to be having problems with sharpness and noise, which I have not had before. I am using CS5. A wildlife picture looks good on my screen on Photoviewer and CS5. When I download to this site the image is not as sharp and is darker slightly with some BG noise.


When you resize, if in CS5, do you go with Bicubic sharper, Bicubic smoother?...

I have been using Bicubic. I tried Bicubic sharper, but I thought that overdid the job, so now I am trying both, depending what shot it is. I have just changed a Nuthatch with another yesterday because it seemed darker and less sharp, although looks good on my PC on CS5 and viewer. So I still trying to get a balance between the two.....I then go Baseline Standard when saving.


Any advice on this please all....................Basil

[Mark Wilson]

Hi Basil

Looking at your recent Nuthatch, it is a very small file size (>60kb) so I imagine part of the problem is how you save the resized file in PS. My steps with PS CS5 are as follows:

1. Convert the image to sRGB (only required if you use Adobe or ProPhoto colour spaces)
2. Resize image to 900px on the longest edge. I always use bicubic sharper for reduction down to web sizes.
3. Apply any sharpening
4. I then save the file using File-Save As. Change the file type to JPEG, make sure ICC profile is ticked, and set the quality to 10 or 11 to get a file size around 200kb (baseline standard).

Hope that helps?

[black rat]

I do sharpening first, so maybe I will try it your way. Thanks Mark...................Basil

[roy c]

I certainly do not think you should be using Bicubic Smoother for downsizing Basil (Bicubic maybe but not Bicubic Smoother).
I notice sometimes when I use my normal Bicubic Sharper for downsizing that fine feather detail that is say, protruding from the main body of the bird, loses its fine detail because the Downsizing applies too much sharpness. For images like this I am now playing around with Bicubic and then apply some selective sharpening again after the downsizing.

[black rat]

I am trying Bicubic then sharpen after. Selective may be another way to go to avoid any halo issues.....Cheers Roy.............Basil

[roy c]

Just to clarify my method Basil, for web images I also do my sharpening after downsizing. But even then I sometimes find that using Bicubic sharper over sharpens some fine wispy areas, in these cases I just use Bicubic.
After downsizing I will then sharpen (selectively) using the Luminosity channel - this allows a bit more sharpening without creating those ugly halo's in my experience.

[black rat]

Thanks Roy, giving it a go now....Basil...