The Photoshop plug-in Photokit Sharpener by Pixel Genius (sharpening software), is one that I have used for ages and still used until December 2023.
I think its really good and actually more than adequate for my needs. I was forced to abandon it when my old Windows 7 PC became "unsupported and thus unprotected by Microsoft" I was dragged kicking and screaming away from my non subscription Photoshop CS5, which frankly did all I ever wanted it to do, effortlessly, simply and reliably from as far back as 2010.
A grumpy old man rant feel free to bypass.
With considerable trepidation I bought a new faster upgraded PC.
I am now running Adobe Photoshop 2024, and Capture One 23 on Windows 11, with a substantially upgraded and much more expensive graphics card which was necessarily added to my set up. Because of the current fascination for everything AI, apparently it needs hugely more capable and rapid computing power to carryout the tasks related to the new AI related software packages.
Honestly, I didn't feel the need to upgrade from Photoshop CS5, neither did I want to, it's expensive. It's "subscription" for everything and I loathe that feeling of being conned year on year. Needless to say because my previous computer is no longer supported, very little of my old software is supported either and none of it will run on the newer PC, forcing me down the subscription and new software route in order to make it work, whether you want it or not.
"Well it's better, it's faster you Neanderthal", I hear you say, Granted, I'm in my sixth decade and I still occasionally shoot film on an old Pentax 67II just for the pleasure of it. My new PC may be faster but in my experience it certainly isn't better. Windows 11 strikes me as being glitchy, obstructive and non-intuitive, not to mention bloated with crapware that I just don't want or need.
I am not interested in Cloud based anything, I have no interest in blasting aliens with laser beams or beheading manic goblins with machetes so I certainly don't need gaming in 3D. The Cloud is definitely something I don't require. Trying to get the bloody thing to "LEAVE ME ALONE", and not interact with me or my PC in any way seems to be nigh on impossible. Photoshop 2024 also seems to be in a permanent upgrade cycle and crashes with monotonous and infuriating regularity.
I really, really wish I'd stuck with my old Windows 7 PC, Photoshop CS5, Photokit Sharpener, Neat Image Pro (noise reduction software) and retained total compatibility with my Nikon 9000ED scanner which I occasionally fire up on that same old PC in an upstairs bedroom un-connected to the internet. Life was so much simpler and considerably cheaper.... too late now.
Rant Over.
For those interested in using Photokit Sharpener 2, and believe it or not there are still an awful lot of you, the guys at Pixel Genius created this 3 stage sharpening solution; capture, creative and output sharpening for correctly and cleverly sharpening your images. It took into consideration a great many factors, including image size, resolution of camera and what it was output too (ie. inkjet print, contone, webpage etc). I can certainly vouch for the quality of the printed output as I used it for many years as my defacto sharpening routine.
Now the good bit. Pixel Genius no longer exists, but the guys there decided to make the software free to share as a legacy to their former Company. If you Google the web for Pixel Genius I am sure you will find reference to it. There are three available downloads, one for Apple Mac based products, one for 32 bit PC's and one for 64 bit PC's. If it says you need a registration code you have downloaded the wrong version from the wrong website, before Pixel Genius made it free to download. I can only vouch for the 64 bit PC version which runs seamlessly and reliably on my Windows 11 computer in Adobe Photoshop 2024. I am so,so happy about that as I really missed being able to use it, despite the expensive offerings from Topaz AI and On1 which actually seem to me to be filled with artefacts when viewed at 100%. Heh! Photokit Sharpener 2 is free to try, what have you got to lose.
Now the caveat. After investigation into Pixel Genius, particularly on Reddit forums headed "Pixel Genius is dead", there was a strong indication that after 2019 Adobe Photoshop would not accept the Plug-in and the plug-in failed to appear in "Automate" in Adobe Photoshop. I decided to give it a go anyway and amazingly given my general ineptitude with anything related to computers, after four half hearted attempts, I got it to work, and work just as it did when I was using it in subscription free Photoshop CS5.
Here's how I did it. For Windows 11, and I strongly suspect for Windows 10 as well, hopefully for Apple Mac, and for the current version of Adobe Photoshop 2024 and doubtless some legacy ones too.
Find the website for Pixel Genius - the one that indicates the free software offerings from the originators of Photokit 2 Sharpener. Click on and download one of the appropriate three download options for Apple Mac, Windows 32 or Windows 64 Bit. The appropriate one for me was the Windows 64 Bit option.
Find your Downloaded file and click on the zip file there, in my case it was labelled "PK-Win64 bit". Once you have done that you should see a single folder labelled "PixelGenius Toolbox Plug-in Module"
Now you have to physically drag this folder to two specific locations where Adobe Photoshop xxxx resides - in my case I am using the current version which is Adobe Photoshop 2024 and its in my C:Drive.
First location:
C: Program Files \ Adobe\ Adobe Photoshop 2024 \ Plug-ins
Drag that folder "PixelGenius Toolbox Plug-in Module" into Plug-ins.
Second location
C: Program Files \ Common Files \ Adobe \ Plug-ins
Drag that folder "PixelGenius Toolbox Plug-in Module" into Plug-ins.
Thats it, all done. Open up your version of photoshop in the usual way, click on an image that you might want to sharpen, look down your side bar for "automate" and you should see the following list of items there as:
Photokit 2
Photokit Color 2, never used it, don't know what it is or does.
Photokit Capture Sharpener 2 - Pre sharpening for unsharpened Tiff/jpeg images dragged from camera.
Photokit Creative Sharpener 2 - Sharpening specific areas of an image.
Photokit Output Sharpener 2 - Sharpening for desired output media ie. Web, print, Press CMYK etc.
If it's not there or it doesn't work you can always remove the plug-in folders.
Photokit Sharpener is a subtle but distinct improvement to the output media. I love it but even if you end up not using it, it unobtrusively sits as a Plug-in and it's free and very quick to use. I am sure there are instructions as to how to use it probably inside the Zip file you downloaded when you extract it. Don't forget to look at the sharpening applied at 100%.
Please note you do this at your own risk I cannot be held responsible for anything you inadvertently do to your computer that causes it to malfunction.