Choosing the “Right” Blending Mode for High Pass Sharpening

When using the High Pass filter for sharpening, you apply it to a duplicate layer and then change that layer’s blending mode.
Key Differences: Unsharp Mask vs. High Pass Filtering

The Unsharp Mask is one of the oldest and most commonly used sharpening filters. Its name is a bit of a misnomer, as it doesn’t make things “unsharp”; rather, it’s derived from a traditional darkroom technique.