If you’ve been around long enough, you know the story of Nik Collection. The suite of plugins, released in the 90s, rapidly became an essential tool for creative photographers who wanted to expand the classic Photoshop softare with more creative tools. From the original Nik Sharpener and Nik Color Efex it expanded and in 2008 the suite included Dfine 2.0, Viveza, Color Efex Pro 3.0, Silver Efex Pro and Sharpener Pro 3.0 together in a single collection… Nik Collection.
Then, Google acquired the software and relaunched it with the addition of Analog Efex, in 2013, as the Google Nik Collection. Three years later Google made the software free, and in May 2017 announced there would be no more developments to the suite. Nik Collection compatibility problems were growing, and photographers were worried, because the suite was an essential part of the workflow for many of them.
It’s not many times it happens but the world of photography was distraught: on news websites and in discussion forums, photographers expressed their dismay, and more than 15,000 people from around the world signed a petition asking Google to find a solution and keep Nik Collection alive. Fortunately, this was not the end: in October 2017, Google announced that it had sold the Nik Collection suite to DxO Labs.
DxO brought Nik Collection from the dead and has been updating the software all this time, as we’ve covered here at ProVideo Coalition. However, DxO faced a major challenge since the very first day: the talented Nik software development team was gone and the company had just acquired millions of lines of code without clear documentation. So, it was decided to build from the ground, a task that took DxO six years.
In fact, the rebuild of Nik Collection is now complete, as DxO announces that “every line of code has been rewritten in a modern software environment”, adding “we had made a commitment to the photographic community to ensure the future of Nik Collection” as it reveals what the Nik Collection 6.3 has to offer photographers.
According to DO, the suite is fully compatible with the latest version of Windows and MacOS, and integrates smoothly with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. It has greater stability and efficiency than ever before, and it has gained a brand-new plugin (Nik Perspective Efex) along the way. In addition, thanks to the redesign, the suite has a coherent, unified feel for a refined editing experience.
Presenting the new software, DxO says that “ith this work complete, we can now focus solely on innovation. We’re committed to making Nik Collection THE indispensable companion to every Photoshop and Lightroom workflow. So, if you think you knew Nik Collection, don’t be so sure and give our latest version a try: version 6.3 is a landmark in the evolution of Nik Collection. And it is today more than ever the ultimate creative and technical solution for your images.”
One final note from DxO: “You don’t have to take our word for it: you can download a free, 30-day trial and find out why.”
To celebrate this landmark, DxO is now offering to customers who buy Nik Collection 6.3 a 5-hour, in-depth tutorial from Fstoppers entitled “Mastering Nik Collection: From Beginner To Expert“ worth $99 — for free!
Nik Collection 6.3 is available now as a free upgrade for existing Nik Collection 6 users. New customers can download Windows and macOS versions exclusively from the DxO website (https://shop.dxo.com/en). The Nik Collection 6 costs $149 and owners of Nik Collection 4 or 5 can take advantage of a special upgrade price: $79. There is also a 30-day free trial is also available. Nik Collection 6 does not require a subscription and can be installed on up to three computers.