Plugins for Photoshop

Plugins are small software programmes put into Photoshop to add extra features. There are numerous plug-ins, such as filters, within Photoshop already and many more are created by third party developers.

Plugins from other sources aim to create results which cannot be done easily or at all in Photoshop, but as Photoshop becomes more and more comprehensive, they can lose some of their advantage.
Many plugins are now only doing activities which can be accomplished with a little ingenuity and the use of Actions, so I am only including those which are more involved.
They are placed in the Photoshop plugins folder and will usually show up as extra options in the Filter menus, the Save As menu and the Import & Export menus.

Pixelgenius

Sharpening is not a simple one-click process and this plugin covers every circumstance. Digital capture and scans from film lose some sharpness when they are created.
Captive sharpening is a separate category.

Output sharpening must be adjusted according to the size and resolution of the image, the subject matter and whether it is going to be printed on an inkjet, laser printer, press printing or used on the web.
All options are covered and the resulting sharpening process is more accurate than most people would be able to do manually.
The sharpening is placed on separate layers, which leaves scope for user control. These extra layers can make the files extremely large, although they are likely to be flattened soon after.

It is available as a free trial from www.pixelgenius.com

SiteGrinder

Photoshop does have its own web-creating function but it is somewhat limited. Now after doing a Photoshop page layout it is not necessary to buy a fully web programme or spend months perfecting its use.

A page is laid out in layers with all the images and text. Every layer is named complete with its function, such as a button for the Home page would be called home-button or home-rollover. When the page is converted by SiteGrinder, that button takes on its new web function.
Text characteristics and styles are retained as CSS formating. Links are made automatically and navigation is created between all the pages.

Flash animations, slideshows, and much more can also be added to your webpages.

Considering how much it can achieve, the price at under $130 seems modest. There are Basic and Pro versions, with training videos and good technical support.

www.medialab.com/sitegrinder

Power Retouche

Power Retouche make 24 plugins covering an impressive number of functions.
They work in 8 bit,16 bit, RGB, CMYK, Greyscale, Duotone, Multichannel and Lab mode.
Although they can be bought separately, buying the bundled set offers a massive price discount and is the best option.
In addition, each plugin comes with a very thorough tutorial as a PDF file. All the details and finer points are covered in the tutorials.


Black Definition appears modest but is extremely useful. All image editing should be done in RGB, but this plugin allows you to treat black as a separate channel.
Black strength and definition can be increased without affect colour tone or density.
Black values can be reduced, making colours more vivid without actually changing their saturation.
I wonder how long it will be before PS go for that one.

Film Grain gives controls over size, contrast and hardness of the grain. There are controls for B/W and colour grain, along with sliders for the levels of grain in light, mid and dark areas.

Dymanic Range Compression. High contrast images can have their dark areas brightened and light areas darkened. Further comprehenisve colour and density control of images comes with the other plugins of Contrast, Exposure, Saturation and White Balance Corrector.

The Illumination Editor gives great post-production control over lighting. The emphasis of the light can be moved to a different part of the image. The whole direction of the light can be changed. Also, one can target specific tones or points to adjust their exposure.


Black & White Studio and Toned Photo between them bring great versatility to black and white images. Filters can be added, the effects of different films can be simulated.
In Print mode there are controls which only the best master printers could match in traditional darkrooms.


Many of the main old processes can be reproduced as Presets with the Toned Photo plugin; Cyanotype, Platinum, Kallitype and more.
As all these processes could produce variable results, there is a range of sliders to make further adjustments manually.


For the graphic minded there is Golden Section. Divine proportions can be drawn over an image to assist with cropping and composition.
There are golden section, golden spirals, golden triangles, rule of thirds and harmonic triangles.

The Noise Filter can filter out unwanted noise from digital images. It will clean out blemishes and smooth textured areas while retaining sharpness and details.

For a full review of all the plugins, their website is worth a look.
All 24 are available as a Demo and the tutorials can be downloaded.

www.powerretouche.com

Twisting Pixels

Twisitng Pixels offers 15 paper effects, including Crumpling, Folding, Bending, Rips, Burning and Corrosion.

There is complete control of lighting to enhance the effect with good shadows and highlights.
Texture can also be added for extra realism.

There is a large range of Presets as well as personal control with settings and sliders.

The interface is clear and so simple to use that a manual is hardly necessary.


www.twistingpixels.com



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