nik multimedia Inc. on Tuesday announced Sharpener Pro 2.0, a new version of its software that sharpens digital images. Sharpener Pro works as a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop and other image editing applications. Coming in June, Sharpener Pro 2.0 costs US$169.95 for the “Inkjet Edition” and $329.95 for the “Complete Edition.”
Sharpener Pro works by applying optimal sharpening to a digital image based on its resolution, viewing distance, paper type and printer resolution, instead of the more traditional values employed by other sharpening tools, such as radius, amount and threshold.
New features in this release include 16-bit compatibility for sharpening 16-bit images, a larger preview area and new tools. New tools in the 2.0 version include sliders in the Advanced controls menu to increase or decrease the sharpening applied to areas of the image that have color, and the Selective tools, which lets you sharpen any part of the image with selective brush strokes. A new RAW Presharpening filter helps users get the most out of digital camera RAW files, when supported.
Sharpener Pro 2.0 works with Mac OS X v10.2.4 and later, and Adobe Photoshop 5.0 – CS 2.0, Photoshop LE 4.0 – 5.0, PhotoDeluxe 2.0 – 4.0, Photoshop Elements 1.0 – 3.0, Corel PhotoPaint 8.0 – 10.0 and other applications.