Creative detail and destination detail are two passes
Creative sharpening answers what the subject needs: whether capture softness, motion or a lack of local presence is the problem. Output sharpening answers what the destination will remove. Keeping them separate prevents a paper compensation from being mistaken for recovered detail.
This route begins with Inkjet, matte stock: radius 1.4 pixels and amount 130 percent, stacked on top of the measured creative pass. Glossy, coated offset and large-format options remain in the same rail because the destination, not the photograph, decides this second pass.
The opening numbers, kept visible
| Decision | Opening | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Creative pass | Measured from this file | Treat capture softness before paper |
| Output preset | Inkjet, matte stock | Compensate for expected spread |
| Radius | 1.4 px | Wider than native-screen sharpening |
| Amount | 130% | A print starting point, not calibration |
The result that means the pass went too far
A pale rim against the light side of an edge, a dark groove against the shadow side, gritty skin and noise that prints as texture are the warnings. Large-format work may show a rim at 100 percent and still look correct at three metres, so viewing distance is part of the judgement.
Inspect at one image pixel per screen pixel and use the halo overlay before export. A fit-to-window preview hides exactly the bright and dark rims this decision can create.
Questions about the destination
Why does print sharpening look too strong on screen?
Ink spread and viewing distance soften the printed edge. Output sharpening deliberately creates a small amount of acutance that the paper and process reduce. The proof is the print, not a fit-to-window preview.
Should I sharpen before or after sizing for print?
Do creative sharpening while the source is still editable, resize to the final placed pixel dimensions, then judge the destination pass. A radius in pixels changes its physical meaning when the image is resampled.
Which preset should I choose without a printer profile?
Use the closest process as a cautious starting point and make a small proof. Paper, ink, screening and viewing distance vary enough that no web tool can measure the final device from the file alone.
