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DxO, the French imaging software company, has announced the release of Nik Collection 8.2. This update to DxO’s suite of creative Photoshop plugins for photographers and retouchers includes a fresh set of authentic paper textures to expand the creative possibilities for artists who want to give their images more depth, texture, and character. Nik Collection’s renowned filters and effects are widely used by photographers to transform their images. The addition of paper textures adds a new dimension to the package. From fine-art matte finishes to richly grained watercolor papers, the textures let users add subtle atmosphere or artistic style with a few clicks. “Texture is a versatile tool in creative photography,” says Boris Oliviero, product director of DxO “With the new paper textures in Nik Collection 8.2, photographers can now infuse their images with the timeless look of print and fine art, while enjoying the speed and flexibility that makes Nik Collection the gold standard for creative expression.” The Art Of Texture The Nik Analog Efex plugin is designed to make art from image imperfections by recreating the charm and unpredictability of classic cameras, lenses and films. The plugin comes with a palette of analog-inspired effects, including special effects like light leaks, lens distortions, vintage film grains and color casts. MORE FOR YOU This latest update to Nik Collection gives photographers the freedom to transport their images into another era. The new tool for adding paper textures has 30 authentic paper surfaces inspired by traditional photographic, artistic and antique papers. There are new textures that can add grain, depth, and character to an image. Also new to this latest version is a feature called Fine control, which can adjust the intensity, blend modes and tonal integration of an image to produce any effect from a subtle mood to a striking artistic impact. Nik Collection 8 works with Adobe Photoshop and DxO PhotoLab, Adobe Lightroom Classic and Affinity Photo. Alongside the new paper textures, users also get ongoing stability improvements and performance optimizations across all seven of the Nik Collection plugins. Pricing and Availability: DxO’s Nik Collection 8.2 is available today as a free upgrade for users of Nik Collection 8 from the DxO website for macOS and Windows. A new license costs $169.99$ / £144.99 / €159.99. Existing users can upgrade from Nik Collection 6 or 7 for $99.99 / £79.99 / €89.99. A 30-day trial is available from nikcollection.dxo.com/download. DxO PhotoLab Now In Version 9.2 DxO’s RAW photo editing software also gets an update today with a new version that offers more accurate selections, re-organizable masks and new PhotoLibrary filters. DxO PhotoLab 9.2 provides some significant improvements to the package’s AI-powered masking tools, alongside a set of workflow enhancements designed to make photographers more productive. “We’ve been delighted with how our AI masks have been received, and now we’ve made them even better,” says Jean-Marc Alexia, VP of product strategy at DxO. “With these enhancements, photographers can guarantee more accurate selections, freeing them up to concentrate on their creativity.” AI Masks Improved DxO’s AI masks were introduced in PhotoLab 9 and let photographers make complex local adjustments to an image with a few clicks, using a flexible mask and submask system that can build into sophisticated, interacting selections for more precision and control. With version 9.2, the AI masks are more powerful with improved matting and an upgraded threshold that can produce cleaner and more accurate edges around complex subjects like hair or fur. The result, claims DxO, is an AI masking system that’s smarter, faster and more intuitive. DxO PhotoLab 9.2 also introduces several workflow refinements, such as re-organizable masks with improved labeling. Users can exert more control over their local adjustments and the masks and sub-masks can be freely reordered, making it easier to keep complex edits organized. When a mask is duplicated, the software automatically labels the new version with a sequential number, saving time and reducing the chance of confusion. The refinements help streamline workflows. File management and image curation are now more efficient in DxO PhotoLab 9.2 thanks to three new filters that can speed up the way photographers locate their work. Alongside the existing options, users can now instantly display only Unedited Images, quickly isolate Edited Images or focus specifically on Edited Images with Local corrections. Whether you want to return to untouched RAW files, review overall edits or check where selective adjustments have been applied. DxO says the new filters make it faster and simpler to navigate even large photo libraries. PhotoLab 9.2 has an improved History panel for Windows users. The feature is already available for the macOS version of PhotoLab. Now Windows users get the same History panel, which remembers each step of an edit even after the software is closed and reopened. DxO PhotoLab 9’s AI masks let users isolate subjects, skies or backgrounds. The new functionality means the masks can be organized with sub-masks that interact with one another to create complex and layered selections. Whether the user is combining, subtracting or refining, DxO PhotoLab 9 has been updated to make intricate editing workflows that are powerful and fluid. If more precision is needed, there’s DxO’s U Point technology which provides fine-tuning using control points and brushes. 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