VFX Atlas
M 151 / 18307 Filters & Motionalgorithm output

Unsharp Mask

filtering, restoration & motion

Typeface · Archivo Black

Real-world algorithm demonstration, applied to a NASA portrait.
Real-world algorithm demonstration, applied to a NASA portrait.Image: NASA / Eileen Collins · scikit-image (public domain)View source ↗

Prompt

Apply Unsharp Mask to increase local contrast along edges, making contours, fine textures, and small details visibly crisper. Introduce restrained light and dark edge halos without changing the overall palette or exposure. Avoid exaggerated grain, brittle outlines, and clipped highlights. Preserve the original subject and composition.

Paste it into LetzAI with your own image to apply the effect ↗

Identify

Image edges appear crisper, sometimes with halos1.

Principle

A soft-focus image2 is taken from the original and enhanced.

Try it out

Look for overdrawn edges.

Classification

Calculated image processing result.

Further examples · 7 images

Unsharp masking
02 Unsharp maskingThis image displays a logic flowchart and mathematical formula for digital sharpening. It illustrates the calculated process of subtracting a low-pass, soft-focus version of an image from the original to enhance edge definition.Angela0130 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
SharpenCarExample2
03 SharpenCarExample2A side-by-side comparison shows a night scene with a car. The right half displays increased local contrast and edge definition, particularly visible on the car's license plate and taillights, demonstrating digital sharpening.Rubén Bonilla Tanco · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Mars in Thermal Infrared (gemini-mars-trecs)
04 Mars in Thermal Infrared (gemini-mars-trecs)A comparison of Mars in thermal infrared shows a raw image next to an unsharp mask result. The middle panel shows enhanced surface features and clearer boundaries against the black background.International Gemini Observatory · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
AI illustration: A close-up portrait shows high-contrast facial details and hair
05 AI illustration: A close-up portrait shows high-contrast facial details and hairA close-up portrait shows high-contrast facial details and hair. The sharp transitions and bright outlines around hair strands demonstrate the edge enhancement typical of the unsharp mask process.Illustration generated for the Atlas (AI)
AI illustration: A circuit board macro shows distinct white outlines around electronic com
06 AI illustration: A circuit board macro shows distinct white outlines around electronic comA circuit board macro shows distinct white outlines around electronic components. These halos and the artificial crispness of the copper traces result from local edge enhancement.Illustration generated for the Atlas (AI)
AI illustration: Brutalist architecture is shown with extreme edge contrast and visible da
07 AI illustration: Brutalist architecture is shown with extreme edge contrast and visible daBrutalist architecture is shown with extreme edge contrast and visible dark halos against the sky. The grit of the concrete is emphasized through high-radius sharpening, demonstrating an aggressive application of the digital effect.Illustration generated for the Atlas (AI)