How To Remove Blurry In Adobe After Effects

by

Adobe After Effects is a versatile software that enables users to produce and modify videos, animations, and motion graphics. However, there may be instances where the footage used is slightly blurred, resulting in a less polished final product. But there is no need to fret! In this blog post, we will provide step-by-step instructions on how to eliminate blur in Adobe After Effects.

Unsharp Mask

The Unsharp Mask is a traditional method used to sharpen images in Adobe applications. The term might sound a bit misleading as we are dealing with ‘sharpening’ rather than ‘unsharp’. However, it refers to the process of increasing the contrast between pixels to give an illusion of sharpness.

Here’s how to use it in Adobe After Effects:

  1. First, import your video into the project panel. Drag it to the timeline.
  2. Go to the ‘Effects & Presets’ panel (usually located on the right side).
  3. Type ‘Unsharp Mask’ in the search bar and drag the effect onto the video layer in the timeline.
  4. Now, adjust the effect settings in the effect controls panel. The key parameters are Amount, Radius, and Threshold.

The Amount parameter controls the intensity of the effect. A higher value will produce a sharper image. The Radius affects the size of the edges to be enhanced. A smaller radius enhances smaller-scale detail. The Threshold parameter controls how the effect differentiates between edge pixels and non-edge pixels.

Try different combinations until you achieve the desired sharpness.

Using third-party plugins

If the built-in options are not enough, you can also use third-party plugins for more advanced sharpening. One popular plugin is ‘Magic Bullet Suite’s Looks’.

After installing the plugin, you can apply it to your footage by going to Effect > Magic Bullet > Looks. Then, in the Looks panel, go to Tools > Sharpen. Adjust the ‘Sharpen’ slider until you achieve the desired result.

Conclusion

Sharpening blurry footage in Adobe After Effects may not always yield perfect results. It greatly depends on the quality and resolution of your original footage. That being said, by using the Unsharp Mask or third-party plugins, you can definitely improve the overall quality of your final project.

Remember, always save your original footage, so that you can revert to it if need be. And always experiment with different settings to see what works best for your project.