How to use Pixel Genius Sharpener in Photoshop 2022? (Mac OS Big Sur, 11.6)

[tsinsf]

I have been happily using the beloved Pixel Genius sharpener in Photoshop 2021 by manually placing the PG Toolbox Plug-in Module in Applications/Adobe Photoshop 2021/Plug-ins. After updating to Photoshop 2022, I redownloaded the PG Toolbox Plugin using Safari and placed it in Applications/Adobe Photoshop 2022/Plug-ins, but when I attempt to use it I get a message "Photokit Sharpener 2.Plugin" cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified. Right clicking on the Plug-in does not give an option to Open, only to Open in new tab. I googled the problem, but all the solutions are old and none of them work. Can anybody help me. Thanks!

[Chris Kern]

After updating to Photoshop 2022, I redownloaded the PG Toolbox Plugin using Safari and placed it in Applications/Adobe Photoshop 2022/Plug-ins, but when I attempt to use it I get a message "Photokit Sharpener 2.Plugin" cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified. . . .

Theoretically it is possible to work around the developer authentication requirement, although I don't recommend it, but my understanding is that the PixelGenius sharpening algorithms were incorporated into Lightroom (at least the desktop version) some time ago.  So if you're running a current rev of Lightroom, you should have access to the same functionality there.  If you really must use the obsolete plug-in, you might try contacting Jeff Schewe or Andrew Rodney directly and see if one of them can offer you any guidance.

[tsinsf]

Yes, but the same functionality is quite different than the same thing. Is there something wrong with using an obsolete plug-in?

[digitaldog]

It's outlined on the PG site (which is still up). Anyway:
Use Terminal and copy/paste this:
sudo xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine
Be sure to add a space after the e of ‘quarantine’
Then drag & drop the plug-in onto Terminal…the first plug-in requires you enter your password. The other plug-ins don’t.
Repeat the copy paste and drag & drop for each of the 7 plug-ins-even the oddball plug-ins like Toolbox & Previewer
You’ll have to quit and relaunch Photoshop…

[hubell]

It's outlined on the PG site (which is still up). Anyway:
Use Terminal and copy/paste this:
sudo xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine
Be sure to add a space after the e of ‘quarantine’
Then drag & drop the plug-in onto Terminal…the first plug-in requires you enter your password. The other plug-ins don’t.
Repeat the copy paste and drag & drop for each of the 7 plug-ins-even the oddball plug-ins like Toolbox & Previewer
You’ll have to quit and relaunch Photoshop…

Thanks, but after I enter the command line and drag the plug-in over to the terminal window, the word password shows up with a key symbol. However, when I try to enter the password  for the administrator, nothing registers as I type in the password and when I hit enter, nothing happens.

[digitaldog]

After hitting return, that's it. Do the next plugin until done.

[hubell]

After hitting return, that's it. Do the next plugin until done.

1. I paste in the command line above.
2. I drag onto the Terminal window one of the PK Plug-ins and hit enter.
3. The password line comes up and I type in the password.
4. I hit enter.
5. I paste in the command line again and drag over the another PK Plug-in and hit enter and repeat for each plug in.
6. I Quit the Terminal.

I launch PS 2022 and a file and try to execute PK Sharpener and I get a message that I can't open it because the developer cannot be verified.

[digitaldog]

1. I paste in the command line above.
2. I drag onto the Terminal window one of the PK Plug-ins and hit enter.
3. The password line comes up and I type in the password.
4. I hit enter.
5. I paste in the command line again and drag over the another PK Plug-in and hit enter and repeat for each plug in.
6. I Quit the Terminal.

I launch PS 2022 and a file and try to execute PK Sharpener and I get a message that I can't open it because the developer cannot be verified.

Can't help you remotely, the process DOES work, it is working on this end and for others.

[hubell]

Can't help you remotely, the process DOES work, it is working on this end and for others.

For some reason, on the 25th try, it worked! Thanks.

[digitaldog]

For some reason, on the 25th try, it worked! Thanks.

Cool. I took me like two attempts so, unless you're a Terminal guru, I suppose it's par for the course.

[Arlen]

I always just drag over the PG Module from the old version to the same location in the new version, and so far it has worked every time, knock on wood.

Edit:  but I'm on a Windows computer, so maybe that is the difference.

[digitaldog]

Edit:  but I'm on a Windows computer, so maybe that is the difference.

Yup.

[tsinsf]

Thanks Rodney for the information. After at least six or seven attempts I got it to work following your instructions. For those (like me) who are not Terminal users, here are my tips: When you open Terminal, don't do anything, don't click anything, don't press enter. Just paste the line that Rodney gave us. Click the space bar, then drag and drop the first plugin. After a moment or two it will ask for your password. Enter it and press enter. Then paste the line again, click the space bar, drag the second plugin and press enter. You won't be asked for your password the second or any of the other times. Repeat until you have done this for all eight plugins. Close Terminal. To be on the safe side, I restarted my computer. To review, this worked for me after I had manually put the File folder PG Toolbox Plug-in Module into HD/Applications/Adobe Photoshop 2022/Plug-ins.Good luck!

[GeorgeMiddleton]

It's outlined on the PG site (which is still up). Anyway:
Use Terminal and copy/paste this:
sudo xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine
Be sure to add a space after the e of ‘quarantine’
Then drag & drop the plug-in onto Terminal…the first plug-in requires you enter your password. The other plug-ins don’t.
Repeat the copy paste and drag & drop for each of the 7 plug-ins-even the oddball plug-ins like Toolbox & Previewer
You’ll have to quit and relaunch Photoshop…

Just reporting in on this for Mac OS Ventura 13.2 on a Mac Studio.

I copied the "PG Toolbox Plug-in Module" from my Photoshop CC 2020 installation on a 2010 Mac Pro running High Sierra, and then followed the Terminal app procedure to the letter and it worked perfectly. Re-launched Photoshop 2023 and verified the success by running a sharpening routine on an image..

Thank you thank you to Andrew and to whomever else figured out the workaround. Very much appreciated

P.S. ..lawd, quite the onerous security setup on Ventura. Glad there are ways that I can at least un-hide my ~/Library folder!

[makaphoto]

I tried to excute Andrews instructions within the terminal several times. But PS somehow won't accept it. Everytime I open a PK plug-in, the preview window actually looks good and reacts to what I tell it to do, but when I hit the OK button, a window pops up saying that "the command (Pixel Genius Toolbox) couldn't be used because one command is not available" (approximate translation from my German speaking computer). And when I close this window PS quits.

Martin