Corel® Releases AfterShot Pro Photo management software With Video Tutorial

Photo management software

Fully multithreaded and optimized for multi-core and multi-CPU computers, Corel AfterShot Pro delivers fast RAW processing and incredibly color-accurate images with regular support for an ever-increasing number of major camera manufacturers and models. Unlike current competitors, AfterShot Pro offers workflow capabilities that enable you to work with photos virtually any way you want, such as quickly accessing images from existing file folders or memory cards or importing them into searchable catalogs. Corel AfterShot Pro’s powerful, non-destructive editing tools let you make your photos look their best, while unique selective editing capabilities provide incredible control over image adjustments by letting you apply them exactly where you want them. Corel AfterShot Pro key features include:

• Breakthrough Performance: Corel AfterShot Pro is designed for speed and allows those with and without the latest hardware to process their images fast. AfterShot Pro is fully multithreaded and optimized for multi-core computers by taking advantage of every CPU at its disposal to maximize the speed of onscreen preview, adjustment and output generation.
• RAW power: Corel AfterShot Pro is designed to help you make the most of the extra detail and data in your RAW images by offering fast RAW processing and incredibly color-accurate images.
• Flexible photo management: Whether reviewing, adjusting or exporting RAW, JPEG or TIFF images, Corel AfterShot Pro gives you the freedom to work the way you want. Create custom or even portable catalogues that can be moved to another computer, or if you already organize your photos in folders on your computer, you aren’t required to catalogue them at all. Work with photos wherever they are, whether they are in folders on your hard drive or on a memory card.
• Robust Metadata tools: Browse and search your photos with ease using the powerful metadata features in Corel AfterShot Pro. Easily find your images with automatically imported EXIF data such as camera settings, lenses and dates. Add your own keywords, ratings, labels and tags or use industry-standard IPTC Metadata, such as captions and copyright. Tailor metadata sets to display only the information you want to see or use AfterShot™ Pro Presets to attach information to your photos for easy searching.
• Advanced, Non-destructive editing: With the non-destructive editing tools in Corel AfterShot Pro, refine and enhance your photos without ever altering your original image. Apply intelligent automatic or manual adjustments—including complete exposure and tone control, color correction, white balance, noise reduction, curves and levels, lens correction and many more—knowing you can always revert to an earlier version of the image at any time.
• Selective editing: The unique Regions and Layers capabilities in Corel AfterShot Pro give you incredible control over image adjustments by letting you apply them exactly where you want them.
• Easy Photo-Editing Software Integration: When you’re ready to get into deeper photo editing and advanced image manipulation, Corel AfterShot Pro lets you to bring your image into Corel® PaintShop™ Pro, Adobe® Photoshop® or the image editor of your choice from directly within the application.
• Batch processing: Corel AfterShot Pro saves you time with some of the most advanced and flexible batch processing tools available. Use them to rename multiple files, apply adjustments to groups of similar files with the same settings, or convert and export files to one or more pre-defined image formats and sizes.
• Speed to output: When you’re ready to create image files to print, share online or access in other applications, Corel AfterShot Pro offers lightning-fast output generation. Plus, use Batch Output to quickly process images according to predefined output settings like JPEG and PDF, create contact sheets or standard print sizes, and more. It’s easy to modify Batch settings or create a custom Batch process that suits your workflow.

Pricing and Availability

Corel AfterShot Pro is available in English, German, French, Dutch, Italian and Japanese immediately as an electronic download (ESD) from www.corel.com. Box versions will be available from Corel's global resellers later in January 2012. North American pricing is $99.99 (US and CDN). The upgrade version is available for $79.99 (US and CDN). To be eligible for the upgrade you must own a previous licensed version of: Bibble Pro or Lite 5, Corel® Paint Shop Pro® Photo X2 or higher, Adobe® Lightroom® or Apple® Aperture®.
To download a free fully-functional trial version or for more information about AfterShot Pro, please visit www.corel.com/aftershotpro

Full Video Tutorial

Corel® AfterShot™ Pro Tutorial: Quick Start - En from Corel PaintShop on Vimeo.

Read More

Spyder 4 Elite is a global leader in color management solutions

My Print machine Mini lab Noritsu-3001. I use it for monitor and print quality matching. This is a new hardware calibration device. All of the Spyder 3 devices are the same. The software is the only difference. The Elite software has more advanced controls and in theory is "more accurate".

In response to Albino_BlacMan, I've tested the Spyder 3 (Elite model) back to back with the ColorMunki Photo (old style) using the LaCie Blue Eye Pro Proof Edition software (which can use either devices and others) on my LaCie 324i monitor (P-IPS 30bit display) and the ColorMunki actually gave me better "deep" colors, slightly more neutral overall tones (grayscale) and based on the UDACT certification verification tests the calibrations where also better with the ColorMunki. I'm not saying you should or should not get either or device, I'm just stating my experiences and test results. The Spyder 4 may actually be better, I dunno yet as I do not own one.

Datacolor is a global leader in color management solutions and color communication technology. The world’s leading brands, manufacturers, creative professionals and consumers, have been choosing Datacolor’s innovative technology and solutions to consistently achieve the right color for 40 years. A Swiss-held company, Datacolor’s global presence encompasses a sales, service and support network serving customers in more than 65 countries throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia, along with 13 worldwide operation and production facilities. This combination has given the company an intimate understanding of its core markets and how they depend on color, thus allowing Datacolor to provide cost-effective solutions to manage color globally throughout its customers’ workflows – enabling them to realize their vision, save time, improve quality, reduce costs, and excite their customers. Industries served include apparel and textile, paint and coatings, automotive, plastics, photography, digital imaging, home theater, ink, printing, paper, leather and others.

Spyder4 is designed for the way photographers work, combining an easy-to-use interface with advanced levels of brightness and color control. The full-spectrum color capture technology uses a seven-channel sensor, which registers color in the same way as the human eye, ensuring the colors on the screen are true-to-life.

Since no two devices display the exact same color, precise calibration is imperative in order to ensure consistent, true color representation. In addition, even calibrated monitors, TVs and tablets will gradually decrease in accuracy, requiring color calibration every one to two months in order to display sharp, accurate colors, shadows and highlights.

“Spyder 4 provides an easy-to-use calibration solution for all display devices, which greatly improves workflow efficiency for busy professionals and photo enthusiasts,” said Dave Faulkner, Product Manager, Imaging Color Solutions at Datacolor. “Our team is dedicated to developing color management tools that are extremely intuitive while still delivering the highest levels of accuracy that professional photographers demand. The industry is competitive, and anything that gives photographers an advantage, especially with the technical details of color management, is a huge asset. Photographers need to be able quickly edit and process shots to deliver to clients on deadline, and the Spyder4 will calibrate all their monitors in just minutes.”

A range of Spyder 4 devices are available, enabling users to choose the model that best matches their color management needs. The Spyder4 calibrates a variety of wide-gamut and normal-gamut displays. All models feature a simple install wizard, and deliver an average of 26% more accuracy and improved low luminance performance over previous Spyder3 technology.

Spyder4 Express is a cost-effective colorimeter that quickly calibrates a single display computer or laptop right out of the box. iPad and iPhone calibration is also available with Datacolor’s free SpyderGallery app.

Spyder4 Pro is ideal for those that want more control over light and color management, offering ambient light measurement and the ability to calibrate multiple displays, as well as iOS devices.

Spyder4 Elite offers the highest level of customization. In addition to the previously noted displays, it can also be used to calibrate projectors. Developed for professional photographers, videographers and others who must match colors precisely, the Spyder4 Elite provides the tools to manage multiple displays and calibrate them using a full set of gamma and non-gamma tone response curves to create custom workflow settings. The user can even define a custom calibration. The Spyder4 Elite includes the L-Star workflow and supports the video standards Cineon, NTSC, PAL and HDTV.

Pricing and Availability

Spyder4 products are available at photography and consumer electronic retailers nationwide or online at www.datacolor.com. The Spyder4Express is priced at $119, Spyder4Pro is $169, and Spyder4Elite is $249.

Read More