If you’re on the lookout for a complete Topaz Labs Software evaluate, you’ve come to the best place.
But, if you already know what Topaz Lab plugin you need and are on the lookout for 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 Website.
As a reader of my weblog, you already know that I’m fairly open about my enhancing as I reveal the processing steps for nearly each picture I publish. You additionally most likely seen that each picture posted on this weblog was edited, sooner or later, with at the least one or two Topaz Software Labs plugins.
Not surprisingly, two of the commonest questions my readers ask me concerning the Topaz merchandise are: “What plugin should I incorporate in my editing workflow, and when do I use it?”
Topaz Labs Software Review or Cheat Sheet for Choosing the Right Topaz Plugins
I’ve to confess that Topaz Labs had some of the complicated constructions of its merchandise. At one level, they’d 16 totally different plugins, and, normally, their features overlap with one another. Needless to say, it took me a very long time to determine what product to make use of and when.
But over the previous few years, Topaz Labs fully restructured its merchandise by depreciating many unique plugins and introducing new ones. And in fact, they slapped AI (Artificial Intelligence) suffix to all of the merchandise.
In order to assist photographers who’re simply beginning to use Topaz software program, I’ve listed the plugins I take advantage of within the order of significance for my images.
Topaz DeNoise AI
If I had to decide on just one Topaz plugin, it might undoubtedly be Topaz DeNoise. This is the one plugin I take advantage of with each single picture I submit on my weblog.
Any Photoshop or Lightroom plugin is an easy “shortcut” or time saver. Typically, it’s attainable to attain the identical impact of just about any plugin utilizing Photoshop; nonetheless, DeNoise is a type of plugins whose impact I can not fully replicate utilizing both Photoshop or Lightroom. Even although each functions have noise discount instruments, nothing comes even near mirroring the impact of DeNoise.
The vital addition to the AI model of the Topaz DeNoise plugin is the sharpening performance. Now, you may have the choice not solely to scale back noise however to use sharpening as nicely.
It signifies that the newest model of Topaz DeNoise AI replaces 3 unique plugins Topaz DeNoise, Topaz Clarity, and Topaz Detail. It saves me money and time.
My favourite facet of utilizing DeNoise is that I do not need to make use of masking in Photoshop after I apply the noise discount.
In a majority of my photographs, I solely want to scale 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 attainable within the “pattern” areas (architectural components, grass, timber, mountains). Before I began utilizing DeNoise, I needed to apply noise discount to your entire picture and later use Photoshop to masks areas I needed to maintain sharp. Somehow, DeNoise detects these areas mechanically and eliminates them from the appliance.
Below is the picture I took in Yosemite, and it had extreme noise. It took me 15 sec to remove it within the space of the sky and to maintain the main points 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 attainable earlier than.
Let me clarify.
I’ve a graphic design background, and some of the used expressions amongst designers is “garbage in, garbage out.” It signifies that when 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 when you have out of focus picture or a blurry picture attributable to a digicam shake, you’re out of luck.
The Topaz Sharpen AI makes an attempt to alter the equation by salvaging “bad” and “unusable” photographs at a really excessive success charge.
The plugin has 3 sharpening modes: Sharpen, Stabilize, and Focus.
The Sharpen mode applies customary sharpening. The Stabilize mode makes an attempt to handle the movement blur attributable to the digicam shake. And the Focus mode tries to take care of softness attributable to poor focusing.
The Topaz Sharpen AI is a brand new plugin. It changed for me unique Topaz Clarity and Topaz Detail plugins.
Topaz Adjust AI
The Topaz DeNoise AI and Sharpen AI may be categorized as utility plugins as a result of they don’t create any particular appears in your images. Rather, they solely assist to boost totally different facets of the photographs.
Topaz Adjust AI plugin is extra on the inventive aspect and helps to creatively discover the artwork of images by reaching a wide range of results starting from very delicate to totally blown surrealistic.
With Topaz Adjust AI you may management the picture publicity and colours, lengthen the dynamic vary of the one picture, get better the shadows and the highlights, in addition to improve the main points. The potentialities listed here are countless.
I take advantage of Topaz Adjust AI much less typically in comparison with the unique model as a result of the newest model has a big overlap with Lightroom and Photoshop ACR.
And when I’ve a alternative to attain a selected look in my picture utilizing Lightroom or utilizing Topaz Adjust AI, I at all times default to Lightroom. I want to remain within the non-destructive RAW setting of Lightroom.
But once I use the Topaz Adjust AI, I take advantage of the next workflow:
- I at all times begin by making use of one of many presets included with the plugin.
- I change to the best enhancing panel and work with Global Adjustments. I solely use Exposure, Details, and Color changes.
- The final step is the Finishing Touches changes. I at all times use the Transparency adjustment the place I can mix the Topaz Adjust 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 Effects
You most likely know or heard concerning the taking pictures approach the place you choose the smallest attainable aperture (f20-f22) and shoot straight into the solar or one other mild supply to supply a starburst impact. The small aperture exaggerates the rays of sunshine making them extra seen and outstanding.
The Topaz Star Effects means that you can create a starburst impact after taking pictures and within the enhancing part.
I don’t use this plugin every day however, typically it turns into a particularly beneficial 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 attainable changes and controls to make the starburst impact the way in which you need it.
Topaz Star Effect is a legacy plugin, however it’s nonetheless out there on the Topaz web site. I believe they stopped growing it a very long time in the past. Nevertheless, It is at all times helpful, and I take advantage of it very often.
Below is the listing of plugins I not often use, however they are often very helpful for particular workflows.
Topaz Labs Mask AI
Mask AI is a really helpful plugin when it is advisable to isolate a selected object in your photos. The drawback is Photoshop has very refined and mature instruments for superior masking. And since I take advantage of Topaz applications solely as plugins in Photoshop, it’s simpler for me to do all of the masking there.
But, I discovered one case when utilizing Mask AI is way more efficient than Photoshop.
When I take photographs of my relations and can’t use the best digicam settings to render the background out of focus, I can blur the unique background in Mask AI in a matter of seconds. It takes for much longer to attain the identical impact in Photoshop.
Gigapixel AI
You most likely seen when it is advisable to cut back the scale of photographs, you at all times get the ultimate picture with the identical and even higher high quality than the unique.
But when it is advisable to enhance the picture’s measurement, you at all times get tender, low element typically unusable outcomes. The cause for that’s once 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 nicely.
But with the newest developments in machine studying the enlarging or upscaling applications grew to become way more efficient.
And the Gigapixel AI is by far the best upscaling instrument I’ve ever used. It is succesful to enlarge your photographs 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 through 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.
Real-life Example of Upscaling Workflow
Let’s say you misplaced the unique RAW picture you took 10 years in the past. All you may have is a low-resolution JPEG model (800 x 600pix) with noticeable JPEG artifacts. There isn’t any method you may print it and cling on the wall.
But with the Topaz AI workflow, it turns into attainable.
- Convert unique picture from JPEG to RAW utilizing JPEG to RAW AI
- Upscale the picture to 4800 x 3600px with Gigapixel AI
- Remove noise and artifacts with DeNoise AI
- Boost particulars and sharpness with Sharpen AI
And now you may have a usable picture you may print.
Topaz Video Enhance AI
Since I’m nonetheless a photographer, I’ve the least expertise with Topaz Video Enhance AI. But I can see that it makes use of the identical know-how because the Gigapixel AI and Sharpen AI plugins.
I can see 2 eventualities of the way to use this system:
- You can enlarge video information with minimal loss in high quality. For instance, you may upscale HD video to 4K model
- You can seize nonetheless frames from video information, upscale them, and sharpen them.
For instance, you may have a usable high-resolution picture extracted from HD video.
Picking the Right Topaz Plugin
As a nonetheless photographer, if I had to decide on just one Topaz plugin, with out hesitation, I’d decide Topaz DeNoise AI
If I needed to decide 2 plugins, it might be DeNoise AI and Sharpen AI.
And if I wanted greater than 2 plugins, I’d go for the bundle.
Conclusion
I hope my brief evaluate of Topaz Labs plugins will function a roadmap for you. Over time you will see your personal methods and set up your distinctive workflow primarily based in your private fashion and creative imaginative and prescient. And once you do, I hope you are taking a minute and share your distinctive methods of utilizing Topaz plugins with the remainder of us.
Topaz Labs Coupon Code
Once once more, if you already know what TopazLab product you need and are on the lookout for 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 Website.