If you’re in search of a complete Topaz Labs Software program assessment, you’ve come to the correct place.
However, if you understand what Topaz Lab plugin you need and are in search of Topaz Labs low cost code, use PHOTOTRACES on the checkout to get 15% off any Topaz plugin or full the Topaz Labs bundle pack at Topaz Web site.
As a reader of my weblog, you understand that I’m fairly open about my enhancing as I reveal the processing steps for nearly each picture I publish. You additionally most likely observed that each picture posted on this weblog was edited, in some unspecified time in the future, with at the least one or two Topaz Software program Labs plugins.
Not surprisingly, two of the most typical questions my readers ask me in regards to the Topaz merchandise are: “What plugin ought to I incorporate in my enhancing workflow, and when do I exploit it?”
Topaz Labs Software program Evaluate or Cheat Sheet for Selecting the Proper Topaz Plugins
I’ve to confess that Topaz Labs had one of the complicated buildings of its merchandise. At one level, they’d 16 totally different plugins, and, typically, their features overlap with one another. For sure, it took me a very long time to determine what product to make use of and when.
However over the previous few years, Topaz Labs utterly restructured its merchandise by depreciating many unique plugins and introducing new ones. And naturally, they slapped AI (Synthetic Intelligence) suffix to all of the merchandise.
With a purpose to assist photographers who’re simply beginning to use Topaz software program, I’ve listed the plugins I exploit within the order of significance for my images.
Topaz DeNoise AI
If I had to decide on just one Topaz plugin, it will undoubtedly be Topaz DeNoise. That is the one plugin I exploit with each single picture I put up on my weblog.
Any Photoshop or Lightroom plugin is a straightforward “shortcut” or time saver. Usually, it’s doable to attain the identical impact of just about any plugin utilizing Photoshop; nevertheless, DeNoise is a type of plugins whose impact I can not utterly replicate utilizing both Photoshop or Lightroom. Despite the fact that each purposes have noise discount instruments, nothing comes even near mirroring the impact of DeNoise.
The numerous addition to the AI model of the Topaz DeNoise plugin is the sharpening performance. Now, you have got the choice not solely to cut back noise however to use sharpening as effectively.
It signifies that the most recent model of Topaz DeNoise AI replaces 3 unique plugins Topaz DeNoise, Topaz Readability, and Topaz Element. It saves me money and time.
My favourite facet of utilizing DeNoise is that I wouldn’t have to make use of masking in Photoshop after I apply the noise discount.
In a majority of my images, I solely want to cut back noise within the “flat” areas (sky, water, pores and skin) as a result of, on the identical time, I additionally wish to protect as many particulars as doable within the “sample” areas (architectural components, grass, bushes, mountains). Earlier than I began utilizing DeNoise, I needed to apply noise discount to your complete picture and later use Photoshop to masks areas I needed to maintain sharp. In some way, DeNoise detects these areas routinely and eliminates them from the applying.
Beneath is the picture I took in Yosemite, and it had extreme noise. It took me 15 sec to eradicate it within the space of the sky and to maintain the small print of the mountains intact.
This highly effective and easy instrument saves me an infinite period of time.
Topaz Sharpen AI
The Topaz Sharpen AI is a novel program. It manages to perform what was not doable earlier than.
Let me clarify.
I’ve a graphic design background, and one of the used expressions amongst designers is “rubbish in, rubbish out.” It signifies that if in case you have unhealthy high quality pixels, regardless of the way you manipulate them, you’ll find yourself with unhealthy pixels.
In images, it signifies that if in case you have out of focus picture or a blurry picture brought on by a digital camera shake, you’re out of luck.
The Topaz Sharpen AI makes an attempt to vary the equation by salvaging “unhealthy” and “unusable” images at a really excessive success price.
The plugin has 3 sharpening modes: Sharpen, Stabilize, and Focus.
The Sharpen mode applies normal sharpening. The Stabilize mode makes an attempt to deal with the movement blur brought on by the digital camera shake. And the Focus mode tries to cope with softness brought on by poor focusing.
The Topaz Sharpen AI is a brand new plugin. It changed for me unique Topaz Readability and Topaz Element plugins.
Topaz Regulate AI
The Topaz DeNoise AI and Sharpen AI could be categorized as utility plugins as a result of they don’t create any particular seems in your images. Relatively, they solely assist to boost totally different elements of the photographs.
Topaz Regulate AI plugin is extra on the inventive aspect and helps to creatively discover the artwork of images by attaining quite a lot of results starting from very delicate to totally blown surrealistic.
With Topaz Regulate AI you may management the picture publicity and colours, prolong the dynamic vary of the only picture, get better the shadows and the highlights, in addition to improve the small print. The probabilities listed below are countless.
I exploit Topaz Regulate AI much less usually in comparison with the unique model as a result of the most recent model has a major overlap with Lightroom and Photoshop ACR.
And when I’ve a selection to attain a particular look in my picture utilizing Lightroom or utilizing Topaz Regulate AI, I at all times default to Lightroom. I choose to remain within the non-destructive RAW setting of Lightroom.
However once I use the Topaz Regulate AI, I exploit the next workflow:
- I at all times begin by making use of one of many presets included with the plugin.
- I swap to the correct enhancing panel and work with World Changes. I solely use Publicity, Particulars, and Shade changes.
- The final step is the Ending Touches changes. I at all times use the Transparency adjustment the place I can mix the Topaz Regulate AI impact with the unique picture. I additionally use the Temperature adjustment very often to heat up the picture, particularly with sundown/dawn images.
Topaz Star Results
You most likely know or heard in regards to the capturing method the place you choose the smallest doable aperture (f20-f22) and shoot immediately into the solar or one other gentle supply to supply a starburst impact. The small aperture exaggerates the rays of sunshine making them extra seen and distinguished.
The Topaz Star Results permits you to create a starburst impact after capturing and within the enhancing part.
I don’t use this plugin every day however, typically it turns into an especially worthwhile instrument that helps me to attain my inventive imaginative and prescient with out going again and re-shooting the scene.
The plugin has the entire doable changes and controls to make the starburst impact the best way you need it.
Topaz Star Impact is a legacy plugin, however it’s nonetheless obtainable on the Topaz web site. I think they stopped growing it a very long time in the past. Nonetheless, It’s at all times helpful, and I exploit it very often.
Beneath is the record of plugins I not often use, however they are often very helpful for particular workflows.
Topaz Labs Masks AI
Masks AI is a really helpful plugin when you’ll want to isolate a particular object in your photographs. The issue is Photoshop has very refined and mature instruments for superior masking. And since I exploit Topaz packages completely as plugins in Photoshop, it’s simpler for me to do all of the masking there.
However, I discovered one case when utilizing Masks AI is far more efficient than Photoshop.
Once I take images of my relations and cannot use the correct digital camera settings to render the background out of focus, I can blur the unique background in Masks AI in a matter of seconds. It takes for much longer to attain the identical impact in Photoshop.
Gigapixel AI
You most likely observed when you’ll want to scale back the dimensions of images, you at all times get the ultimate picture with the identical and even higher high quality than the unique.
However when you’ll want to enhance the picture’s dimension, you at all times get comfortable, low element usually unusable outcomes. The rationale for that’s whenever you upscale a picture, this system has to supply new pixels (information) that don’t exist within the unique picture. And producing one thing out of nothing by no means labored effectively.
However with the most recent developments in machine studying the enlarging or upscaling packages turned far more efficient.
And the Gigapixel AI is by far the best upscaling instrument I’ve ever used. It’s succesful to enlarge your images as much as 500-600% whereas preserving particulars and mage high quality.
JPEG to RAW AI
Topaz Labs claims that changing JPEG to RAW helps to get better information misplaced throughout the RAW to JPEG conversion and JPEG compression.
I’ve not examined it sufficient to evaluate its actual effectiveness, however I’ve an thought of how it may be used.
Actual-life Instance of Upscaling Workflow
Let’s say you misplaced the unique RAW picture you took 10 years in the past. All you have got is a low-resolution JPEG model (800 x 600pix) with noticeable JPEG artifacts. There isn’t a approach you may print it and cling on the wall.
However with the Topaz AI workflow, it turns into doable.
- Convert unique picture from JPEG to RAW utilizing JPEG to RAW AI
- Upscale the picture to 4800 x 3600px with Gigapixel AI
- Take away noise and artifacts with DeNoise AI
- Enhance particulars and sharpness with Sharpen AI
And now you have got a usable picture you may print.
Topaz Video Improve AI
Since I’m nonetheless a photographer, I’ve the least expertise with Topaz Video Improve AI. However I can see that it makes use of the identical expertise because the Gigapixel AI and Sharpen AI plugins.
I can see 2 situations of the best way to use this system:
- You possibly can enlarge video recordsdata with minimal loss in high quality. For instance, you may upscale HD video to 4K model
- You possibly can seize nonetheless frames from video recordsdata, upscale them, and sharpen them.
For instance, you may have a usable high-resolution picture extracted from HD video.
Selecting the Proper Topaz Plugin
As a nonetheless photographer, if I had to decide on just one Topaz plugin, with out hesitation, I might choose Topaz DeNoise AI
If I needed to choose 2 plugins, it will be DeNoise AI and Sharpen AI.
And if I wanted greater than 2 plugins, I might go for the bundle.
Conclusion
I hope my quick assessment of Topaz Labs plugins will function a roadmap for you. Over time one can find your individual methods and set up your distinctive workflow based mostly in your private model and creative imaginative and prescient. And whenever you do, I hope you’re taking a minute and share your distinctive methods of utilizing Topaz plugins with the remainder of us.
Topaz Labs Coupon Code
As soon as once more, if you understand what TopazLab product you need and are in search of a Topaz Labs low cost code, use PHOTOTRACES on the checkout to get 15% off any Topaz plugin or full the Topaz Labs bundle pack at Topaz Web site.
