Quick Photoshop Secrets 6: How To Enhance Details Beautifully

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Quick Photoshop Secrets 6: How To Enhance Details Beautifully

Learn how to enhance details easily in Photoshop with this very quick technique. During the stages of post-processing sadly we can lose details, especially in textures. Enhancing details brings back those textures and beautiful detail. First, we’ll tell you about the method that we use. Then we’ll show you the quickest method using Raya Pro. Finally, we’ll show you how to do this the long way, so if you don’t have Raya Pro you can still get a similar effect.


The Method We Use to Enhance Details

Essentially, we use the High Pass filter to enhance very fine local contrast. This is used as an advanced sharpening technique when we use a smaller radius, and with a higher radius, we can create extreme local contrast that can sometimes help us cut through hazy images.


The Quick Method Using Raya Pro

1. Open Raya Pro and select DB Details. In newer version fo Ray Pro you will find this in Filters/Finish and choose Detail Enhance.

Enhance details with Raya Pro

2. Select a low Radius to target textures and click OK.

Enhance detail radius

3. Ensuring the ‘Detail’ Mask is selected. Select your Brush Tool and a white foreground colour. Then, simply paint in the areas where you want to bring back the details.

Paint in detail


The Standard Method Without Using Raya Pro

1. Firstly, Duplicate the Background Layer by pressing Crtl+ on a PC or Cmd+J on a Mac.

Enhancement layer

2. We need to make this a Black & White layer. Select the Black & White icon in the adjustments panel. Or, go to Layer>New Adjustments Layer>Black and White.

black & white layer

3. Right-click on the Black & White layer and select Merge Down or press Crtl+E on a PC or Cmd+E on a Mac.

Layer Merge Down

4. Now, change the Blend Mode to Vivid Light or Hard Light. These different blend modes will have dramatically different effect so choose which ever one works best for you.

Layer Blend Mode

5. We now need to apply rhe High Pass filter. Go to Filter>Others>High Pass.

High Pass filter

6. Choose a suitable Radius, lower to sharpen fine detail. The higher the Radius the more impact and the more local contrast is affected which can cause haloing. Click OK.

Local contrast high radius

7. Apply a hidden Mask to the High Pass layer. Go to Layer>Layer Mask>Hide All or hold down the Alt key on a PC or Opt key on a Mac and left click on the mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel.

hidden mask details

8. Select your Brush Tool and a white foreground colour. Then, simply paint in the areas where you want to bring back the details.

enhanced details in photoshop

9. If the affect is too strong. Either, reduce the brush opacity or lower the overall layer opacity until the enhancement is exactly as you want it.


Let’ have a look at the before and after detail enhancements in Photoshop.

sharpen details in photoshop

enhance details in photoshop


If you like this article you might also like Photoshop Secrets 18: How To Remove Noise But Keep Beautiful Details.

Or to learn more detail about what “High Pass” filter actually does under the hood?

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Quick Photoshop Secrets 6: How To Enhance Details Beautifully
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