We are excited about this new experimental photo editing technology and the possibilities it may bring. We hope that though your feedback and suggestions we can develop this into a fun and inspiring image enhancement tool.

Overview
Have you ever come across a stunning image that inspired you and wondered how it was created or thought to yourself: “I’d like to do that”? Or maybe you’re interested in having the the ability to enhance photos in just 1-click? If so, keep reading about our new development project!

fotoenvy™ is an experimental editing project – inspired by the everyday photographer. We are exploring new ways of enhancing images, with the goal of simplifying the process while still making it easy to achieve stunning results. This program features a SEE | CLICK | CREATE workflow that allows you to load your digital image, explore an included library of inspiring images and then click on any of those images to create an “inspired” effect in your own image. There are vast possibilities for this type of image enhancement.

This program is designed to help those that are new to post-processing (or those that don’t care to spend a lot of time post-processing) achieve that same “enhanced” look, without having to spend the time or learn advanced processing techniques. If you’re already a post-processing pro then fotoenvy™ may not be a necessary tool for your workflow, but if you do have some free time to check out the program then we’d love to have your feedback!

fotoenvy™ is presently in the development phase and we would like to hear your opinions as we work toward the final product. This is an opportunity for public to influence the development of f fotoenvy™ through constructive feedback, feature evaluation, feature requests, photo contributions towards fotoenvy’s™ inspiration library and more.  

We hope that with your feedback, we can create a powerful and simplified editing tool – that anyone can use.

For more information about fotoenvy™ and access to the beta software please visit: http://bit.ly/fotoenvybeta

Friend us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/topazfotoenvy

Join the fotoenvy Flickr group

About Topaz Star Effects™
Star Effects gives you creative control over the various light and reflective sources in your image. You can easily manipulate and enhance the lighting sources to create unique light and star effects. So let’s take a quick look at what’s waiting for you in the new program!

How it works:

Step 1: Light Source and Star Type Selection
As with all Topaz programs, Star Effects™ will come with a variety of default presets. You’ll be able to open the program and select one of those presets and it will automatically detect the light sources in your image and apply the effect to those light sources. Additionally, you’ll have selective control over the affected light sources via the Star Selection Brush. This brush will allow you to individually select which light sources in your image to include/exclude. In addition to selecting your light sources, you can also choose the type of star effect that you want to apply – choose from options like traditional, starburst, cross star, hollywood star and more!

Step 2: Setting Effect Characteristics
The Main Adjustments tab is where your selected light sources come to life! Here you can control the appearance of your selected light sources. In additional to adjusting the number of points (1 to 32) you can also control the strength, visibility and intensity of your added lighting and star effects using the included sliders.

Step 3: Customized Tweaking
Your created lighting and star effects are fully customizable – with the added adjustment controls for color, temperature, secondary spikes, glow and ring flare. Just go into the Color Adjustments and Additional Adjustments tabs to tweak these parameters to your satisfaction.

Uses for Topaz Star Effects™
Topaz Star Effects™ can be a useful tool for adding a finish touch to a variety of photography types including:
- Enhancing the appearance of stars, sun and moon (great for Astrophotography)
- Adding a bling or sparkling effect to jewelry
- Adding a shimmering effect to water or other reflective surfaces
- Enhancing night photography and cityscape lights
- Adding a eye gleam/twinkle

Helpful Features
1. Star Stack-a-bility. Star Effects™ includes the Apply button (one of the most user-requested features!) which allows you to stack multiple star effects (with different characteristics) during the same workflow.

2. Effect Extraction. Star Effects™ offers two viewing/editing modes (located in the Star Settings tab) – combined and Stars only. The combined mode allows you to see your base image along with the applied star effects. The Stars only mode allows you to view just your added star effects (on a black background) without your base image. What’s unique about this is that you also have the option of saving just the created star effects back to Photoshop (or your other host program) – just make sure that the Stars Only mode is selected before you click the OK button. This is great for creating your own backgrounds.

3. No loss of contrast – which can occur with the use of traditional glass filters.

Availability information:
Once the new Topaz Star Effects™ is available we will send out a newsletter announcement with trial sign-ups and purchasing details – and there will be a special introductory discount. If you are not currently signed up to receive the Topaz newsletter you can sign up now online at: www.topazlabs.com/list

Sneak Peek Webinars:
We invite you to join us at one of our sneak peek webinars to check out the new Topaz Star Effects™ in action. We’ll also be giving away some FREE copies of Topaz Star Effects™ so a few lucky attendees! Click below to sign up.

Topaz Star Effects™ Sneak Peek webinar 1
Tuesday, January 24 – 1pm Central (11am PDT, 2pm EDT, 7pm GMT)
Click here to register

Topaz Star Effects™ Sneak Peek webinar 2
Wednesday, January 25 – 11am Central (9am PDT, 12pm EDT, 5pm GMT)
Click here to register

The FotoEnvy™ – by Topaz Labs program features new imaging technology, which uses example images to help create digital enhancements. The program will feature a library of beautiful inspirational images featuring beautiful colors, textures, tones and more – visible to all users – that will be used in part to create new enhanced images. We are looking for image submissions that will be included in the library. This is an opportunity to have your work seen and used to inspire other photographers – and yes, you will receive credit for any work that you contribute!

Please note that the images themselves will NOT be altered, manipulated or copyright-infringed on in any way. They will simply serve as inspiration from which the color, texture tone and overall image style will be used to integrated with the user’s image to create a new “inspired” effect.

All submissions will be considered and any selected images will be credited (within the program) to their respective owner.

Submission Requirements

1. You MUST submit the completed release form with your image submissions. Please download the Photo Release Form here.

2. Submission form and submitted images MUST be included in the same email. Please submit completed form and images to: fotoenvy (at) topazlabs.com

3. Images MUST be at Minimum 400 Pixels wide and at Most 1000 pixels wide.

4. Images MUST be in .jpg format

5. Images MUST be named with your first and last name.

eg:
ashleyrobinson.jpg
ashleyrobinson1.jpg

Please no more than 5 image submission per person.

Key Details:

Not all submitted images will be used. Selected images will be distributed with the program.

Submitted images will be resized to a maximum of 600×600 for inclusion in the program.

Selected images will be credited (within the program) to their owners. You retain all rights to your images.

There will be no monetary compensation of any type provided for the submitted/selected images.

About Topaz Adjust™
Infusing your images with vibrant color and stunning detail has never been easier. From exposure and color balance to subtle photo pops, HDR effects, grunge style and more, Topaz Adjust’s intuitive and powerful tools make it easy to recover and enhance any image. With control over creative exposure, detail and color, Adjust™ is an essential part of every photographer’s toolkit. Topaz Adjust™ is designed for photographers who want to achieve advanced color and detail techniques in less time and with half of the effort. Adjust™ also simplifies the HDR process, allowing you to instantly enhance local contrast, depth, detail and color – with just a single image.

Here are my top ten favorite features waiting for you in the new Adjust 5:

1. LOTS of new presets. Over 100 presets that range from subtle photo pops to dynamic HDR effects.

2. Selective Brush. For easy dodging, burning smoothing and removing adjustments. Yes, you can BRUSH OUT the effects in (great for eliminating harsh effects on skin and in skies).

3. Apply button. Stack multiple effects and presets during the same workflow.

4. Preset collections. Presets are organized into unique collections. It also includes a My Collection where your user-made presets are saved to.

5. Transparency slider. Control the effect strength by adjusting the transparency slider and add as much or as little effect as you’d like to your image.

6. Finishing touches. Features options for borders, grain, warmth, vignettes and more.

7. Interactive Sliders. Take advantage of interactive slider/control response during your workflow. This feature works best for faster systems.

8. Histogram. Shows the tonal range of your image.

9. Curve tool. Easily adjust image tonality to help emphasize tones, contrast and brightness.

10. Split Screen. Use the 2-screen split view for easy before and after comparison.

Availability information:
Once the new Adjust 5 is available we will send out a newsletter announcement with trial sign-ups and purchasing details. If you are not currently signed up to receive the Topaz newsletter you can sign up now online at: www.topazlabs.com/list

Did you miss the NEW Adjust 5 Sneak Peek webinar? Watch it Now!

Your comments, suggestions and feature requests have made this possible. So thank you to everyone and please keep the feedback coming!!

Best,
Ashley Robinson
Product Manager

UPDATE:
Hey Topaz Friends! I thrilled to see the excitement and positive response to the new Adjust 5. The release is around the corner so you don’t have too long to wait!

To answer the BIG questions regarding the upgrade….YES, Adjust 5 will be a FREE upgrade to existing users. Specific upgrade information for Adjust 5 will be announced in the release newsletter. You can sign up online to receive this at: http://www.topazlabs.com/list

Also, because of an issue with the auto create layer feature, this will not be included in the Adjust 5 update. Our developers will continue to work on the issue and once it is fully working for ALL users we hope to reintroduce this feature.

I’m looking forward to seeing all of the new images you will be able to create with the new features and tools in Adjust 5.

Be sure to tell a friend about the new Adjust 5! Thanks to you all

Ashley Robinson
Product Manager
Topaz Labs

The answer…YES! All of your Topaz plug-ins will be compatible with PSE10 as is – no updates are needed.

Once you download and install PSE10 (available from the Adobe website) you will need to move your Topaz plug-in files over.

If you don’t know how to move your plug-in files I have written some steps to quickly walk you through the process. (It’s pretty simple and should take less than 3 minutes) Learn how here.

Should you find any issues with Topaz or Photoshop Elements and need to reinstall (or any other questions) just contact our customer support and we can help you.

Once you’ve installed the new PSE and played around with the new features be sure to let me know which ones are your favorites! I love the social media integration!

Getting familiar with new software can sometimes be taxing, but being in the know can make the transition much easier. So, after talking to thousands and thousands of new and seasoned Topaz users, I came up with the top ten things that every Topaz newbie should know before getting started.

This information should answer some basic questions that you have and can also help you skip some of the most common troubleshooting issues that come up…that way you can jump right into working with the programs and creating beautiful images.

1. Topaz programs are plug-ins. They are Not stand alone programs. This means that you will need to have a compatible host program (like Photoshop) in order to use them. They will be accessible from your Filter menu.

If you don’t have Photoshop that’s OK…there are free programs like Irfanview (for Windows users) and iPhoto (for Mac users) that are also compatible with Topaz. See here for detailed compatibility information.

2. Each of the Topaz programs are easy-to-use and don’t have a steep learning curve. So, you don’t have to be a pro at all….Topaz is easy enough to use for beginners yet flexible enough for pros to also integrate into their workflow. Most of our users enjoy the 1-click preset workflow…you may find that works great for you as well. We do offer a free, fully-functional, 30-day trial (so don’t be pressured to buy). I would encourage you to sign up for that so that you can check out the software to see exactly how it works and how easy it is to use. Sign up online at: http://www.topazlabs.com/downloads

And there are plenty of resources to help you get acquainted with the programs…
Tutorials
Free Webinars
Topaz Blog
User Gallery

3. Workflow order. When it comes to using Topaz programs, there is no right or wrong order. It is entirely up to you how and when to incorporate Topaz into your workflow. The programs are designed to be flexible, so that you can ingrate them into any existing workflow and use them in the order that works best for you. Generally, it is best to use your noise reduction first to make sure you have a clean image and then make additional enhancements from there. Learn more…

4. When you go to install any of the Topaz programs be sure that Photoshop (or your other host program) is closed. If Topaz does not show up in Photoshop or if you get a message that says: “File not found” please restart Photoshop and then try accessing Topaz again. Still don’t see Topaz? Try my setup trick.

5. iPhoto, Aperture and Lightroom users can also use Topaz plug-ins in their workflows.
You Must install Topaz Fusion Express in Addition to the individual Topaz programs (or bundle) that you want to use. iPhoto and Lightroom users will need to configure Fusion Express as the external editor for their host program before using Topaz. Get the details here.

Important: Please carefully follow the setup instructions. Mac users Must First go to their Macintosh HD. Windows users Must go to the Common Files folder.

Also, you can use Topaz in more than one host program on the same computer. So if you have Photoshop and Lightroom (or any other combination) then feel free to enjoy the programs in any of your workflows!

6. Topaz plug-ins are grayed out in the Filter menu. If your Topaz plug-ins are grayed out in your Filter menu and you can not access them this is caused by one of three things:

a) There is not an image open. Please open an image and then you will be able to select the plug-in

b) The image must be in a supported color mode, i.e. 8-bit RGB or 16-bit RGB. It won’t work with, for example, grayscale or 32-bit images. So open up an RGB image and it’ll activate in the menu (along with most of the other filters).

c) Check your layers palette to be sure that the image layer and Not an adjustment layer is selected.

7. Your trial (or purchased license key) will be entered into the program After you install. To enter your key, open up the Topaz program in Photoshop and go to Menu -> Enter Key. Enter your name in the top field and your key in the field below. Your key should be 30 digit long and in this format: “xxxxxx-xxxxxx-xxxxxx-xxxxxx-xxxxxx”.

When you go to enter your key please click in the key field and press Ctrl-A (CMD-A if you are on Mac) at the same time and then hit delete to make sure that absolutely nothing is in that key field before you paste in the key.

Also, please verify that you are entering the key in the “Activation Code” field and not the “Name” field as this is sometimes confusing.

If you are typing it in please make sure that you are entering the dashes – but it is always easier to just copy & paste.

8. Saving your image. After making adjustments in the Topaz program you will need to click “OK” to process your changes and save your image back to Photoshop. Then from there you can make additional adjustments or save your image in another file format. Clicking the “Save” button while in the Topaz program does NOT save your image. The Save button in Topaz is used for Saving presets. It will save a .tpp file which records your settings and creates a new preset. Preset files (.tpp) can not be opened outside of the Topaz program.

You can use the import/export buttons to share presets. To export a preset then you click on the preset and then select Export. It will allow you to save it to you desktop or any other file that you select. The import works the same way but in reverse. If you click on it it will allow you to navigate your computer to import a preset (that you created on another computer or got from a friend or colleague).

9. Snap allows you to take a “snapshot” of a group of settings…like a temporary preset.
Then you can use the Prev/Next button to quickly scroll through the snapshots you’ve taken. You can take up to 99 snap shots. Remember: Snapshots are only available during your workflow and exiting the program will eliminate your snapshots.

10. This one is specific to ReMask users – does your ReMask result still look like the original with the background? After you save your masked image back to Photoshop it will have a transparent background. If you have a duplicate layer underneath the masked layer then you will still be able to see it. You will need to make the original layer invisible or put something in between the masked layer and the original layer so that you can see the cutout.

Have a question or issue not covered here? Let me know!

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Ready to take a look at the new B&W Effects 1.1? This update (fast huh!?!?) includes several bug fixes and a handful of new features to help improve your workflow. Let’s take a look at the new program additions…

New Local Adjustment tools
The Local Adjustment tab now includes easy access buttons so you can quickly Undo, Redo and Reset applied adjustments. You can undo/redo up to 4 steps within a selected Adjustment Type.

Note: If you switch adjustment types then you will lose your undo/redo history.

“My Collection”
The Effects Collection now features a “My Collection ” category where you can save and easily find your presets. When saving presets you will notice an option in your save menu that will allow you to save the preset in the “My Collection” category. If the “Save in: My Collection” option is disabled (unchecked) then the preset will be automatically save to the effect category that you were working in.

Histogram
A histogram has been added into the Curve Tool to show the tonal range of your image.

Platinum Collection
This new preset collection is based of the Paltinum Palladium printing process. The platinum printing process is highly regarded for broad, delicate tonal ranges and the ability to hold important image detail. Platinum has long held a special place for Master Photographers and Collectors and continues to be practiced amongst fine art photographers. Platinum prints range from warm black to silvery white and can contain warm gray tones.

In addition to the new Platinum collection, additional presets have also been added to many of the other Effect Collections…for a total of over 200 presets!

Interactive Sliders
Take advantage of interactive slider/control response during your workflow. This feature works best for faster systems and can be enabled/disabled in your Menu -> Preferences.

Note: You will need to restart B&W Effects for the changes to take effect.

Ready to upgrade? Get the details here.

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Once you download and install Lion (available from the Mac App Store) you will be able to still access and use your Topaz plug-ins from Photoshop. Should you find any issues with Topaz or Photoshop and need to reinstall just contact our customer support and we can help you.

OSX Lion comes with over 250 new features, which I’m really excited about! Lion hasn’t been released yet, but it is due out this month…hopefully you won’t have to wait too much longer. Once you’ve installed the new OS and played around with the new features be sure to let me know which ones are your favorites!

In the Effects Menu, you will find new filters for diffusion, polarization, UV/Haze and streaks. The Diffusion and Polarization filters were the most requested and are a necessary part of every photographer’s camera bag.

Diffusion

The diffusion filter helps soften and spread out light. It’s most often used for portraits and can help improve the appearance of skin…definitely a plus when working on women! Diffusion filters can also create a hazy or dream-like effect, which can often come in handy for for wedding photography and romantic or couples shots.

Polarization

Polarization filters help to reduce surface reflections (like in water), reduce shine in foliage and darken skies. Another characteristic of a polarizing filter is that it can also increase the saturation of an image.

Streak
The Streak filter creates image motion that produces a streaked or creative blur type of effect. It can also produce a ghost-like effect.

UV/Haze
UV/Haze allows you to reduce UV and eliminate haze from your image by emulating the character- istics of a UV/Haze filter.

Other Program Goodies
Len Effects 1.1 also features improved depth-of-field simulation for better image quality, 30 new aperture shapes for enhancing your lens characteristics, and 13 new vignette masks. You can even upload your own aperture shapes and vignette masks as well.

Dual Focus – My Fav!
Last but not least, quite possibly one of my favs is the dual focus lens. This option allows you to select two focal points within your image and then quickly blur the background and around those points.

Plug-ins are a great way to increase your post processing abilities, while improving and speeding up your workflow. Topaz Photoshop plug-ins allow you to easily achieve many of the common post-processing tasks, and they integrate seamlessly into many types of workflows using many different image editors. So let’s explore the various editing options…

Integration

Topaz easily integrates into Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. Once installed, you can access Topaz by opening an image in Photoshop and go to Filter -> Topaz Labs to select the Topaz program you wish to edit with.

Aperture and Lightroom users can have direct access to their Topaz plug-ins using the FREE Topaz Fusion Express add-on. Once installed, you can access Topaz by selecting an image and go to edit in / edit with to bring up the Fusion Express menu and then select the Topaz program you wish to edit with.

If you don’t have a dedicated image editing (host) program, then you can still use Topaz without having to purchase one. Mac users can use Topaz in iPhoto, which comes pre-installed on all Macs – Topaz Fusion Express is required. Windows users can use Topaz in Irfanview, which is a free image editor.

Topaz plug-ins are also compatible with Serif Photo Plus, Corel PaintShop Pro and Photo Impact Learn more about Topaz compatibility and system requirements…

Application

The basic workflow for most Topaz plug-ins goes as follows:
1. Bring an image into Topaz from your image editor
2. Apply a preset
3. Tweak the settings
4. Click “OK” to process your changes and save your image back to your image editor

Let’s quickly explore a sample workflow. For this example we will be using Topaz Adjust (which represents the workflow for all Topaz programs except for ReMask) – See how ReMask works.

1. Open an 8-bit or 16-bit RGB image in Photoshop (or other host program)

2. Invoke Topaz Adjust

3. Go to the presets panel on the left side of the interface to select and apply a preset
4. Go to the tool panel on the right side of the interface to tweak the settings
5. Click “OK” to process the adjustments and save the image back to host program