Loss of resolution due to image blurring is a major concern in electron microscopy. The point spread function describing that blur is generally unknown. We discuss the use of a recently developed fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based direct (noniterative) blind deconvolution procedure, the APEX method, that can process 5123512 images in sec- onds of CPU time on current desktop platforms. The method is predi- cated on a restricted but significant class of shift-invariant blurs, consist- ing of finite convolution products of heavy-tailed Levy probability density functions. Such blurs considerably generalize Gaussian and Lorentzian point spread functions. The method is applied to a variety of original scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs and is shown to be useful in enhancing and detecting fine detail not otherwise discernible. Quantitative sharpness analysis of ''ideal sample'' micrographs shows that APEX processing can actually produce sharper imagery than is achievable with optimal microscope settings. © 2002 Society of Photo-Optical