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Perfect Photo Suite 6 Review - part 2 of 1 2 3

by Mike McNamee Published 01/12/2011

So, Layers is the starting point for any work in the Suite. Along the top of the Perfect Layers interface are the rest of the products: Mask, Portrait, Effects, Blur, Frame and Resize. With an image open - just click on the relevant topic and the interface changes - but not a lot! Perfect Layers works in Layers mode. Perfect Mask is for cutting out backgrounds; simple ones or complex ones. For simple ones you use the 'Basic' mode with a cut-down tool set and a launch process that automaticall segments the picture into background and foreground colours. The 'Advanced' mode give you complete control over the fine detail of the mask.

Perfect Portrait works in a similar way. It has Basic and Advanced modes and as you launch the program it analyses the picture for faces; creating a mask to ensure the adjustments you apply are aimed at the target area - the face. The Advanced mode in Perfect Portrait offers finer control again. Perfect Effects, the next in line, offer Basic and Advanced.

The Basic mode includes hundreds of presets and a simple slider to alter the strength of say a black and white or darkroom effect. The Advanced mode opens up the software for the person who wants to develop their own effects or edit the existing ones. The Blur, Frame and resize options add FocalPoint, PhotoFrame and Perfect Resize ¬- the old Genuine Fractals. Their interfaces will be tweaked in forthcoming versions.

"We're trying to cater for every level of photographer," added Campbell. "We're not all Photoshop experts and most of us never want to be; and we don't always understand everything we should when we're adjusting images. So the Basic and Advanced modes of the new programs offer solutions for every post-production skill level and with a minimum amount of training! I'd challenge anybody not to be adjusting images very quickly in Perfect Photo Suite 6."

You can purchase any of the components of the suite individually including Perfect Layers for Lightroom and Aperture. Buying them as a complete suite gives you the option of running them completely standalone or as plug-ins for Photoshop CS4 and 5 or Lightroom 2 and 3 and Aperture 2 and 3. Using the suite in Photoshop the Layers option isn't available. Photoshop handles them perfectly well.

Here's a bit more detail about each part of Perfect Photo Suite 6.

Perfect Layers 2 - Perfect Layers 2 allows photographers to combine photos for endless creative options. Create and edit multi-layered files with Perfect Layers directly from Lightroom and Aperture, or as a standalone application. Perfect Layers files are saved in the PSD file format and can be edited in Photoshop and Photoshop Elements later. Perfect Layers is the heart of the new Perfect Photo Suite 6.

Perfect Effects 3 - Perfect Effects 3 builds on the popularity of PhotoTools to provide a faster and more powerful way to create images with impact. Perfect Effects includes a complete library of professional photographic effects that can be previewed, live and full screen, on an image before being applied. Perfect Effects now includes more manual control and blending options that provide even more control over how effects are combined and applied.

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1st Published 01/12/2011
last update 09/12/2022 14:55:10

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