The retail cost of Sharpener Pro 3.0 is $199.95. To purchase Sharpener Pro 3.0, please click here.

Sharpener Pro 3.0 has several new key features added to it. Some key reasons to upgrade are:

1. Selective sharpening can now be done using U Point® technology with Control Points, providing incredible precise control without the need for complicated selections or layer masks.


2. New creative sharpening tools allow you to enhance fine details and textures within your image.


3. The new Sharpening Soft Proof preview feature which saves time, money and the inconvenience of having to print test prints to ensure quality.


4. The Sharpener Pro 3.0 interface is now resizable to fit the entire screen size if desired.


5. Intel-based Macintosh users no longer need to run Photoshop CS3 or Photoshop Elements 6 in Rosetta.

The new features in Sharpener Pro 3.0 include the following:

• Selective Sharpening - U Point technology powered controls enable precise sharpening of different objects quickly and easily without the need to make different adjustment layers for each object or area.


• Creative sharpening tools - help enhance fine details and textures, drawing attention to desired areas within the image.


• Sharpening Soft Proof - allows inspection of sharpening results on screen and eliminates costly test prints.


• Output Presets - provides settings for later use and repeatable results.


• Smart Filter Compatibility (Photoshop only) - fine-tune enhancements even after they’ve been applied.


• Multi-image Support (Aperture only) - ensures consistency between multiple images


• Resizable user interface - allows the interface to be resized to the entire screen.


• Fully compatible with Intel - based Macintosh computers, Leopard, and Windows Vista.

Yes, Sharpener Pro 3.0 is Smart Filter compatible in Adobe® Photoshop® CS3 as the host application. To use Sharpener Pro 3.0 as a Smart Filter, please follow the instructions below:

1. Open your image in Photoshop CS3.
   
   
2. Select the layer to apply Sharpener Pro 3.0 to.


3. Click on Filter > Convert for Smart Filter, and the layer is converted to a smart filter.


4. Click on Filter > Nik Software and then select one of the Sharpener Pro 3.0 filters to open up the Sharpener Pro 3.0 interface. From here you can apply the desired sharpening to your image.

No. Optimum sharpness in an image judged on a monitor or display is not sharp enough for optimum sharpness in a print of that image. The printing process introduces a softness to the image. Therefore, the image seen on the monitor or display may look too sharp on the monitor. Sharpener Pro 3.0 was designed to apply the right amount of sharpening to the image to achieve optimal sharpness in the print. The Output Sharpener filter was designed to overcome the softness for each printing technology, and is able to calculate the right amount of sharpening for the image from the image size, viewing distance, printer resolution, and paper type.

Sharpener Pro 3.0 introduces a new Sharpening Soft Proof feature that enables you to preview what the printed image will look like. Click here to learn more about the Sharpening Soft Proof

In Sharpener Pro 3.0 you can now use Control Points to selectively sharpen an image. A Control Point enables you to selectively sharpen objects or areas with control over each object or area selected by a Control Point. To use a control point, do the following:

1. In the Sharpener Pro 3.0 interface, select Control Points in the drop-down menu of the Selective Sharpening section.


2. Click on the ‘Add Control Point’ button and then click on an object or area in the image that you wish to apply selective sharpening to.


3. Each Control Point enables you to work with you images and selectively control and adjust the sharpening applied to object or area selected by the Control Point.


4. Use additional Control Points to sharpen other areas or objects in your image.

The Advanced tab in Sharpener Pro 2.0 provided selective sharpening based on colors. This same feature is available in Sharpener Pro 3.0 and is now available in the Selective Sharpening section’s drop-down menu and is called Color Ranges. Color Ranges can be used by following these steps:

1. Open the Sharpener Pro 3.0 interface and navigate to the to the Selective Sharpening section.


2. Select the drop-down menu in the Selective Sharpening area and choose, ‘Color Ranges’ (by default it will be set to ‘Control Points’).


3. Initially, you will have the option of using up to three color ranges. You can add additional color ranges by clicking on the plus in the lower right of the Selective Sharpening section.

1. First, choose the desired output sharpening settings in the Output Sharpening section.
2. Next, adjust the Output Sharpener Strength slider in the Creative Sharpening section. Moving this slider to the left decreases sharpening while moving the slider to the right increases sharpening.

Please remember that what you see on your screen is not necessarily what you will get on your print out. This is because a typical monitor has a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), while most printers print at a much higher resolution. This causes the image on a monitor to appear over sharp but properly sharpened in the print.

Use the new Sharpening Soft Proof view mode to judge the sharpening effect applied to an image as it would appear when printed.

The Sharpening Soft Proof view mode found within Sharpener Pro 3.0’s Output Sharpener filter is designed to provide a preview of the image as it would appear printed with the current sharpening applied. Using the Sharpening Soft Proof allows you to judge the strength of sharpening that you are applying to the image, and ensures that you get high quality results without the high cost of test prints.

If you print with a lab or an online printing facility, use the Continuous tone Output method in the Output Sharpener filter. Consult your lab to find the resolution they will be printing the image at and use that information to set your Printer Resolution.

Also, if you are sharpening with Sharpener Pro 3.0 and printing at a lab or an online printing facility, please ask the printers to turn off any sharpening they may apply.

Yes. Sharpener Pro 3.0 is developed to work with all color management systems and will not affect your current color management system or its settings.

1. Highlight the image that you wish to enhance with Sharpener Pro 3.0.


2. Click the Images menu.


3. Roll over the Edit With sub-menu. A popup menu appears.


4. Select one of the Sharpener Pro 3.0 filters from the popup.

The Sharpener Pro 3.0 interface will open with the image(s) selected.

To turn Rosetta off on an Intel-based Mac computer with Photoshop CS3 or Photoshop Elements 6, follow these four easy steps below:

1. Quit out of Adobe Photoshop and navigate to the Adobe Photoshop CS3 or Photoshop Elements 6 application file which is typically at the following locations: "Photoshop CS3:" Macintosh HD | Applications | Adobe Photoshop CS3 "Photoshop Elements 6:" Macintosh HD | Applications | Photoshop Elements 6 Please note that the Adobe Photoshop CS3 or Photoshop Elements 6 application file is within the folder of the same name.


2. Highlight the Adobe Photoshop CS3 application file icon and select Get Info from the File menu.


3. In the File Info window (as shown on the right), uncheck the box next to "Open using Rosetta".


4. At the bottom of window, expand the "Sharing & Permissions" section, click on the gold padlock in the lower right, enter in your user password to accept the change and then close the window.

To enable the Nik Selective Tool to automatically launch when Photoshop starts, do the following:

1. Bring up the Nik Selective Tool by clicking on File >Automate >Nik Selective Tool. On the lower section of the Nik Selective Tool click Settings.


2. Click on the Settings button found in the lower section of the Nik Selective Tool.


3. Change the ‘When Photoshop Launches’ setting to ‘Automatically open the Selective Tool’. Alternatively if you do not want the Nik Selective Tool to appear each time, change this same setting to ‘Do Not Automatically open the Selective Tool’.

LPI is used to indicate Lines Per Inch, also known as a line screen. This is what a printing press uses to indicate the resolution of the half-tone screen used when printing (consult with the printing press to obtain this value).

DPI is used to indicate Dots Per Inch and is typically used by non-half line devices to indicate how many dots of ink are laid out in an inch (consult the printer manual to determine the DPI resolution that the printer will be using).

Some applications also use DPI to indicate the resolution of a file. This, however, is the resolution of a file, which is not made up of physical dots, but rather how many pixels high by how many pixels wide the image is. Any value that contains per inch or per centimeter is only related to an output device as it would relate to a physical representation of the image.

A more correct indication would be PPI (pixels per inch) for the resolution of a file as it relates to output. A DPI or PPI value within an image editing application will indicate how many pixels are found within the image that will be used when sent to a printer or output device to make up a single square inch. That output device will then utilize its own conversion system to convert those pixels into a physical representation.

It is important not to mix up the DPI of a printer with the DPI or PPI of an image. For example, an Inkjet printer may use 1440 horizontal dots of ink and 720 vertical dots of ink to create one square inch, but only requires between 200 and 300 pixels horizontally and vertically for that same square inch.

A typical rule of thumb is to use 300 DPI or PPI for the image’s resolution within the image editing application, regardless of the LPI or DPI settings that will be set in the printer. The exception is when displaying images on a display device (such as a monitor or projector) where a resolution of 72 DPI is the standard.

In conclusion, when determining the DPI or LPI settings for within Sharpener Pro 3.0, consult the printing company or printer manual to determine the resolution that the printer will be using (either in LPI or DPI).

By using the Nik Selective Tool, you can apply Sharpener Pro 3.0 to your images selectively using a paint brush. While Sharpener Pro 3.0 has U Point technology using Control Points which selective in nature, sometimes adjusting the effect with a brush is a necessary additional step to get the right end result.

The Nik Selective Tool can be opened by clicking on File> Automate >Nik Selective Tool in Photoshop (File > Automation Tools in Photoshop Elements). After opening the Nik Selective Tool you are able to access the Sharpener Pro 3.0 interface where you click on the RAW Presharpener or Output Sharpening button and bring up its interface for the active image.

After you have selected the desired sharpening and adjusted the sliders accordingly on the left in the Sharpener Pro 3.0 interface, you return to the Nik Selective Tool by clicking on the Brush button at the bottom of the interface. From this point forward you are in the selective editing environment and can use any of the four buttons that are on the Selective tool as listed below:

• Paint - Select this editing function to begin selectively applying the current filter effect to the image. After selecting this button, paint the effect using the Photoshop paintbrush into the image, using varying opacities or levels of pressure (when using a pressure sensitive input device) to control the amount of the effect as it is being painted into the image.


• Erase - Select this editing function to selectively remove the current filter effect from the image. After filling the image (by pressing the [Fill] button), select the [Erase] button, paint the effect out of the image, using varying opacities or levels of pressure (when using a pressure sensitive input device) to control the amount of the effect as it is being removed from the image. This tool is only available after selecting a filter that has been applied to the image.


• Fill - Select this editing function to add the current filter effect onto the entire image.


• Clear - Select this editing function to remove the current filter effect from the entire image. This tool is only available after selecting a filter that has been applied to the image.

Sharpener Pro 3.0 may be used with any mouse or pointing device. Graphics tablets are not required. However, the Nik Selective Tool offers additional control through pressure sensitivity when it is used with a pressure sensitive graphics tablet.

To create a batch process in Sharpener Pro 3.0, follow these steps:

1. Open an image in Photoshop.


2. Open the Actions tab by clicking on Window > Actions.


3. Click the 'create new action' icon just to the left of the trash can icon at the bottom on the Actions tab in Photoshop, and assign a name for your action.


4. Click on the record icon on the Actions tab to begin recording your action.


5. Select the desired Sharpener Pro 3.0 filter. For example:
   
   
1. Click Filter > Nik Software > Sharpener Pro 3.0 (2) Output Sharpener to bring up the interface.


2. Click on the appropriate output sharpening method, adjust the sliders as appropriate in the Sharpener Pro 3.0 interface and click ok.


3. Wait for the filter to process the image and apply the effect.


6. Click the stop icon on the Actions tab. Your Action is now complete, and can be viewed in the Actions tab.

To start the Batch Process, follow these steps:

1. Ensure that the action that was created earlier is indicated in the Action pull-down menu. If the correct action is not indicated, click on the pull-down menu and select the correct action.


2. Under source, indicate folder, and then click Choose. Navigate to the folder that contains all of the images that you want to apply the Batch Process to.


3. Under Destination, select Folder. Click Choose and navigate to the folder that was created on your desktop earlier. For example, navigate to the Polarization Processed folder.


4. Click OK.

The Batch Process will now begin and apply the filter from the Action to all of the images in the folder, and save a new copy of the image with the filter applied to the folder that was created on the desktop.

Note: When using Sharpener Pro 3.0 in a batch process or Actions, the filter effect will not be applied to a separate layer. To apply Sharpener Pro 3.0 to a separate layer, while recording the action, duplicate the layer prior to applying the Sharpener Pro 3.0 filter. This will ensure that the batch process will include a new filtered layer for each image. (clicking ok for batch process will not create a new layer even if set to)

For the Macintosh users:

1. Insert the CD or mount the downloaded DMG file.


2. Run the uninstaller application.

For the Windows users:

Click Start > Programs > Sharpener Pro 3.0 > Sharpener Pro 3.0 uninstall.

When using Sharpener Pro 3.0 as an external editor for Lightroom, Sharpener Pro 3.0 can support JPEG and TIFF files*.

*Sharpener Pro 3.0 only supports TIFF files in 8 or 16-bit with no compression or LZW compression.

Sharpener Pro 3.0 can also be manually added as an external editor providing easy access to edit your photos in Sharpener Pro 3.0. Follow the steps below to manually add Sharpener Pro 3.0 as an external editor.

1. Open the Preferences in Lightroom.


2. Click the External Editing tab.


3. In the Additional External Editor section select a desired File Format, Color Space, Bit Depth, Resolution, and Compression.
   
   Note: Sharpener Pro 3.0 is only compatible with TIFF files (8 or 16-bit, with no compression or LZW compression).


4. Click on Choose to select an application. Navigate to the location of Sharpener Pro 3.0.
   
   
   On Windows, the default installation location for Sharpener Pro 3.0 will be:
   
   
   C:\Program Files\Nik Software\Sharpener Pro 3.0 for Lightroom
   
   On Macintosh, the default installation location for Sharpener Pro 3.0 will be:
   
   
   Macintosh HD : Applications : Nik Software : Sharpener Pro 3.0 for Lightroom


5. Select the Sharpener 3.0 Pro file and click Choose.


6. Under the Preset drop-down menu, select Save Current Settings as New Preset… and name the preset.

After Sharpener Pro 3.0 has been added to Lightroom as an external editor, it can be accessed under the Photo > Edit In… menu. Follow the steps below to access Sharpener Pro 3.0.

1. Highlight the image(s) that you wish to enhance with Sharpener Pro 3.0.


2. Click the Photo menu.


3. Roll over the Edit In sub-menu. A popup menu appears.


4. Select Sharpener Pro 3.0 from the popup.


5. After selecting Sharpener Pro 3.0, select whether to Edit Original, Edit a Copy, or Edit a Copy with Lightroom Adjustments.
   
   Note: If Edit a Copy with Lightroom Adjustments is selected, the Copy File Options must be determined as well. Select the File Format, Color Space, Bit Depth, Resolution and Compression for the new file to be edited in Sharpener Pro 3.0*.
   
   *Sharpener Pro 3.0 is only compatible with TIFF and JPEG files (8 or 16- bit with no compression or LZW compression).


6. Click Edit and the Sharpener Pro 3.0 interface appears, displaying the image(s) specified in Step 1 above.