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Author Topic: Best plugins  (Read 5860 times)

Stephenaweiss

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« on: March 11, 2006, 11:48:34 pm »

Could people help me out with opinions and or links to prior discussions. A recent discussion in printing had one person saying that  RIP by Imageprint was the only way to get decent images in B&W, another person said it was of little value. I have tried several plugins for conversion to Black and White, but can't tell clear differences from the several work flows in CS2 to do the same. I tried out several programs that upsize images. Could not really tell a difference in quality compared to bicubic smoothing in CS2.


There must be a set of key plugins for: sharpening, upsizing, RIP's for printing color or B & W etc that are clearly superior and worth the 100-200 extra dollars. One can quickly spend 1-2 thousand dollars on RIPs and plugins...to what real benefit...

thanks, stephen
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photopat

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« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2006, 03:18:47 am »

Sorry to o break it to you...But there just isn't any best....

There are in most cases a couple that does quite simular job
They all have their up and downsides ,so most of the time when people say that this is the best....
It's based on their personal preference and liking.
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michael

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« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2006, 08:25:18 am »

You may not have seen this article from last year.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/...must-have.shtml

Michael
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oldcsar

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« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2006, 07:31:44 pm »

sharpening workflow:
- focus magic 3 (for RAW presharpening to reverse some of the A.A. filter blurring)
- focal blade 1.04 (for creative sharpening)
- photokit sharpener 1.2.4 (for output sharpening after final touches and interpolation)

photokit sharpener can handle the above workflow, but I far prefer the use of focus magic and focalblade for the first two steps

upsizing:
- Photozoom Pro 1.2: I believe it currently provides the best interpolation when it comes to preserving fine details (and without the geometric artifacting of Genuine Fractals). S-Spline is the default interpolation method, but it includes other methods as well... such as Lanczos, which is a close second in my books. While it may be true that there's very little advantage to using other methods over PS' bicubic interpolation when it comes to smaller upsizings, i believe that since Photozoom provides the best results at a 100% pixel view with massive interpolations (which i tend to do), it's the best solution to making LARGE upsizings.
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plugsnpixels

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« Reply #4 on: March 14, 2006, 08:47:59 pm »

Perhaps my organized directory of Photoshop plug-ins can help you sort through the available options:

http://www.plugsnpixels.com/imageenhancement.html
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Ilya Razmanov

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« Reply #5 on: March 15, 2006, 08:14:53 am »

Quote
Perhaps my organized directory of Photoshop plug-ins can help you sort through the available options:

http://www.plugsnpixels.com/imageenhancement.html
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Wait, why my [a href=\"http://photoshop.msk.ru/asps/]AmphiSoft Photo Sharpen[/url] is not listed among sharpening plugins?! Considering that you got it a month ago, it's not faaair!
« Last Edit: March 15, 2006, 08:16:33 am by Ilya Razmanov »
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Ilya Razmanov
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plugsnpixels

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« Reply #6 on: March 15, 2006, 11:59:57 am »

Quote
Wait, why my AmphiSoft Photo Sharpen is not listed among sharpening plugins?! Considering that you got it a month ago, it's not faaair!
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=60356\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Oh-oh, I better check on that! I'll try to get it added today. Thanks for the heads-up!
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plugsnpixels

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« Reply #7 on: March 15, 2006, 12:20:36 pm »

OK, I see--your promo page is already up (http://plugsnpixels.com/amphisoft.html) but I need to add your plug-ins to the tables.
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Stephenaweiss

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« Reply #8 on: March 15, 2006, 12:50:06 pm »

Quote
OK, I see--your promo page is already up (http://plugsnpixels.com/amphisoft.html) but I need to add your plug-ins to the tables.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=60363\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


thanks for the help, s
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Jonathan Wienke

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« Reply #9 on: March 18, 2006, 10:27:31 am »

Here's the ones I use:

Neat Image for noise/grain reduction. Noise Ninja delivers similar results, but I don't see enough benefit to make it worth owning both. You'd probably be happy with either one if you take the time to learn how to use them to their fullest.

Focus Magic for what is commonly called "capture sharpening"--reversing the effect of the camera's AA filter. It works well in concert with USM. USM does not actually sharpen, it increases contrast. Focus Magic actually sharpens, but does not increase contrast. Using both together intelligently gives one the best of both worlds. I recommend using Focus Magic first, then USM next.

Midtone Sharpening Action Set Version 8.2 is not technically a plugin, but an action set that uses USM in concert with a mask that protects the highlights and shadows from being clipped. THis allows a greater degree of sharpening to be done without ruining the image with sharpening artifacts.

Convert To B&W Pro is what I use for all of my B&W conversions. The filter section is equivalent to the Channel Mixer method, but the color channel graphic EQ, contrast controls, and toning controls offer even more power and flexibility. IMO it's a must-have for any photographer who's serious about B&W. I regard it as one of the best $99 software investments I've ever made.
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Stephenaweiss

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« Reply #10 on: March 18, 2006, 10:44:16 am »

Quote
Here's the ones I use:


[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=60566\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Great suggestions, and I appreciate the advice about work flow. Stay safe out there!!
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