Sharpen & Enhance Images
Increase clarity and enhance your photos with adjustable sharpening, brightness, contrast, and saturation.
Drop your image here
or browse files — PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF, BMP
How to Sharpen Images Online
SmarterSources' image sharpener lets you enhance photo clarity directly in your browser. Upload any image, adjust the sharpness, brightness, contrast, and saturation sliders, and see the results in real time with our interactive before/after comparison.
Unsharp Mask Sharpening
This tool uses the unsharp mask technique, the same method found in professional photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. Unsharp masking works by comparing each pixel to a blurred copy of the image. The differences between the original and blurred versions are amplified, which enhances edges and fine details. The result is a crisper, more defined image without introducing visible artifacts at moderate settings.
Brightness, Contrast & Saturation
Beyond sharpening, you can fine-tune your image with three additional adjustments. Brightness controls overall lightness, contrast adjusts the difference between light and dark areas, and saturation controls color intensity. All adjustments are applied together in real time so you can see exactly how each slider affects the final result.
Before / After Comparison
The interactive comparison slider lets you drag a divider across the image to compare the original and enhanced versions side by side. This makes it easy to judge the effect of your adjustments and find the perfect settings before downloading.
Privacy First
All processing happens entirely in your browser using the HTML5 Canvas API. Your images are never uploaded to a server. No data leaves your device.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does sharpening an image actually do?
Image sharpening increases edge contrast, making transitions between colors and tones more pronounced. This creates the perception of greater detail and clarity. The unsharp mask technique accomplishes this by subtracting a blurred copy from the original, then amplifying the differences and adding them back to the image.
Can sharpening fix a blurry photo?
Sharpening can improve the perceived clarity of slightly soft or out-of-focus images by enhancing existing edges. However, it cannot recover detail that was truly lost due to severe motion blur or extreme defocus. For best results, start with a moderately sharp image and apply subtle enhancements.
How much sharpening should I apply?
Start with values between 50 and 100. At moderate settings, sharpening enhances edges naturally. At higher values (150+), you may start to see halos or grain around edges. The before/after slider makes it easy to find the sweet spot for your specific image.
What image formats are supported?
You can upload PNG, JPG/JPEG, WebP, GIF, and BMP files. The enhanced image is downloaded in the same format as your original file.
Will the quality be reduced?
The download preserves your original image resolution and dimensions. For JPEG files, a high quality setting (92%) is used. PNG and WebP files are saved at full quality with no compression artifacts.