Adjacency Effects in Development

Adjacency effects are a result (during compensating development) of:

This diffusion is the result of normal osmotic motion of molecules within a liquid, the same way a drop of ink will slowly spread through still water.

The result is that the acutance is increased because the development rate is increased in highlight areas adjoining shadow areas and likewise conversely decreased. This gives the effect of applying a small-radius unsharp mask.

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