Open a photo in Camera Raw and zoom the preview image to at least 100%.
Last updated on
Nov 3, 2023
Sharpen photos
The sharpening controls on the Detail tab adjust the edge definition in the image. When local sharpening is applied, the Brush and Graduated Filter tools use the Radius, Detail, and Masking values.
You can use the Apply Sharpening to option in the Camera Raw preferences to specify whether sharpening is applied to all images or just to previews.
Note
To open preferences from within Camera Raw, select .
In the Detail panel, adjust these controls:
Amount
Adjusting the Amount value can increase sharpening in images to enhance edge definition, with zero turning it off completely. For cleaner images, it’s generally recommended to set the Amount to a lower value. This adjustment is a variation of the Unsharp Mask technique, which identifies pixels that differ from their surroundings based on a specified threshold and boosts their contrast accordingly. When you open a file, the Camera Raw plug-in automatically calculates the appropriate threshold based on the camera model, ISO, and exposure compensation.
Radius
Adjusts the size of the details to which sharpening is applied. Photos with fine details generally need a lower setting. Pictures with more extensive information can use a larger radius. Using a radius that is too large results typically in unnatural-looking results.
Detail
Adjusts how much high-frequency information is sharpened in the image and how much the sharpening process emphasizes edges. Lower settings primarily sharpen edges to remove blurring. Higher values help make the textures in the image more pronounced.
Masking
Controls an edge mask. Everything in the image receives the same sharpening if it's set to zero. If set to 100, sharpening is restricted to areas near the most robust edges. Press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) while dragging this slider to see the areas to be sharpened (white) versus the areas masked out (black).
Reduce noise
The Noise Reduction section of the Detail tab has controls for reducing image noise, the extraneous visible artifacts that degrade image quality. Image noise includes luminance (grayscale) noise, which makes an image look grainy, and chroma (color) noise, visible as colored artifacts in the picture. Photos with high ISO speeds or less sophisticated digital cameras can make noticeable noise.
Note
When making noise reduction adjustments, first zoom in on the preview image to at least 100% to see the noise reduction previewed.
Luminance
Reduces luminance noise.
Luminance Detail
Controls the luminance noise threshold. Useful for noisy photos. Higher values preserve more detail but can produce noisier results. Lower values produce cleaner results but also remove some detail.
Luminance Contrast
Controls the luminance contrast. Useful for noisy photos. Higher values preserve contrast but can produce noisy blotches or mottling. Lower values produce smoother results but can also have less contrast.
Color
Reduces color noise.
Color Detail
Controls the color noise threshold. Higher values protect thin, detailed color edges but can result in color specking. Lower values remove color speckles but can result in color bleeding.
For video tutorials about reducing noise in Camera Raw, see:
Better noise reduction in Photoshop by Matt Kloskowski
Lens correction and noise reduction with Adobe Camera Raw by Russell Brown
