Appletell reviews Topaz Labs DeJPEG Photoshop plug-in
by at July 25, 2010 11:11 pm
Sections: Graphics / Design, Mac Software, Reviews
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Developer: Topaz Labs
System Requirements: Intel Mac, Mac OS X v10.4 or later, Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, or iPhoto/Aperture/Lightroom through FusionExpress (free download)
Review Computer: 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo MacBook, 4GB DDR2 RAM
Price: $79.99 standalone, $179.99 as part of the Topaz Photoshop Plug-In Bundle
Availability: Out now
Demo: Download
Digital imaging involves a constant tradeoff between size and picture quality. The higher quality the picture, the larger the file size, which has obvious storage implications for memory cards and bandwidth requirements for serving up images to web browsers or email clients. Any photographer who has ever made the tradeoff between fitting more images onto a card and shooting at a lower compression ratio will find an appealing way to undo some of that damage using the DeJPEG plugin from Topaz Labs.
Like all of the Topaz PS Bundle, DeJPEG is simple to use. Invoked from either the Filter menu in Photoshop or the standalone Fusion Express application (for iPhoto, Aperture, and Lightroom users), DeJPEG launches with a standard 3-column window layout. To the left, simple presets are available based on the amount of JPEG compression on the incoming image. An additional preset exists for fixing the edge color of a high quality JPEG; JPEG compression typically causes most artifacts to appear at the edge of objects, so this is a great option for cleaning up images that are almost perfect. The center of the main window is a large-scale preview of the image, while to the right is the advanced options gallery.
Two categories of choices exist in the advanced gallery: Main and Advanced. The main controls allow fine-grained control over artifact reduction, as well as smoothing/sharpening in the image. The advanced controls include adjustments for luma/color noise, edge parameters, and an option to Add Grain (offsetting the smoothing that is part of the artifact removal process results in a more natural-looking image). Simple sliders exist for each option allowing for control over the numeric values of each control.
Photographers will appreciate Topaz’s DeJPEG for smoothing out any JPEG artifacts from an image prior to printing (or, in cases where picture quality is reduced because you run out of room on a memory card at the end of your vacation!). Most cameras produce prints that can be printed up to 8×10 without noticeable artifacts, but if an image has been cropped or straightened, the compression artifacts may be more noticeable. The solution? Just run the image through DEJPEG to clean up any artifacts! This example image shows a macro shot of a tulip shot in RAW, then exported to JPEG several times. The final panel is the application of the DEJPEG preset for ‘Highly Compressed JPEG’:
Of course the process is not perfect. Data that has been lost in compression can never be recovered, but the effects of the compression can be minimized:
Digital artists will appreciate DEJPEG’s ability to recover details in images that are beyond the artist’s control—whether they be provided by clients or other sources. In addition to removing obvious artifacts such as blocks or jagged lines, DeJPEG excels at transforming gradients from jagged color steps to smooth gradients.
Lossy compression algorithms like JPEG are a simple fact of life for digital photographers. Advanced JPEG compression rarely results in noticeable artifacts, except in extreme circumstances like printing posters or banners. For photographers or digital artists working with older, lower-quality JPEG files, Topaz’s DeJPEG restores detail to your images and removes image artifacts inherent in the compression process. The result is a more natural looking image and higher quality in the final results.
Be sure to check out reviews of the rest of the TopazLabs Photoshop Bundle here on Appletell in the coming weeks, and try out the free demo copies of all the Topaz software.
Buy Topaz DeJPEG or the Topaz Labs Plug-in Bundle
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