DxO has launched a raft of updates for a trio of its latest photo editing software suites: PhotoLab 9, PureRAW 5, and Nik Collection 8. The Parisian outfit’s had a busy few months, what with the release of both PhotoLab 9 and FilmPack 8 in September, and now, users of DxO’s mainline trio of software can benefit from a range of updates and tweaks, including enhanced AI Masks in PhotoLab 9, a new non-destructive PureRAW workflow in Adobe Photoshop, and a range of new paper textures in the Nik Collection 8’s Analog Efex. Scroll down to find a more detailed breakdown of all that and more.
PhotoLab 9.2 updates
PhotoLab 9 enjoys the biggest raft of updates, chief of which is “significant improvements” to the software’s AI-powered masking tools. AI Masks allows users to form automatic AI masking selections almost instantly. PhotoLab 9.2 is said to improve on this process further, thanks to “improved matting and an upgraded sensibility threshold for cleaner, more accurate edges around complex subjects.” All this amounts to masks that DxO is calling “smarter, faster, and more intuitive than ever.”
That’s not all. PhotoLab 9.2 also provides users with the ability to reorder masks and sub-masks, while also adding sequential numbers to mask duplicates, in a bid to make edits with complex masking structures easier to organize and navigate.
Three new PhotoLibrary filters have also been added in a bid to improve file management and image curation. Users can now filter libraries via Unedited Images, Edited Images, and Edited Images featuring Local Corrections. Finally, PhotoLab 9.2 for Windows gets an improved History panel, which is already available on macOS. This allows the panel to remember each step of an edit, even after PhotoLab is closed and reopened.
DxO PureRAW 5.5 updates
DxO is calling PureRAW 5’s new smart filter integration a “minor” update, but as somebody who often uses a combination of masks and the Camera Raw Filter within Photoshop to produce non-destructive edits, it certainly has the potential to redefine my workflow.
Smart filter integration allows the user to edit an image in PureRAW 5, then open that image in Photoshop as a smart filter. By clicking on the smart filter, the user is transported back into PureRAW 5, whereby they can apply any further edits, which will then be applied to the smart filter in Photoshop. If you’ve ever made use of the Camera Raw Filter within Photoshop, this is a similar workflow.
Nik Collection 8.2 updates
The Nik Collection 8 update concerns the software’s Analog Efex plug-in, which is used to apply vintage film effects to digital imagery. In version 8.2, DxO has added 30 paper surface textures, from fine-art matte to watercolor finishes, inspired by traditional photographic, artistic, and antique papers.
According to DxO, these textures provide photographs with “unique depth, tactility, and character.” While also letting “users add subtle atmosphere or bold artistic style with just a few clicks.” The software also allows users to tweak each paper effect via different blend modes, altering the intensity and tonal integration.
All three updates are available on compatible Windows and macOS machines now, with each software also offering a free trial so you can try before you buy.
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