If you’ve ever wondered how to get that beautiful textured effect on your images but do feel intimidated by the complex techniques used in some software, Topaz Texture Effects will open an easy path to experiment.
Texture Effects allows users to create a variety of textured, toned, and lighting effects in a fraction of the time it takes in other editing software. The program includes a library of over 130 expertly crafted effects, an extensive collection of texture assets (275+ high-resolution assets!), and instant access to effects other Topaz users have shared with the new Topaz Community. That means no more scouring the web for a look that inspires you. With Texture Effects, inspiration is only a click away!
The promise from Topaz Labs is, apparently, fulfilled with the program. Once you start to use it you understand that there is no need to spend hours playing with layers and effects to achieve the look you are after. Through an efficient interface which shows the direction Topaz Labs software is taking, and follows the logic of other products from the company, the program gives you access not only to textures and multiple blending modes, but a collection of effects that transform Texture Effects in a whole factory of textures instead of a canned solution. That is, probably, one of the biggest assets of the program.
Texture Effects should be used in a powerful machine (64bit only, as other recent program from Topaz Labs), because loading the high resolution textures (5000×5000 pixels) can easily hog resources. The program can be used on its own, but also as an extension of Photoshop. If you use that way Topaz Labs advises to lower the CPU resources used by Photoshop. Having a lot of memory and the last drivers for your graphics card is also important, as this is a very graphics intensive program. Even then, expect to go through some slow moments, especially if stacking multiple textures and using multiple effects.
As many other programs of this type, Topaz Texture Effects is not for everyone. Some photographers will go through life without ever using a texture. Others, on the other hand, will spend hours playing with the controls in the program, experimenting with every effect and texture, creating new versions that now can be shared online through the Topaz Community. Looking at the variety of results available on the page for the product, it is easy to see the potential of the program and the community. And even feel the urge to try it with some photographs, just to see what happens. Beware, that might be the first step to a deeper involvement with the fun of Texture Effects.
While not all textures and effects are for everyone, the building of a community sharing new textures will, no doubt, extend the usability of the program. It will also be interesting to see if photographers from different areas – landscape, portrait, long exposure, etc. – come with specific solutions that will be adopted by others. In that sense, the name Texture Effects is probably not the best, as it does not tell everything the program does. This is not another software to mix textures with photographs, with only little adjustments possible, this is, as I wrote above, a true texture factory.
Topaz Texture Effects is available now from Topaz Labs with a special price of $49.99 until November 20th by using this coupon code: TEXTUREFX. Afterwards it will retail for $69.99. You can download a demonstration version of the program to try. Confirm you’ve a 64-bit machine and the specifications to run it, before giving it a try.