Sharpen Tool

The Sharpen Tool increases the contrast between adjacent pixels to make areas of your image appear crisper and more defined. It is useful for bringing out texture in eyes, enhancing edge detail in product photos, or adding clarity to specific areas.

Unlike global sharpening filters, the Sharpen Tool lets you apply sharpening selectively by painting only where it is needed, avoiding the artificial look of uniform sharpening.

Where to Find It

The Sharpen Tool is grouped with the Blur Tool and Smudge Tool in the toolbar. Click and hold the Blur Tool icon (teardrop), then select Sharpen Tool from the flyout.

How to Use

• Select the Sharpen Tool: Click and hold the Blur Tool icon, then select Sharpen Tool.
• Adjust brush size: Use [ and ] to set the brush size.
• Set strength: Choose a Strength value (1–100%). Start with 30–50%.
• Paint over the area: Brush over the details you want to sharpen.
• Protect Detail: Check Protect Detail to avoid amplifying noise.

Pro Tips

• Use the Sharpen Tool sparingly — it is easy to over-sharpen and create unnatural halos around edges.
• Duplicate the layer first and apply the Sharpen Tool to the duplicate, then use a layer mask to control visibility.
• For best results, use a High Pass filter on a separate layer instead of the Sharpen Tool for larger areas.