Unsharp Mask effect

The Unsharp Mask effect increases the contrast between colors that define an edge.

Chris and Trish Meyer provide instructions on the ProVideo Coalition website for using the Unsharp Mask effect with the CC Composite effect to sharpen an image without creating undesired color halo artifacts.

This effect works with 8-bpc, 16-bpc, and 32-bpc color.

Original (left), and with effect applied (right)

Radius: The distance from the edge at which pixels are adjusted for contrast. If you specify a low value, only pixels near the edge are adjusted.
Threshold: The greatest difference between adjacent pixels for which contrast isn’t adjusted. A lower value produces a greater result. A value that is too low causes contrast for the entire image to be adjusted and can generate noise or cause unexpected results.