

I used it inside Photoshop, so it opened the image I already had up. Topaz says they will be in an update, but they should have been in the original release. While reasonably complete, I found Studio 2 to be missing some basic tools, like cropping and healing. Also, Topaz Labs has always been generous in offering YouTube videos, walk-throughs, and live demonstrations on the web. I took Studio 2 for a spin, putting it into my workflow as a Photoshop plugin.I found the GUI of Studio 2 more to my liking, and it is obvious how the tools work. Certainly, you can make the standard adjustments as you would with most other editing software, but Topaz goes beyond that into the realm of advanced digital manipulation,that can give your photos a mildly painted look or a variety of ethereal or surreal edits. Topaz provides more than 25 filters offering control of things like color, texture, lighting, and more. Studio 2 offers two methods of editing, one with "looks," which are basically presets like we've seen from Topaz before and many other image editing apps, and then filters. This release seems aimed at creatives, and by that, I mean people who will take an image and go beyond the normal touch-ups of reducing highlights, boosting shadow detail, and sharpening. It's a similar arrangement to what Photoshop offers with layers, and there are blend modes and precise masking. It is faster, some bugs have been fixed, and most importantly, it adds non-destructive layers. Studio 2 is a complete rebuild of the original app.
Lock stock and two smoking software#
Like much of the software from Topaz Labs, we've got an extensive set of filters and ease of use that doesn't require a manual. With this release of Studio 2, Topaz is giving you a complete set of filters and editing tools, but appropriately, none of it is free.

I know a lot of photographers who didn't like that approach, while some did. Studio was free, and it came with some filters, but the premium filters cost money and were added to the Topaz Studio app as you needed them. The original Topaz Studio was a bit of an odd release.
