I will
start this review by declaring my interest in onOne
software. I have always been a fan because they
produce tools that are simple to use,
professionally designed and sharply targeted. I am
pleased to say that Plug-In Suite 3 only enhances
that reputation.
Plug-In Suite 3 consists of four modules: Genuine Fractals, Mask Pro, PhotoFrame Pro and Intellihance Pro. Installing is a breeze, although I would have liked the option of installing the suite to multiple Adobe products in one pass as it only gave the option of installing to PhotoShop or Elements – not both. A minor point.
I have already reviewed Genuine Fractals as a standalone product, but here is a short review of the other tools.
PhotoFrame Pro
If well done, adding a suitable frame to your photos can make them a big hit and transform the average shot to an eye-grabbing one.
With PhotoFrame Pro you can do this without even looking at the manual – a testimony to the simplicity of this tool. It only requires three steps to access over 4500 frames.
1. Select an image that you wish to frame or add edge effects to, then open the image in Photoshop.
2. Open the PhotoFrame Pro 3 plug-in from the onOne menu or Filter menu. In PhotoFrame, select a pre-made frame from PhotoFrame Pro 3’s extensive frame
database, create a custom frame, or import frames from another source.
3. Apply the frame to your image.
It really is that simple. And if you still don’t like the frames you can design your own or modify the existing ones by adjusting texture, opacity, edge thickness, bevel amount and more.
Intellihance Pro
This is a super tool for enhancing your photos with the Quick Enhance mode. But it does not stop there as you have control over the degree of enhancements. You can adjust elements such as contrast, brightness, sharpness and noise reduction all in one workspace. I tried a group shot taken with flash and I noticed how cleverly the slight tungsten colour cast had been adjusted to a more pleasing and natural colour balance. I was expecting a little more from the noise control, and would hope that onOne can improve this in the next version, as it did not reduce noise as much as I would have liked.
One feature that I particularly liked was the ability to compare the effects of 25 different presets at one time. Although, using a larger monitor is recommended to get the best of this excellent feature.
Mask Pro
Mask Pro is the most difficult of the tools to master as masking can be a difficult and time-consuming process depending on the photo. This plug-in however, takes some of the tedium out of the masking process with genuinely useful tools. The help files and video tutorials are excellent and cover all the main aspects in a simple, effective manner.
The plug-in uses a unique color matching technology to let you zero in on the areas you want to keep and the areas you want to drop. Color decontamination helps prevent edge spill and the suite of Cleanup tools lets you touch up any remaining trouble spots.
Mask Pro saves time, money and aggravation. Masks, selections and clipping paths that can take hours to create properly in Photoshop alone come down to minutes or seconds with Mask Pro, with perfect edges, no stray pixels, no haloes of erased backgrounds to get in the way.
Having tried the program I can say that onOne have once again done a great job in helping you do masking in a professional and clear manner. Mask Pro is a Pro performer.
Conclusion
This suite of plug-ins will serve you well if you need to resize, mask, frame or enhance your photographs. They work for the beginner and expert alike although you are buying into a professional suite of tools. Recommended.
Plug-In Suite 3 consists of four modules: Genuine Fractals, Mask Pro, PhotoFrame Pro and Intellihance Pro. Installing is a breeze, although I would have liked the option of installing the suite to multiple Adobe products in one pass as it only gave the option of installing to PhotoShop or Elements – not both. A minor point.
I have already reviewed Genuine Fractals as a standalone product, but here is a short review of the other tools.
PhotoFrame Pro
If well done, adding a suitable frame to your photos can make them a big hit and transform the average shot to an eye-grabbing one.
With PhotoFrame Pro you can do this without even looking at the manual – a testimony to the simplicity of this tool. It only requires three steps to access over 4500 frames.
1. Select an image that you wish to frame or add edge effects to, then open the image in Photoshop.
2. Open the PhotoFrame Pro 3 plug-in from the onOne menu or Filter menu. In PhotoFrame, select a pre-made frame from PhotoFrame Pro 3’s extensive frame
database, create a custom frame, or import frames from another source.
3. Apply the frame to your image.
It really is that simple. And if you still don’t like the frames you can design your own or modify the existing ones by adjusting texture, opacity, edge thickness, bevel amount and more.
Intellihance Pro
This is a super tool for enhancing your photos with the Quick Enhance mode. But it does not stop there as you have control over the degree of enhancements. You can adjust elements such as contrast, brightness, sharpness and noise reduction all in one workspace. I tried a group shot taken with flash and I noticed how cleverly the slight tungsten colour cast had been adjusted to a more pleasing and natural colour balance. I was expecting a little more from the noise control, and would hope that onOne can improve this in the next version, as it did not reduce noise as much as I would have liked.
One feature that I particularly liked was the ability to compare the effects of 25 different presets at one time. Although, using a larger monitor is recommended to get the best of this excellent feature.
Mask Pro
Mask Pro is the most difficult of the tools to master as masking can be a difficult and time-consuming process depending on the photo. This plug-in however, takes some of the tedium out of the masking process with genuinely useful tools. The help files and video tutorials are excellent and cover all the main aspects in a simple, effective manner.
The plug-in uses a unique color matching technology to let you zero in on the areas you want to keep and the areas you want to drop. Color decontamination helps prevent edge spill and the suite of Cleanup tools lets you touch up any remaining trouble spots.
Mask Pro saves time, money and aggravation. Masks, selections and clipping paths that can take hours to create properly in Photoshop alone come down to minutes or seconds with Mask Pro, with perfect edges, no stray pixels, no haloes of erased backgrounds to get in the way.
Having tried the program I can say that onOne have once again done a great job in helping you do masking in a professional and clear manner. Mask Pro is a Pro performer.
Conclusion
This suite of plug-ins will serve you well if you need to resize, mask, frame or enhance your photographs. They work for the beginner and expert alike although you are buying into a professional suite of tools. Recommended.
OnOne Software Plug-in Suite 3 Review
