CrispImage Pro
CrispImage Pro is a sharpening plugin that offers 6 algorithms and improves on unsharp masking with "the CrispImage proprietary algorithm." The control panel provides four slider controls: strength (affects the intensity of change in pixel values), threshold (sets level below which no change to a pixel is made), halo limit (control of halo size), and standard deviation (modifies the influence of surrounding pixels at varying distances).
CrispImage applies a standard sharpening process when you open an image in it, you can then use the controls to modify the sharpening as you please.
Comment
There are 3 CrispImage editions: a basic plugin for Windows; the Pro plugin (discussed here), and a marginally more expensive Advanced plugin with 16-bits per channel support in grayscale, RGB, LAB and CMYK.
CrispImage Pro has been used by photo enthusiasts for several years and is now available in various editions at a range of prices. It is easy to use, creates crisp-looking output, and is definitely worth adding to Elements. Typical comments from three different users are: "(CrispImage Pro) makes natural looking images," "...makes a big difference," and "(provides) good halo control."
Tech info
- Plugs into: Photoshop 7 onwards; Elements
- OS: Windows ME onward
- Price level: (standard) $24; (Pro) $60; (Advanced) $70 (all approx.)
softwhile
softwhile develops and markets a range of Photoshop plugins, including the DeNoise noise reduction plugin and both the Tone Adjuster and Color Adjuster image enhancement plugins.
From the same vendor:
- Color Adjuster
- CrispImage Advanced
- DeNoise
- NEFView
- Tone Adjuster
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