Photoshop: High Pass Softening
You may already know that it is possible to sharpen an image using the High Pass Filter. But did you know it’s possible to use the filter to soften an image?
To see this at work, start with an image open on the screen.
Duplicate the image background layer or if you have an image that has adjustments in it, create a flattened version of the image on a new layer at the top of the layer stack. To do this target the topmost layer and choose Layer > New > Layer.
Target this new layer and press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E (Command + Option + Shift + E on the Mac) to create a flattened version of the image on this new layer.
You will apply the High Pass Filter to this layer.
To do this, you can convert the layer to a Smart Object by choosing Filter > Convert for Smart Filters.
If you’re working on a version of Photoshop earlier than CS4, you can still use this process without converting the layer to a Smart Object.
Choose Filter > Other > High Pass and set the High Pass filter Radius to a value that shows gray and white lines on the image. Stop short of the image showing too much color. The larger the radius value, the more the softening effect although too large a Radius will be counter-productive. Click Ok to apply the filter to the image.
In the Layers palette, set the Blend Mode of the top layer to Soft Light.
To soften the image, select the High Pass filter layer and choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Invert. You’ll need to create a Clipping Group between the Adjustment Layer and the High Pass Filter layer by selecting the Adjustment Layer and choose Layer > Create Clipping Mask.
Create a black filled mask on the High Pass Filter layer by Alt + Clicking on the Add a Layer Mask button at the foot of the Layer palette (Option + Click on the Mac).
Set the Foreground color to white and paint on the mask with a soft round brush in the areas that you want to soften the image such as the skin tones here. This image shows the masked area – you won’t see this as you work.
If you created a Smart Object the High Pass Filter can be adjusted by double clicking on the filter in the Layers palette and adjust the Radius value.
You can use a different blending mode on the masked layer such as Overlay if that gives results you like better and you can also change the opacity of the layer to reduce the intensity of the effect.
15 Responses to “Photoshop: High Pass Softening” - Add Yours
September 25th, 2010 at 12:59 am
Neat technique. Thank you.
September 25th, 2010 at 1:03 am
That’s a nice subtle adjustment, and looks a lot more natural than some softening effects I’ve seen put on portraits.
Thanks for sharing your technique, I’ll have to give it a go!
~WW
http://www.wayfaringwanderer.com
September 25th, 2010 at 1:22 am
Really useful, thanks!
I’m thinking (and smiling) to the old times, when a simple light Softar filter was all we had available
September 25th, 2010 at 2:14 am
This is a very informative tutorial, thank you for sharing!
September 25th, 2010 at 4:59 am
I’m sorry, but this is too much. You make a young girl look like a mannequin, with no detail in her skin. God forbid she have pores!
September 26th, 2010 at 10:15 pm
I have to agree with jj. To simply unsharp the skin is destruktive.
The technique of using the filter the other way round is important, but don’t ruin skin.
September 27th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
I don’t think the picture is really important here. Its the lesson that matters and how you
choose to use it.
So thanks for sharing Helen.
Rob
September 27th, 2010 at 11:59 pm
Ok jj and SpazzMarticus – I am getting so tired of you critiques on these tutorials. If you don’t like the technique then don’t use it. Some people find this info great – so keep it to yourself both of you. And really who cares what you think – we all take the FREE info given here and use it to the best of our abilities. So quiet down in the peanut gallery!
September 30th, 2010 at 9:52 am
Great, clear article.
October 1st, 2010 at 5:25 am
My workspace looks exactly like those above. Can anyone guess why I still have the weird coloring in the inverted layer – except mine isn’t red and pink, it’s aqua and purple? Thanks for any help.
October 1st, 2010 at 9:07 am
Doesn’t work.
October 1st, 2010 at 10:46 am
Another great one Helen, thanks, I am not 100% sure I fully understand high pass, I will have to pley with it a bit more, I think the effect is subtle and gives a lovely look to her skin.
October 2nd, 2010 at 4:03 am
Thanks Helen, and welcome back. I’ve missed your Photoshop articles. Gotta try this one out but I think I’ll try it on a more mature model who will appreciate the lack of pores not to mention the softer wrinkles. Apparently, some don’t realize that women are willing to spend billions each year on pore covering cosmetics. Photoshop can do a better job for nothing.
Cliff
October 2nd, 2010 at 7:32 am
I think there might be a step missing. Has anyone figured this out?
October 2nd, 2010 at 8:20 am
@Eileen – have you clipped the invert layer to the layer below- I think probably not as, if I undo that step I get funky colours in the image.
This is the step I think you have omitted:
You’ll need to create a Clipping Group between the Adjustment Layer and the High Pass Filter layer by selecting the Adjustment Layer and choose Layer > Create Clipping Mask.
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