mastering detail panel adobe lightroom classic

[donniec]

Hi Community.

This post is to ask this most esteemed community for the most advanced, best free resource / tutorial on the Detail Panel in Adobe Lightroom. I am interested in getting a better understanding of how to manipulate the subtle visual changes to edge pixels that each tool creates, especially when using the option / alt key to view image in grayscale. Of course each output type is different and requires a different set of requirements and levels of sharpening etc, but when using each tool what does one look for when studying the edges? How much is too much? How much is right for print, for screen? Methinks that a large part may be learned from experience, but..... pickin the brains here is better than searching the internet.

Thanks in advance.

[Conrad C]

One good explanation comes from Martin Evening in his book Adobe Photoshop for Photographers. That web site has a PDF excerpt about your question:

Camera Raw sharpening and noise reduction (same controls as Lightroom)

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@donniec wrote:

How much is right for print, for screen?

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The Sharpening controls in the Detail panel might be considered to cover the “capture sharpening” phase of Bruce Fraser’s three-pass sharpening workflow that separates (1) capture sharpening, (2) creative sharpening, and (3) output sharpening. The sharpening model in Lightroom and Camera Raw was originally based on Fraser’s approach. Determining the right amount of sharpening for print or screen would typically happen in that third phase, which in Lightroom Classic is covered by the Output Sharpening options in the Export dialog box or the Print Sharpening options in the Print module. Some consider those settings kind of limited, so they prefer to tune the output sharpening for each medium using the tools in Photoshop.

Similar information about the Detail panel and print sharpening is in Jeff Schewe’s excellent books The Digital Negative and The Digital Print. Roughly, the right sharpening settings depend on the pixel density (resolution) of the final screen or print, the exact medium (e.g., paper type) being displayed or printed on, and the anticipated viewing distance. What has been written about that is a bit more involved than would fit here, but you can learn a lot from running test proofs on your final output medum (screen or print).

[donniec]

Thanks Conrad C. Wow, your reply was great. Excellent perspective of the processes invloved and I can't wait to dig into the resources you provided. Thanks so much!

Donnie C

[TheDigitalDog]

You can also get more information about the Sharpening workflow of Bruce's etc by downloading the free PhotoKit Sharpener and reading its manual:

http://www.pixelgenius.com

It isn't software you'll use or need in LR but LR and ACRs capture and output sharpening is based on this and the manual has a lot of great info that applies to these products. 

[donniec]

Thanks Dog. Talk about advanced, you are right, their manuals are deep. I hope they remain accesible as long as possible, since of course pixelgenius closed shop.