Monday, April 29, 2013

QImage 2013 – Complex Print Layout Made Easy

QImage 2013 - Makes Print Layout Easy
This user-interface might seem intimidating, but it’s really a breeze to use

When I reviewed QImage back in 2010, I quickly fell in love with how simple it was to do complex print layouts. You know, stuff like maximizing prints you can fit on the paper in exactly the size you want? Sounds simple right? Well, if you’ve tried doing this in Lightroom or just about anything else, you know that you can pull your hair out trying to get exactly what you want while still making the best use of the paper.

Deep Focus Sharpening – WOW

I won’t rehash a lot of what I covered in my old review, so I strongly encourage you to check it out here. There’s tons that this product can do which I covered in that article, but for this one I want to focus on one big new feature for 2013 – Deep Focus Sharpening.

For those who aren’t familiar with QImage, it has the ability to edit your raw or jpeg images much like Lightroom 4’s develop tab. Here’s a snapshot of the UI doing some pretty aggressive USM sharpening:

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As you can see above and below, the USM sharpening has some pretty nasty halos:

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Notice the strong halos around the text and the dark shadows on the dial

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With Deep Focus Sharpening you just get the sharpening
without the strong halos

Having trouble seeing it? Here’s another example on the same image:

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USM with nasty halos

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DFS with no halos

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No sharpening

What this means is that you can add some extra sharpening to your prints without destroying the quality of the image itself. What’s more, QImage will adjust your print sharpening based on the size of your image so you don’t have to give yourself headaches trying to create a special PSD or JPEG of your file for all of your desired print sizes.

This is printing made simple with a revolutionary sharpening method that I honestly wish was in Photoshop and Lightroom!

Video Demo

Some things you just need to see in action to really appreciate it, so here’s a quick video so you can see why I think QImage is so cool.

Conclusion

While I still wish QImage would get a major refresh of its user-interface, it has legions of happy users who like it just the way it is. I know that the most important part – the print layout and use of Deep Focus Sharpening – are pretty easy to use, so I guess that’s all that matters. It’s price can’t be beat and the Deep Focus Sharpening could be worth the price of admission for those looking for better sharpening without image destroying halos that are sure to show up in your prints.

Don’t believe me? Check out the free 14 day trial, and really click on every menu options and test every feature you can – you’ll be very surprised by what they’ve managed to stuff in this app!

Special Offer

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I’m almost embarrassed to provide a special offer because this app is so inexpensive! With that said, I’m pleased to announce that you can save over 10% when you use this link which is EXCLUSIVE to ronmartblog.com readers! You aren’t going to find a deal like this anywhere else on the web, and it may be for a limited time so if you are interested act while this offer is in effect!

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Disclosure

I was given a free copy of Qimage Ultimate for the purpose of reviewing this product and I may get a commission if you make select purchases through this article. Thanks for supporting the blog by purchasing using the links provided!

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