Last updated on August 31, 2025
Light | Dark

About the Customize tab

The Customize tab contains all the editing and correction tools in DxO PhotoLab.

In this chapter, you will discover and learn all the tools, as they are arranged when you use the DxO Advanced workspace.

Left pane

The left pane of the Customize tab contains the following palettes (top to bottom):

Histogram

RGB histogram
The histogram shows, color by color, how many pixels there are for each level of luminance.
The three color channels (RGB) and the Luminance channel can be displayed separately (Left: PC, right: Mac).
CMYK histogram
This shows the histogram of an image with a CMYK profile, indicating the luminance levels in the Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black channels.

About the histogram

The histogram is the most convenient way to determine how an image has been exposed, in order to correct it effectively. In simple terms, the histogram is a graph showing the number of pixels per brightness level: the larger a vertical line, the more pixels there are at that brightness level. If the histogram is shifted to the right, the image is brighter and, conversely, the more it is shifted to the left, the darker it is. When the histogram is well spread out from left to right, with a nice peak in the center (corresponding to the midtones), the exposure can be considered balanced, with a wide dynamic range.

RGB and L channels

The histogram tool calculates the brightness values for each color channel, and displays them all together on the same chart. However, you can also display the values per channel, as your camera does, by clicking on one of the buttons located on the right side of the chart:

The palette displays the characteristics of the area, above the histogram, when you move the mouse pointer over the image. The exact color of this small area is duplicated and magnified in a square tile, next to which its RGB (red, green, blue) primary color composition, each on a scale from 0 to 255, is displayed.

CMYK channels

The DxO PhotoLab histogram also calculates and indicates the distribution of brightness values for each channel of an image with a CMYK profile (cyan, magenta, yellow and black). You can view channels individually, using the corresponding buttons located in the palette (above the histogram on PC, under the histogram on Mac):

Clipping

When a luminance level goes below the left end of the histogram – the so-called black point, or above the right end – the white point, it will be constrained to pure black or pure white. Pixels in this position, or close to it, are said to be “clipped.” Of course, it is highly desirable to avoid this situation and retain the details in these areas of the image. For this purpose, the DxO PhotoLab histogram offers two tools, represented by two icons located under the histogram:

Clipping of low and highlights is visible as false colors

When all color channels are affected, the affected area will be displayed as black; if information is still available in one of the channels, the relevant areas will be displayed in false colors.

Move/Zoom

The palette allows you to navigate the image after zooming in, using a rectangle that you can move with the mouse in the preview. The rectangle represents exactly what you see in the Viewer, and the display is synchronized with the movements of the rectangle.

Projects

The Projects palette is a copy of the Projects section in the Source Browser of the PhotoLibrary tab. It shows not only the projects and project groups you created there, but you can also create new ones directly in this palette—they’ll also appear in the PhotoLibrary tab.

By saving you from constantly switching back to the PhotoLibrary tab, it makes your editing workflow smoother and faster.

The Projects palette offers these features:

  1. A list of projects and project groups.
  2. The right-click menu lets you:
    • Expand All: expands the tree of project groups and projects.
    • Collapse All: collapses the tree of project groups and projects.
  3. The Sort button lets you view project images by:
    • Sort by Name: the Image Browser shows the project contents alphabetically.
    • Sort by Last Modification Date: the Image Browser shows the project contents with the most recently edited image on the far left and the least recent on the right.
    • Sort by Creation Date: the Image Browser shows project contents based on capture date and time, with the newest image on the left and the oldest on the right.
  4. The + button lets you*:
    • Create a project from selected images in the Image Browser.
    • Create a project group.

The – (minus) button lets you delete a selected project or project group from the list. This will also update the Projects section in the Source Browser of the PhotoLibrary tab.

*For complete information on projects and how to use them, see the chapter Manage images and metadata in the PhotoLibrary tab.

History

Purpose and function

Located in the left pane of the Customize tab, the Advanced History palette displays all the steps in the work and corrections made to an image, including the date it was opened in the program and the application of default automatic corrections, in ascending chronological order (most recent step at the top). All this information is stored in real time in the DxO PhotoLab database, and requires no intervention on your part.

Use

Depending on the user, the history has a number of uses:

The nature of the recorded information

The DxO Advanced History palette records the following information, which is retained when you exit the program (Mac only):

Limiting the number of steps (Mac)

The history recorded in the DxO PhotoLab database represents a negligible amount of information in terms of impact on the program’s reactivity. However, on a Mac, you can limit the number of steps in Preferences > Advanced tab > History states section. By default, the number of entries is set to 100, and the available values range from 10 to Unlimited.

Using the History palette

Going back in the history and comparing

Clicking on the different editing steps.

To see the state of an image at a particular stage of correction, scroll through the Advanced History palette and click on a step: the image returns to the precise state it was in at that stage of correction, and the sub-palettes and tools concerned show the settings and values used at that time. Click on a newer or older step, go back in time through the various stages of tool use, and see how the image looks in real time in the Viewer.

Erasing the history (Mac)

You can’t erase just one or more steps in the history, simply because doing so doesn’t make sense, as corrections are usually made relative to each other (for example, you do the white balance before correcting colors, and erasing the white balance step would not make sense).

If you want to take back a correction, simply act on the tool concerned, by changing its setting or value. In this case, this action will appear at the top of the history.

However, you can erase the whole history.

  1. At the very bottom of the History palette, click on Clear History.
  2. A dialog box will warn you that the operation is irreversible.
  3. After clicking OK, the contents of the palette will be cleared, only one step (“Clear History”) is displayed.

Important: Deleting the history does not delete or reset your corrections and settings!

Of course, after you have erased the history, it starts saving again as soon as you apply new corrections to the image. In this case, the displayed values and settings start again from this step onwards; the corrections you erased from the history stay erased.

Presets Editor & Presets

About DxO PhotoLab presets

The visual presets window

A preset is a set of corrections that you can apply in one go to any pictures in DxO PhotoLab. The goal of the presets is to help you to record and keep track of your favorite corrections, and to ease and accelerate your workflow within the application.

There are two kinds of presets in DxO PhotoLab:

As soon as you open an image in DxO PhotoLab, the default full preset DxO Style – Natural is automatically applied. You can choose a different preset as the default if desired.

The different categories of available presets

DxO PhotoLab offers a set of full presets divided into 1 + 10 categories:

General purpose presets

The General use category includes six presets:

You can change the default preset in Preferences. The new default preset will be applied only to images that you process after making the change, not to images that were already opened with the previous or original default preset.

Portrait and Landscape

The Portrait and Landscape category is composed of two groups of presets that have been designed for these two uses. For portraits, for example, the contrast is softer and the skin tones have been optimized, whereas for landscapes, the contrast and the colors have greater emphasis. The following eight presets are available in this category:

Black & White

The Black & White category also provides eight presets that let you modify your images by playing with the contrast. You will find here presets that are adapted for “him” and “her” portraiture and for landscapes; presets that produce highly detailed images, and others which are shrouded to give a dream-like effect. Of course, all of these presets can be applied to any subject:

Atmospheres

The Atmospheres category offers eight creative presets based on toning. They can be applied to both color and black & white images:

High Dynamic Range (single-shot HDR)

This category contains four presets that simulate HDR effects – that is, images with an extended dynamic range but with a tonal range that is redistributed to be used without having to use special software or 32-bit files. These single-shot image presets do not require combining multiple images shot at different exposures, and can be used on both RAW and JPEG files:

Smartphones

This category contains two presets that have been optimized for images taken with mobile phones.

DxO FilmPack Designer – Black and White/Color/Black & White films/Color films and DxO FilmPack Time Machine

Designer presets, available when DxO FilmPack is installed, are based on film renderings and graphic effects – filters, toning, vignetting, textures, defects – that bring a new artistic dimension to your images.

Time Machine presets are installed from DxO FilmPack 6 onwards, and offer you film renderings from 1827 to 2019, the history of which you can consult via the Time Machine function.

Designer renderings are available from DxO FilmPack 4 or DxO FilmPack 5.

Time Machines renderings are available from DxO FilmPack 6.

They appear automatically when activating DxO FilmPack (a license is required).

Applying a preset

Applying a predefined preset

To apply a preset to your image, click on the Presets (Mac) / Apply a preset (PC) button in the command bar. Doing so opens a window in which all of the available presets and their effects on the selected image appear.

You can also right-click on a thumbnail in the Image Browser and select Apply Preset in the context menu, or click on the preset of your choice in the list in the Preset Editor.

Combining presets

You can use more than one preset on an image. If each preset has a different value for the same correction, the rule is simple: The values of the last applied preset take precedence; for example:

This rule in particular makes it possible to create partial presets that are based on a limited range of corrections to be applied on top of “overall” (or full) presets. When a correction is assigned a value by the partial preset, it will be governed by it. When there is no value assigned to a correction by the partial preset, the correction will be governed by the underlying full preset.

Creating a full preset from current settings

To create a preset from current settings:

  1. Correcting your image.
  2. When you are satisfied with the results, right-click on the image thumbnail in the Image Browser, and select Create preset from current settings in the context menu.
  3. Enter a name for your preset in the dialogue box and click on Save.
  4. The new preset will appear in the Visual Presets window and in the list in the Preset Editor.

Any preset that you create in this manner will affect all setting values, as it is a full preset.

Managing presets with the Preset Editor (ELITE Edition)

The Preset Editor is a palette in the Customize tab that lets you create and manage your own custom presets, including those that you create “from scratch,” and others that you can create by modifying existing presets.

Preset Editor commands

PC

The Preset Editor lets you create a preset by defining each correction setting:

DxO PhotoLab provides some locked presets (marked with a padlock icon) so you cannot modify or delete them.

You can create as many presets as you want and save them in custom folders, import them into other sessions or versions of DxO PhotoLab, and export them to share them with other users.

To verify or to change a preset’s settings, select it in the Preset Editor and then click on Edit: the relevant palettes will then be displayed in edit mode.

Mac

A drop-down menu located in the upper right corner of the palette offers the following commands (also available in the editor by right- clicking on the preset): New preset from current settings, New empty preset, New group, Duplicate preset, Rename, Delete, Apply preset, Edit preset, Save, Save copy, Cancel changes, Import [note that importing several presets simultaneously is possible], and Export.

Modifying a preset from an existing preset (ELITE Edition)

PC and Mac

To change an existing preset:

  1. Click on the preset that you want to change.
  2. Click on the Edit button on the top left of the Preset Editor palette. The relevant correction palette tools will switch to editing mode (indicated by blue banding on the left edge of the palettes).
  3. Uncheck the settings in the palettes that you want to deactivate, or modify the setting parameters as desired. You can expand the hidden palettes to activate, deactivate, or modify their settings.
  4. When you are finished making all the changes to the settings, click on the Save button in the Preset Editor palette.
  5. Click again on the Edit button to quit the create/edit preset mode.

To create a variant of a locked DxO preset, click on the Copy button in the command bar of the Preset Editor and then rename the copy.

In all cases, changes to preset parameters can be canceled either by selecting Undo in the Edit menu or by using the Ctrl (PC) / Cmd (Mac) + Z keyboard shortcut.

Preset folders (ELITE Edition)

You can open folders in the preset folder list by either double-clicking on them, or by a single click on the arrow on the top left. Clicking on the name of a folder lets you rename it, just like the way you rename a file. To rename a folder, just click on its name. You should give your folders relevant names in order to efficiently organize and classify your presets.

Right pane

The right pane of the Customize tab contains the following palettes (top to bottom):

The Light palette

Exposure

About Exposure

The image on the top has a bright background and lacks depth.
The image on the bottom shows the result achieved with “Highlight Priority – Strong” in the Exposure palette.

Exposure adjusts the image exposure level— that is, it increases or reduces the brightness coefficient of each pixel in the image. Because photographic systems record a reduced range of luminosities, in all cases of an inferior range to that offered by nature, most photos exhibit over- or under- exposed areas, or both at once.

Overexposure presents the biggest problem in digital photography, since a saturated camera sensor cannot cope with brightness above a certain level and returns all-white pixels. The Exposure tool can often recover information in these areas that have been incorrectly exposed, particularly with respect to RAW images, whose color channels generally retain some information even for burnt areas. With JPEG images, which have already undergone a series of in-camera processes relative to each RGB channel, however, highlights that are lost are gone for good.

Correcting a RAW file

There are three automatic correction modes for priority highlight recovery: slight, medium, and strong.

The Correction drop-down menu, specific to RAW-format images, proposes five automatic correction modes and one manual option:

Choosing one of the automatic exposure options can speed up your workflow by providing custom settings for many types of shooting situations. For example, the “slight” correction is usually enough to deal with a normally contrasted image.

The Exposure slider is also available in the Local Adjustments.

Correcting a JPEG or TIFF file

You can correct JPEG and TIFF files in manual mode by using the Intensity slider, whose range goes from –4 EV to +4 EV.

Move the slider in small steps while monitoring the changes in the histogram, with the highlight zone visibility button activated so you can see if the exposure has been increased too much (some clipped zones appear) or not reduced enough (clipping still visible).

DxO Smart Lighting

About DxO Smart Lighting

Backlit subjects are a typical case that calls for DxO Smart Lighting correction. Here, because of the very strong contrast, a high level of correction has been applied to open the shadows – as if a fill-in flash had been used.

Ordinarily, image corrections are applied to the whole photograph: when you modify the brightness or the contrast, you make the whole image brighter, darker, and more or less contrasted.

DxO Smart Lighting’s Uniform mode lets you automatically brighten or darken certain areas in your image without affecting other areas. You can also modify the contrast wherever necessary, such as in the following cases:

As for Spot Weighted processing, it uses face detection and works with Smart Lighting to give priority to correctly exposing faces. This is not precisely a local correction, but rather a way to weight the exposure in favor of faces while preserving the correct exposure of the rest of the image, for a balanced and natural result.

DxO Smart Lighting: Uniform mode

DxO Smart Lighting’s Uniform mode offers three levels of correction which take care of the vast majority of cases.

As with the majority of corrections, DxO Smart Lighting’s Uniform mode functions automatically. In this case, the software analyzes the image content and applies the correction in a homogenous way. You have two tools you can use either together or separately to adjust the correction:

DxO Smart Lighting: Spot Weighted mode

DxO Smart Lighting’s Spot Weighted mode is based on detection of faces in a photo in order to optimize the exposure — without radically modifying the rest of the image. This feature is particularly useful in the following cases:

When you click on the Spot Weighted button, DxO Smart Lighting will apply a correction in Slight mode by default, taking into account the faces present in the image. The number of areas detected is indicated in the sub-palette, to the right of the Spot Weighted processing tool icon.

To see the detected areas, click on the tool icon. In the image, each detected face is surrounded by a rectangle. If you move the mouse over one of these rectangles, it will activate (that is, its sides will appear as dotted lines and there will be handles in each corner), thus letting you move it, resize it, or delete it (for this last, click on the cross in the upper right corner of the frame).

You can also use the mouse’s cross pointer to draw a new area. When you do this, the software will perform a new analysis and apply a new correction to the image.

If the system does not detect a face when you turn on Spot Weighted, a No faces detected message will appear in the DxO Smart Lighting subpalette. Generally speaking, non-detection occurs when a face is partially hidden. In these cases, you can manually draw a rectangle, and here, too, the software will perform a new analysis and apply a new correction to the image.

The toolbar located underneath the image lets you activate and deactivate the display of weighted areas (rectangles); to reset the correction; or to close the tool (which you can also do by clicking on the icon in the sub-palette).

You can change the intensity of correction by choosing from among three predefined modes (Slight, Medium, Strong), or by using the Intensity slider to make manual adjustments. In every case, the algorithms take faces into account.

Which settings to use with DxO Smart Lighting

DxO Smart Lighting is probably the most complex of our corrections. It has a global and a local effect on the image – affecting the whole picture and local details – and has a strong influence on contrast and brightness. Such a complex correction can only be mastered with practice. However, you will quickly see for yourself how effective DxO Smart Lighting is even for difficult images.

First, reserve it for photos where the shadows need to be brought back. It has little effect on highlights, unlike Exposure Compensation. Second, you should stick with the three automatic correction modes as much as possible, as they can cope with most situations, and then fine-tune with the Intensity slider afterwards. If you need to do further corrections, use the Selective tone palette or the Tone Curve.

Selective tone

The Selective tone palette is a very intuitive and precise way to control and adjust the brightness of well-defined tonal ranges in an image:

– The Selective tone sliders can drastically change the contrast of your pictures. Use them in moderation and check your histogram to avoid clipping.

– The Selective Tone slides are also available in the Local Adjustments.

DxO ClearView Plus (ELITE Edition)

The DxO ClearView Plus tool automatically eliminates atmospheric haze in both RAW and JPEG files.

Atmospheric haze is caused by heat, humidity, or pollution, and frequently causes problems in landscape photos by obscuring details and adversely affecting contrast.

The Intensity slider, set at 50 by default, lets you choose the strength of the correction ranging from 0 to 100.

To return to the default setting (50), double-click on the slider.

You can also use DxO ClearView Plus on images that do not have atmospheric haze, for example to enhance the presence of a sky or landscape.

Contrast

The Contrast sub-palette consists of the Contrast and Microcontrast sliders.

If you have installed DxO FilmPack (ELITE Edition), four other sliders will also be present: Fine contrast and three advanced settings tied to it: Highlights, Midtones, and Shadows.

The Contrast sub-palette.

The global contrast correction can interfere with the Tone curve settings.

You can adjust the Microcontrast in two ways:

Automatic mode takes into account the presence of faces in order to preserve them, and also takes into account digital noise so as to avoid accentuating it excessively. For JPEG images, automatic Microcontrast is limited to a value of +5.

To reset the automatic correction, click again on the magic wand.

We advise you not to apply a strong Microcontrast correction, especially if you are applying the Sharpness Mask correction from the Detail palette.

Fine contrast (DxO FilmPack installed).

Each slider range goes from –100 to +100, with the default value set at 0.

Tone curve

About the Tone Curve

The tone curve is a photo editing tool often considered complex by photographers, sometimes to the point of avoiding its use. However, it is one of the most powerful, flexible, and refined image editing tools available. Don’t be intimidated by the lengthy description here. While the Tone Curve tool requires some learning, once you grasp its principles, the best way to master it is through practice.

The Tone Curve tool not only affects brightness and contrast but also color, via a global RGB channel, three separate channels (R for red, G for green, B for blue), and a luminance channel, also known as luma, which allows you to adjust tones without affecting color. You also have a tone picker that lets you sample a brightness level and mark it on the curve as a point, and make adjustments directly in the image.

By default, the tone curve is neutral and applies no correction, even when the Tone Curve sub-palette is activated. At this stage, it is represented by a 45° diagonal line, where the input brightness values, represented by the X (horizontal) axis match the output values exactly, represented by the Y (vertical) axis. When you adjust the curve, the output values change, impacting brightness, contrast, and color. Photographers frequently use it to enhance their images with the well-known “S-shaped curve”, which compresses the highlights (represented by the top of the curve, upper right) and shadows (bottom of the curve, lower left), while extending the midtones (center of the curve). The more pronounced the “S”,  the stronger the image contrast, meaning the difference between light and dark tones.

Adjusting tones with the curve also affects color by decreasing or increasing saturation depending on your settings, but you can also use it to correct or enhance a color cast with the three RGB channels. For instance, if your image is cooler and leans towards blue, you can adjust the B channel curve from blue to yellow, its complementary color, or vice versa to cool down a warm image. Manipulating the individual R, G, and B channels is also a good way to explore creative renditions.

Finally, the L channel, for luma or luminance, lets you adjust tones while preserving color. For example, if you enhance the tone of a landscape image with gray clouds, they might gradually turn blue, whereas with the L channel, they will remain gray. This is also a way to preserve skin tones in a portrait.

Inverted Curve

The tone curve in DxO PhotoLab also has an inverted mode, allowing you to convert and work on negative images, including scans of analog film.

Description

The Tone Curve sub-palette consists of the following elements:

  1. Presets: When you activate the tone curve, the default preset applied to your image, whether RAW or JPEG/TIFF, is the Linear curve. The dropdown menu allows you to apply curve presets included with DxO PhotoLab and create your own presets (see below).
  2. Channel selection: Click on one of the tabs to select and use the curve in the channel of your choice. Note that you cannot select and activate multiple channels simultaneously, but you can adjust multiple channels, one after the other (e.g., using the global RGB channel and then modifying the red channel).
    1. RGB: The global channel, where the curve affects all three red, green, and blue channels identically.
    2. R, G, B: Depending on your selection, the curve affects the red, green, or blue channel.
    3. L: The curve acts on the luma channel to adjust luminance while preserving color.
  3. Reset: Click this button to reset the active channel’s curve and associated settings.
  4. Reset All: Resets all channels and associated settings, returning the curve to the default preset (linear).
  5. Histogram: the background of the curve displays the histogram of the original image and the corrections that were made before working on the tone curve. When using the tone curve, and as long as you do not make corrections with other tools, its histogram does not change and serves as a reference. To check your curve settings, you need to consult the Histogram palette, which takes all corrections into account (don’t hesitate to enable the clipping indicators and select individual channels to avoid going too far with your adjustments). The appearance and color of the background also change depending on the active channel:
    1. RGB or L: Gradient gray background, lighter at the top left, darker at the top right, indicating brightness (brightening by curving upward, darkening by curving downward).
    2. R, G, or B: The background represents the complementary colors, according to the additive color model, and based on the selected channel (R: red/cyan, G: green/magenta, B: blue/yellow). For example, for the green channel, curving upward adds a green cast, and downward, a magenta cast.
  6. Curve: By default, the curve is a 45° diagonal line starting from the bottom left corner (absolute black, value: 0*) and ending in the top right corner (absolute white, value: 255*). The curve’s center is marked by the value 128 on each axis. The grid represents input values (horizontal or X-axis) corresponding to the original image tones and output values (vertical or Y-axis) corresponding to the tones after adjustments. To help with interpretation, click on the curve to add a point and drag it with the mouse: if you draw a vertical line from the point to the X-axis below, you’ll get the corresponding value in the original image, and a horizontal line to the Y-axis on the left shows the value after correction. The curve’s color depends on the channel, and if multiple channels are used, you’ll see multiple curves, each in its respective color:
    1. RGB: white.
    2. R, G, or B: respective colors, red, green, or blue.
    3. L: gold.
  7. Curve Points: When hovering the mouse over the curve, the cursor changes to a cross (+), and clicking sets a point corresponding to a brightness level in the image, with the value shown in indicators on the left (Y -axis) and below (X-axis) the curve (see point 9 below). Be aware that a point on the curve will affect all corresponding brightness levels, regardless of their location in the image:
    1.  You can create as many points as you want.
    2. To adjust the curve, click on a point and drag it.
    3. A point becomes white when clicked, indicating it’s active. A black point is inactive.
    4. You can’t activate multiple points at once.
    5. To temporarily deactivate all points, click on the background.
    6. When adjusting the curve between two points, only the corresponding portion of the image is affected. However, the curve accounts for transitions, causing slight variations beyond the points between which you adjust.
    7. Points on one channel are not visible on other channels (note: all curves are visible on all channels).
    8. To delete a point, activate it and press the Backspace or Delete key on your keyboard.
    9. You can also create points using the tone picker (see point 10 below).
  8. Thresholds: At each end of the X and Y axes, you’ll see small triangles. These handles allow you to modify the values of the white point (0) and the black point (255), also known as thresholds. This lets you adjust the input points and the range of brightness within which the curve will operate:
    1. On the X-axis, this allows you to adjust the tonal range of an original image whose histogram doesn’t extend sufficiently to the darkest and/or brightest tones.
    2. On the Y-axis, this allows you to truncate output values, achieving effects like the matte look illustrated thereafter.
    3. You can check the thresholds in the level indicators (see point 9 below).
  9. Level Indicators: On each of the X and Y axes, there are three level indicators representing:
    1. X-axis, from left to right: shadow values, midtones, and highlights.
    2. Y-axis, from top to bottom: highlight values, midtones, and shadows.
    3. The indicators also serve as input fields, especially if you have specific values from 0 to 255 to apply. You can also increment them using the up/down arrows on their right.
  10. Tone Picker: Activated by clicking the button, the tone picker offers two functions for convenient interactions with the image:
    1. You can create points on the curve by clicking in the desired spots in the image.
    2. You can click on a specific spot in the image and then drag up or down to adjust the tone. Note that as soon you click, the eyedropper will change to a hand icon.
    3. To deactivate the eyedropper, click the button in the sub-palette again.
  11. Gamma: In photography, this value, also known as the contrast factor, determines the contrast of the image capture medium, whether it’s film or electronic sensors. In the Tone Curve tool, it determines the slope of the central section of the curve (midtones), and it’s set to 1.00 by default. You can modify it on a scale from 0.05 to 6.00, either with the slider, by entering a value in the indicator, or using the up/down arrows:
    1.  Values above 1 increase contrast and bring out details in the shadows.
    2. Values below 1 decrease contrast and bring out details in the highlights.

Let’s do some maths !

* The 0 to 255 levels, 256 levels in total, are a standardized representation used by photo software, based on 8-bit files, or the number of bits per channel for RGB: 2 to the power of 8 (28) equals 256, which is typical for JPEG files that are 8-bit. For information, 16-bit files (216), like TIFF or RAW files, have 65,536 levels per RGB channel, but a representation with 256 levels is simpler to present and use.

Tone curve presets

The tone curve comes with several presets. For learning, feel free to try them and carefully observe all the associated settings in the sub-palette.

You can also create your own tone curve presets:

  1. Adjust the tone curve.
  2. In the Presets list, select “Save Preset…”.
  3. A dialog box appears allowing you to:
  4. Enter the name of your custom preset.
  5. Exclude or include the different RGB and Luminance channels.
  6.  Click “Save”.
  7. Your preset appears in the list.

To delete a custom preset*:

  1. Go to the list, select “Remove Preset”.
  2. Choose the preset from the submenu.
  3. A dialog box asks you to confirm the deletion.

*You can’t delete the tone curve presets provided by DxO PhotoLab.

Here are some examples of using the tone curve with associated curve settings:

Original
Increasing constrast
Decreasing contrast
Original
RGB contrast enhancement
Luma contrast enhancement
Correcting a color cast (here with the blue channel)
Toning a black & white picture with color channels
Matte effect
Inverted curve negative/positive

Vignetting

The appearance of the two Vignetting sliders when a DxO Module is available

Vignetting is an optical aberration that results in corners and edges that are darker than the center of an image. The vignetting correction works differently and uses different commands depending on whether or not the relevant DxO Module is available.

DxO Module available

When a DxO Module is available, the Correction drop-down menu will display Auto with DxO Module, and the correction will be automatic. You also have the option to refine the correction by hand, or switch to a completely manual mode, as if the DxO Modules were not available (see the next paragraph).

The vignetting correction actually takes place in two steps, both of which can be fine-tuned:

  1. First, from the lens data, focal length, and aperture setting, the DxO Module calculates the necessary correction for every pixel in the image. The Intensity slider allows you to decide how much vignetting should be removed (within a range of 0 to 100%).
  2. Second, a filter is applied to avoid clipping in bright areas and increased noise in dark areas. You can use the Preservation slider to set the intensity of this filter (from 0 to 100%), as follows:
    • If set to 0%, the vignetting correction will be applied without any restrictions.
    • If set to 80%, for example, the largest highlights and shadows will remain uncorrected.

When adjusting these two combined settings, we suggest sticking to the default 100% for the first Intensity slider, since the Middle slider is usually more effective in preventing undesirable vignetting correction side effects. Only vignetting due to the lens or sensor is corrected. Mechanical vignetting caused by a lens shade, for example, cannot be corrected. In the case of mechanical vignetting, you may want to use the Crop tool to remove the unwanted parts of your picture.

As with many other DxO PhotoLab corrections, the magic wand allows you to revert to the default settings.

No DxO Module available

If the DxO Module is not available, manual mode will be displayed. The Intensity slider will visually correct the darkening of the image at the edges and, in the advanced settings, the Middle amplification slider lets you determine the extent of the effect from the center of the image.

The Color palette

Working Color Space

Top : classic color space, bottom : DxO Wide Gamut color space

DxO PhotoLab (from version 6) uses an extended color workspace: DxO Wide Gamut, in addition to the Classic profile (Legacy), which matches the Adobe RGB 1998 profile, kept to prevent users from applying unwanted changes to images that they have already processed. The Colorimetric Space Subpalette lets you to manage images according to their color profile and convert them:

Converting images processed in Adobe RGB to the DxO Wide Gamut profile may change some colors and so, depending on how the picture looks, you may need to redo some corrections.

Indeed, soft proofing is available for the DxO Wide Gamut space, as well as the Legacy colorspace.

Important

Since version 6 (October 2022), DxO PhotoLab is no longer constrained by the color space of the input image, as each one is converted to use the expansive DxO Wide Gamut color space. For most screens with restrained color spaces, out-of-range color warnings may appear in the Soft Proofing tool when correcting images. However, getting rid of these warnings should not be your aim as they do not concern the quality obtained in exported files or prints.

Since DxO PhotoLab 6.3 (February 2023), the DxO Wide Gamut color space applies to both RAW and RGB files (JPEG, TIFF, linear DNG). 

White Balance

Regardless of its origin (artificial or natural), light usually appears white to our eyes. It is, however, nothing of the sort. Even daylight can contain strong blue dominants, particularly in shadows or when the sky is overcast. At the other end of the spectrum, incandescent bulbs have a yellow cast, while fluorescent lights produce complex green casts.

Adjusting white balance serves to correct these undesirable light dominants.

The White Balance palette. The As Shot setting (left) is shown in the upper picture, the corrected, custom setting (right) is shown in the bottom picture.

The settings available depend on the file type:

When you select a RAW file or a RGB file (JPEG or TIFF) in the Image Browser, the White Balance palette automatically adapts accordingly.

Using presets (RAW files)

The drop-down Setting menu contains a certain number of settings that cover most known light sources, ranging from daylight, cloudy, or shade to tungsten, different types of fluorescent, or industrial (sodium, mercury) lights.

The default choice is Original, which corresponds to the white balance of the camera used to shoot the image. Manual or Custom mode is automatically selected as soon as you use the Color temperature or Tint sliders (see the corresponding paragraphs further below).

The presets are:

Extending white balance to 50,000 allows for very specific corrections, such as those for the Aquatic preset that efficiently compensate for the strong blue-green dominant in underwater images.

The original white balance is the only camera setting that DxO PhotoLab takes into account.

Using the eyedropper (RAW and RGB files)

To use the eyedropper, you will first need to find an area or element in your image that is as close as possible to a neutral gray color, preferably a relatively light gray. Next, click on the area to establish the white balance. You can do this as many times as you want until you achieve the result you are looking for.

If the neutral area repeats in the image is small, zoom in to perform a more accurate pick.

Underneath the Viewer (Mac), or above it (PC), you will find a Radius slider that will allow you to change the size of the sampling area (indicated by a circle that accompanies the eyedropper). You can adjust the radius from 1 to 50 pixels.

White balance Radius slider (PC)
White balance Radius slider (Mac)

For images taken at high ISO speeds, we recommend increasing the Radius slider value to 10, to reduce pointing errors due to possible noisy patches.

After you finish using the white balance eyedropper, click on Close in the bottom right of the toolbar directly underneath the image.

Fine-tuning the white balance of a RAW file

However you choose to initially correct your images for white balance — via pre-established settings or the eyedropper, you can fine-tune the corrections using the Color temperature and Tint sliders. The Color temperature slider has a range of 2,000 °K to 50,000 °K, and can often be combined with the Tint slider to remove residual colorcasts.

In all cases, choosing As shot in the drop-down menu lets you safely revert to the settings provided by the image EXIF data.

Fine-tuning white balance for a RGB file (TIFF or JPEG)

When you select a JPEG or TIFF file in the Image Browser to set the white balance, the RAW white balance palette changes automatically to the RGB white balance palette, in which a simplified Color temperature slider is available in addition to the color picker. Strictly speaking, it is not possible nor recommended to set the white balance for a JPEG or TIFF file, since the white balance has already been established by in- camera processing. Therefore, any modification in one tonal range will produce imbalances in other tonal ranges: if we correct the midtone greys, then highlight greys or low-key greys will inevitably suffer a slight colored hue. For this reason, any white balance adjustments on images like his should be very slight. You can use either the color picker (eyedropper — see above) or a dedicated slider, both available in the advanced settings (Mac), to move from cooler (blue) tones to warmer (yellow) tones and vice-versa.

To reset slider adjustments, double-click on the slider. For both RAW or RGB files, it is not always necessary to look for perfect white balance. Keep in mind the atmosphere of the scene you have photographed, and try to adjust the settings to maintain that atmosphere.

Color/B&W Rendering

Color/B&W switch

The Color/B&W Rendering palette allows you to easily switch between workflows using the Color and B&W buttons. By clicking on either of these buttons, the content of the palette automatically adapts to the selected mode.

In B&W mode, the following tools are disabled :

Every camera, every processing software, and for traditional photography, every film, has a particular color rendering (and some renderings have contributed positively to their manufacturers’ reputations). The purpose of the Color Rendering palette is to simulate the rendering of a camera or film. Beyond aesthetics, this correction has a practical application for photographers who work with multiple cameras, enabling them to unify the appearance of their images regardless of the camera used. And professionals might also want to deliver to their customers a neutral set of images that bears no noticeable signature of any particular camera.

By default, DxO PhotoLab applies the following renderings to RAW files:

RAW images

Because RAW images still contain all the luminance information and have never been converted into any color space, they are particularly suitable for the Color rendering correction. This means that many creative opportunities are open to you, as you can see from the contents of the two drop-down menus, Type and Rendering, which also depend on the Color or B&W modes:

DxO PhotoLab does not take into account the photo styles provided by some camera makers. However, it will try to match the standard original rendering as closely as possible. Note that DxO PhotoLab lets you apply Fuji renderings (see below).

If DxO FilmPack is installed and activated, the Type and Rendering drop-down menus offer more films in the following categories : Color Positive Film, Color Negative Film, Color Processed Film, Digital Film, Cinematic Film and Black & White Film. For more information, please refer to the DxO FilmPack user guide.

Effect of the built-in tonal balance checkbox (for iPhone ProRAW files only).

Fuji and Nikon images

If you are using a Fuji or a Nikon camera, you have the option to automatically apply the camera’s rendering. To do this, you will need to activate the option Automatically use camera rendering if supported in the Preferences > General tab of DxO PhotoLab. There are two possible scenarios, depending on whether DxO FilmPack is installed or not:

  1. DxO FilmPack not installed: the rendering will be the generic rendering of the camera, and DxO Photolab will apply this rendering if the camera is set to Fuji film rendering.
  2. DxO FilmPack installed: in addition to the generic renderings, you will have the choice of all Fuji and Nikon renderings to apply as you wish. Note that in this scenario, you will also be able to apply those renderings to any brand and model of camera supported by DxO PhotoLab (renderings are available either in the Color > Color Rendering > Rendering palette or in the Presets, DxO FilmPack Designer – Color and DxO FilmPack Designer – Black & White sections).

The following renderings are exclusively compatible with RAW images captured using a Fujifilm camera:

  • Fuji PROVIA/STANDARD
  • Fuji Velvia/VIVID
  •  Fuji ASTIA/SOFT
  • Fuji CLASSIC CHROME
  • Fuji CLASSIC CHROME +
  • Fuji PRO Neg. Hi
  •  Fuji PRO Neg. Std
  • Fuji CLASSIC Neg.
  • Fuji ETERNA/CINEMA
  • Fuji ETERNA BLEACH BYPASS
  • Fuji SEPIA
  • Fuji Nostalgic Neg.

TIFF or JPEG images

As with several other corrections, Color rendering is inherently limited when applied to TIFF or JPEG images: the images have already been processed to some degree, and thus there is no access to the original file data. So for these formats, only certain film emulations are available.

You can access film options by combining certain choices found in the two drop-down menus, Category and Rendering (see below). The Intensity slider allows progressive changing of the original image into the selected emulation. The default setting is 100, with 0 for the original image, and all values above 100 “hyper-correcting” the image.

Color rendering (DxO FilmPack enabled)

Starting with version 6.0, if FilmPack is enabled, the DxO FilmPack Time Machine button appears in the Color Rendering sub-palette. Clicking on it will open the Time Machine floating window that lets you browse through an illustrated history of photography, from the 19th century to the year 2020. You can also apply directly the presets proposed by Time Machine (see the section on DxO FilmPack and Time Machine for more details).

Calibrated Color Profile (ELITE edition)

DxO PhotoLab lets you use DCP input profiles to obtain optimal image rendering and colors, depending on the illuminant used to light the scene, and/or to apply a particular rendering, or even to homogenize the image colors produced by different camera models.

What is a DCP profile?

Your camera’s sensor converts the photons that reach the photosites (the sensitive elements that capture light) into electrical signals. These electrical signals are then converted into data stored in a RAW file which, in turn, need to be processed using software such as DxO PhotoLab to produce a usable image. To restore color throughout this process, the program applies an input profile, and therefore its own rendering.

However, you can change this rendering using another input profile.

DxO PhotoLab supports DCP profiles, a technology developed by Adobe. DCP (DNG Color Profiles) are based on DNG (Digital NeGative), a free and open RAW format that Adobe has provided to the image, photo and film industry, and which has been universally adopted by mobile devices running iOS and Android.

DCPs have a number of advantages over ICC profiles, in particular their flexibility. Indeed, DCPs make it possible to incorporate two types of illuminants — for example, daylight and incandescent lighting — to obtain the right colors and white balance in all circumstances. Profiles also affect image contrast: for example, you can use profiles with a more or less soft rendering, or linear-type profiles, to produce a flat rendered image, thus giving you a neutral working base on which to create your own rendering.

ICC profile support has been dropped since DxO PhotoLab 7 (Sept. 2023).

DxO or Adobe DCP curve ?

The DCP curve menu appears only when you select DCP Profile in the Type menu, and lets you select two different renderings:

How to create a custom calibrated color profile

DxO PhotoLab lets you create DCP input profiles. If you don’t want to produce your own profiles, service providers are also available to create input profiles for your particular camera.

To create a custom DCP input profile, you need to use a color chart. This will allow you to get accurate colors according to the light source, and apply the saved profile to batches of images taken with the same light source.

  • The application of a calibrated profile must be done upstream of the workflow in the Customize tab, and more particularly if you plan to correct the colors.
  • The Calibrated Color Profile Tool is only available in the DxO Wide Gamut working color space.

To create a custom profile, you must have one of the following charts:

Photographing the color chart

The Calibrated Color Profile creation tool can only be used with RAW files. This is because with a JPEG file, the white balance and color corrections will be limited, while RAW files give you all the latitude for corrections. If you select a JPEG file, the tool will remain inactive.

To photograph your chart, make sure it is well exposed to the light source, frame it so that it fills a good part of the image, especially if you are using a small chart, and that it is facing the lens.

After you have photographed the chart, or the chart with its subject, remove it and then continue your shooting session. If you change the light source or change the subject, take a new shot with the chart.

Creating a Calibrated Color Profile

After opening and selecting the image with the chart in DxO PhotoLab, and before making any color corrections (by default, the software adjusts the tones and basic rendering, and the camera’s white balance is preserved), activate the Calibrated Color Profile creation tool in the Colors palette, sub-palette Color Rendering / B&W, then:

Applying a Calibrated Color Profile

To apply a custom calibrated color profile to an image or a previously selected batch of images:

If, for some reason, you switch to B&W mode and then back to Color mode, the Type and Rendering drop-down menus are reset to Generic rendering and Neutral color. You will therefore need to reselect your calibrated profile.

Importing and applying a Calibrated Color Profile

To import and apply a DCP input profile into DxO PhotoLab:

When should you apply a DCP profile? Ideally, you should apply it at the beginning of the workflow, before performing any image corrections:

LUT Grading (ELITE edition)

Overview

The different LUT categories
Selecting and applying a Premium LUT

LUT (Look-Up Table) files are tables that modify input values into different output values, especially in terms of colors and their respective RGB values. In DxO PhotoLab, to make things easier, those tables are referred as “LUT files”.

In the case of a digital image, LUT files allow you to practice color grading and give a creative rendering to your images, without modifying or altering the default settings in the Customize tab (unlike the presets of DxO PhotoLab and DxO FilmPack).

The goal, here, by reproducing a palette of colors, is to give a particular look to your image, often inspired by movies or TV series, but also by magazines, landscapes, seasons, etc.

Finally, unlike DCP calibrated profiles, you can apply a LUT file to both Raw and RGB files (JPEG, TIFF).

DxO PhotoLab comes with 3 different sets of LUT files:

Apply a LUT file

The application of a LUT file must be done upstream of the workflow in the Customize tab.

To apply a LUT file to an image or a previously selected batch of images:

  1. Go to the Color palette, sub-palette LUT calibration.
  2. Select the desired rendering in one of the LUT file lists.
  3. If you are using an imported LUT file, and therefore not one of the LUT files from DxO PhotoLab, the LUT Color Space menu allows you to assign a working color space.
  4. The Intensity slider, set to 100 by default, allows you to attenuate the rendering obtained with the selected LUT file.

Import a LUT file

You can easily add LUT files, after downloading them from the Internet and decompressing them:

  1. In the Color palette, sub-palette LUT calibration, open the LUT file list and select Import (.cube)…
  2. A system dialog box allows you to locate and select a LUT file (on PC, you can select multiple files).
  3. Click OK, the LUT file appears in the list and is applied immediately.

DxO PhotoLab does not move LUT files during import. Provide a dedicated storage folder, such as the Images folder in your system.

Delete a LUT file

Go to the LUT file list, and select Delete. All LUT files, except those from DxO PhotoLab, are deleted.

Style – Toning (DxO FilmPack not activated)

The Style-toning palette offers by default a Sepia preset.

You can adjust the effect with the Intensity slider. The default value is 100, and 0 corresponds to the original image.

The contents of the Style – Toning palette depends on whether DxO FilmPack has been activated or not. For more information, see the section on DxO FilmPack palette.

HSL

The Hue/Saturation/Luminance (HSL) palette allows you to selectively and precisely correct colors using a color wheel, 8 color channels, and a global channel, as well as 3 sliders that affect saturation, luminance, and uniformity. This tool also allows you to:

The Hue/Saturation/Luminance sub-palette is located in the Color palette

Color channels

At the top of the sub-palette, the colored dots show the selectable color channels (from left to right):

The dots represent the global channel (white) and the color channels. On the right, the reset arrow

The selected channel is indicated by a white outline around its dot. As soon as you make a hue, saturation, luminance, and/or uniformity adjustment, a white dot appears under the active channel indicator.

The white outline indicates that the orange channel is active and the white dot indicates that the corresponding shade has been changed

After applying a correction to a channel, you can temporarily disable it by clicking and holding the mouse button in the active channel dot. This allows you to quickly compare the image before and after the correction.

To the right of the channels, the curved arrow resets all the adjustments made in the palette—both to the settings of the color wheel and to those of the sliders. However, the channel you previously selected remains active, as indicated by a white outline.

DxO ColorWheel

The DxO ColorWheel replaces the HSL tool hue slider in versions prior to DxO PhotoLab 3. Equipped with both broader and finer adjustment options, it consists of the following elements:

As the inner wheel represents the source color (the one you want to change) and the outer wheel represents the target color, you should read and interpret the DxO ColorWheel from the inside to the outside.

The behavior of the DxO ColorWheel thus depends on what you select in the global channel or in one of the color channels.

The DxO ColorWheel (left, global channel active; right, blue channel active)

When the global channel (white dot) is selected, only the Saturation and Vibrancy sliders are active.

If the global channel is selected

Using the handle, you can rotate the outer wheel of the DxO ColorWheel 360°, and in this case, each inner color range (source color) will take on the hue it aligns with in the outer wheel (target color).

With the global channel active (white dot), the handle has rotated the outer wheel (target color) 180° around the inner wheel (source color)

Let’s take the example of a photo with a blue sky and fairly yellow grass:

If the global channel is active (white dot) and no adjustments have been made, the two wheels will be aligned (slider to the right): the blues next to the blues, the reds next to the reds, the greens next to the greens, as well as the complementary colors (yellow, cyan, magenta). The sky and grass maintain their original colors.

Global channel active, wheels aligned

Grab the handle and then rotate the outer wheel so that the handle is at the bottom: the blue range of the inner wheel (source color) ends up aligned with the red/magenta range of the outer wheel (target color) and therefore the sky turns a red/magenta tint. The yellow/orange range of the inner wheel (source color) aligns with the green range of the outer wheel (target color) and thus the yellow grass turns a bluish green.

Outer wheel handle moved a quarter turn: the blues turn magenta, the yellows turn green

Continue until the handle is positioned to the left of the wheel: the internal blue zone (source color) is next to the orange zone (target color) so the sky turns an orange hue, the yellow zone of the internal wheel is aligned with the blue zone of the external wheel; then the grass turns blue and so on as you return to the default position (slider on the right, in line with the internal marker and both wheels aligned).

With the handle positioned on the left, the blue of the sky turns orange, and the yellow grass turns blue

If a color channel is selected

Let’s use the same photo as before:

Click on the blue dot to activate the blue channel.

Please also note the following behaviors:

Sliders

You can use the Saturation, Luminance, and Uniformity sliders to refine the color corrections you make with the DxO ColorWheel. All sliders are set to and remain at 0 by default, regardless of the ColorWheel settings.

The Saturation and Luminance slider bars show the target hue. For example, if you click on the blue channel, or if you have positioned the outer wheel handle on the blue (at 90°), the Saturation and Luminance slider bars will turn blue. If you change the target hue, the color of the sliders will also change to match the target hue.

Saturation

The Saturation slider subtly attenuates or strengthens all the colors in the image if the Global channel is selected, or the active hue channel.

If you move it to the left, the colors or the selected hue gradually shift to grey, and completely when you reach a value of –100. To the right, the colors or the selected hue become more and more vivid, but without the risk of clipping or oversaturating the color. The default setting is 0.

Vibrancy

Compared to the Saturation slider, which reinforces colors, the Vibrancy slider operates in a much more subtle way, taking into account the vibrancy of the different colors in the image. It can be defined as a “smart” color saturation setting. The range is from –100 to 100, and the default setting is 0. When the slider has a positive value, vibrancy increases the overall saturation, but with some very particular behaviors:

When the slider has a negative setting, overall saturation is reduced, with the following restrictions:

Luminance

The Luminance slider affects the brightness of the selected or active hue. By moving it to the left (dark end), you darken the hue and, to the right (light end), you make it brighter, while preserving the saturation as much as possible.

Uniformity

From left to right: slider to the left (less uniformity); untuned image (slider at 0); slider to the right (more uniform)

The Uniformity slider allows you to influence the color homogeneity of a defined and active range. Increasing the value (to the right) will reduce the shade variations of the target hue. Reducing the value (to the left) will increase the shade variations within the active range.

The algorithms that the HSL tool uses are not implemented by the Saturation and Vibrancy sliders (global & local settings), nor by the Hue slider (local settings).

Color sampler

Hue selection with the picker
Adjust the selected hue

You can also select a shade even more precisely with the Hue picker tool, found in the center of the DxO ColorWheel. It works with each of the color channels except the Global channel (white tile). To use the hue picker:

  1. In the HSL palette, select the desired channel.
  2. In the center of the DxO ColorWheel, click on the eyedropper to activate it.
  3. Click on the desired hue in the image.
  4. The corresponding shade range is automatically activated in the DxO ColorWheel.
  5. Make your shade and color adjustments using the DxO ColorWheel and associated sliders.

When you activate the hue picker, a toolbar is displayed below the image (Mac), or above (PC) and includes the following items:

  1. Name or icon of the active tool (hue picker).
  2. The selected channel and then the hue after modification are indicated (Mac).
  3. Radius: Allows you to adjust the hue picker’s sampling diameter from 1 to 50 pixels (the sampling area is indicated by a circle at the tip of the eyedropper).
  4. Reset button (Mac) or icon (PC): Resets the sampling; the indicator [2] returns to the base color of the selected channel.
  5. Close (Mac): Deactivates the hue picker (but not the corrections).
Mac
PC

Display mask for the selected color range

After selecting a color channel by clicking on one of the pads (and possibly refining the selection with the eyedropper), you can display only the colors concerned by clicking in the range of the DxO ColorWheel, while holding down the Ctrl (PC) or Cmd (Mac) key. The rest of the image and colors outside this range will be shown in grayscale. 

This method will allow you to select the colors to be processed even more precisely, since their display will vary depending on the settings you make in the DxO ColorWheel, both in terms of range and hue transitions.

Normal display
Display using the Cmd (Mac) or Ctrl (PC) key

Channel Mixer

The Channel Mixer lets you adjust and fine-tune color and black & white pictures according to your taste by acting on the additive colors (red, green, and blue) as well as on the subtractive colors (cyan, magenta, and yellow).

You can think of the Channel mixer as a set of fully-configurable filters. Although the filters in the Filter palette are limited both in hue and intensity, the Channel mixer lets you create any combination of colors at any level of intensity.

To use the Channel mixer, you will need to evaluate which channels are too bright or too dark, and then move the corresponding sliders in the desired direction. For example, if your image contains yellow elements, you can move the Yellow slider to the left to darken them, or to the right to brighten them.

Soft proofing (ELITE edition)

Soft proofing enabled with white background image and off gamut color indication according to the selected profile

About soft proofing and recommendations

Screen proofing, or soft proofing, consists of simulating the rendering of a paper print on your screen, taking into account paper characteristics, such as its tint, as well as inks used by the printer or lab. This simulation, based on ICC colorimetric profiles, also lets you identify possible off-line (non-printable) colors as well as any corrections that may to be made before you start printing.

Soft proofing is not limited to printing, it also lets you simulate specific display renderings for where you plan to present your images (TV, tablets, etc.).

DxO PhotoLab lets you test on screen using ICC and CMYK profiles installed in your system, having obtained them from the following sources:

All sites offering download profiles offer detailed installation instructions. This is done at operating system level, and DxO PhotoLab will be able to offer them to you and display them without you having to do anything special within the program itself, simply reach them through the Profile menu, in the soft proofing subpalette.

IMPORTANT: For soft proofing to be reliable and efficient, it goes without saying that your graphic chain – from the screen to the printer – must be calibrated using the corresponding tools (for colors and associated software), with screen adjustments (brightness, contrast, color temperature) set for printing. Also note that calibrations need to be updated regularly and, for an optimal result, must take into account the brightness and neutrality of your working environment. Do not hesitate to consult specialist sites and books, as well as the documentation of the manufacturers of this type of equipment.

Soft proofing Tools

Soft proofing is done in the Customize tab where the associated tools are to be found:

Soft proofing Subpalette and White Background

Soft proofing subpalette in the Color palette

The Soft proofing Subpalette has the following elements:

Histogram out-of-gamut warnings

The histogram in soft proofing mode, with off-gamut indications for the screen and for the active destination media
Out-of-gamut notification

The histogram not only displays RGB or CMYK channels, depending on the selected profile in the Soft proofing subpalette, but also off-gamut warnings (out of color range) in the form of colored masks embedded in the image.

To do this, you have the following two buttons, which you can also use together:

Depending on the selected mode, RGB or CMYK, you can view the channels of the histogram by clicking on the corresponding buttons. This will let you determine which channel is affected by a gamut clipping or overflow problem, depending on the profile type:

Thumbnail Indications

Soft proofing Icon

When you do a soft proof and apply an ICC profile to an image, a specific icon will be displayed in the bottom left corner of the thumbnail image. Hovering the mouse pointer over this icon will display a tooltip with the assigned profile.

The display icon is only visible if soft proofing is enabled, and also works on virtual copies.

Filtering and Displaying Soft proofs

Filtering images with soft proofing

Image Browser allows you to filter images that either soft proofed or not. Click Image Filtering and select one of the following criteria from the list:

This way you can easily find the images with soft proofing and potentially group them into a project.

How to use soft proofing

We advise you to use virtual copies for all your simulation and soft proofing work. This will allow you to keep the master image, while creating multiple test copies with different profiles and/or renderings.

To do softproofing:

  1. Go to the Customize tab, then select your master image.
  2. A dialog box confirms that you are in soft proofing mode and invites you to create a virtual copy instead of using the master image (recommended workflow).
  3. In the Color palette, enable the soft proofing subpalette.
  4. Select the desired profile from the Profile menu.
  5. If the test is for printing, check Simulate Paper and Ink.
  6. In the Histogram palette, enable off gamut warning depending on the image destination: for screen (web display or on a particular device, tablet, mobile, etc.) or for a destination media (printing paper, publishing).
  7. If the image shows off gamut indications (blue for screen, red for paper), make the necessary corrections with the tools in the Custom tab (Saturation, Vibrance, TSL, etc.) to reduce non-printable colors. You can also use it to make any corrections that affect image rendering.
  8. You can also alter color saturation and detail in saturated areas with the saturated color protection slider in the softproofing subpalette.
  9. Once the corrections have been made and verified, you can leave the screen test on, especially if you are using virtual copies. This way you will always see the thumbnails with the test icon in your Image Browser.

Whether you turn the soft proof off or not, if you are printing it yourself it will be up to you to select the correct profile in the printer driver (the soft proofing does not convert your image).

When exporting images for your printer, follow their instructions as to whether you should attach the ICC profile or not (usually labs and printers do the conversion themselves).

If the profile used during the test is no longer available at the time of export, DxO PhotoLab automatically returns to the default sRGB profile, and an error message is displayed.

If you export images with a CMYK profile, they will be converted to CMYK. If the export takes place in the original folder or any folder managed by DxO PhotoLab, it will not be able to display them and you will not be able to correct them. A warning will be displayed instead of the image.

The Detail palette

Denoising & Demosaicing

At DxO, denoising—reducing digital noise—and demosaicing—converting a camera sensor’s raw data into a readable and usable image—are closely linked. The Denoising & Demosaicing sub-palette contains the different noise reduction modes along with their associated tools and sliders: Standard and DxO DeepPRIME technologies.

As of DxO PhotoLab 9, the PRIME noise reduction mode has been removed and replaced by the more advanced DeepPRIME technologies.

Denoising Sliders and Settings

Left: Standard denoising sliders, right: DeepPRIME (all versions) sliders

The availability of sliders depends on the selected denoising mode, as well as the selected file type, RAW or RGB (see detailed list below). By default, only the Luminance slider is visible. To display the other sliders, click on Advanced Settings.

Noise Reduction Preview

Denoise preview using the Loupe tool
Denoise preview in Comparison mode

Standard noise reduction is applied by default to the entire displayed image, but there are several ways to preview DxO DeepPRIME noise reduction after selecting one of the available modes in the sub-palette:

*Enabling DeepPRIME rendering may significantly impact your computer’s performance due to the intensity of real-time operations. If so, disable this option and use the Loupe to examine the denoising effects.

Enabling DeepPRIME rendering full preview (top: Mac settings, bottom: PC settings)

Optimizing DxO DeepPRIME Denoising and Demosaicing Performance

Setting DeepPRIME acceleration in the Mac settings (top) and the PC settings (bottom)

DxO DeepPRIME uses the power of your computer’s graphics card (GPU) to carry out calculations and relieve the processor (CPU). If your computer and its graphics card are compatible, GPU acceleration is activated automatically. However, several options are available in the Preferences:

Options include:

Any change to DeepPRIME acceleration settings requires restarting DxO PhotoLab. Incompatible options are automatically disabled.

Denoising Badges

Denoising badges on thumbnails, from left to right: Standard (no badge), DeepPRIME 3, and DeepPRIME XD/XD2s/XD3

When you process images using one of the noise reduction modes, a badge appears in the lower-left corner of the image thumbnail. All modes except Standard have their own badge (see illustration above). The badge appears as soon as a DeepPRIME mode is selected, even before exporting.

Standard Denoising Mode

The Standard denoising mode is applied to all files supported by DxO PhotoLab, including RAW and DNG (excluding linear and compressed files), as well as RGB images (TIFF and JPEG). It is automatically applied when images are opened using the default preset “DxO Style – Natural”. 

All sliders in the sub-palette are adjusted based on the camera model (analyzed and characterized by DxO Labs) and the ISO setting used during shooting. Although the slider settings may look the same from image to image, Standard denoising is not generic. It offers the best balance between quality and speed, including during image export.

DeepPRIME Denoising Modes

DxO DeepPRIME 3, DeepPRIME XD/XD2s, and DeepPRIME XD3 (Deep for Deep Learning and PRIME for Probabilistic Raw IMage Enhancement) are denoising and demosaicing technologies that go further in image processing. Based on AI and extended neural network technology, their algorithms have been trained using billions of images produced by DxO over the years through lab analysis. DxO DeepPRIME technologies perform denoising and demosaicing using a holistic approach, analyzing image problems in a global context rather than focusing solely on digital noise.

The benefits of DxO DeepPRIME technologies include:

Example of Standard mode denoising.
Example of DxO DeepPRIME denoising (here, DeepPRIME 3).
Comparison of original and exported image using Reference Image mode (left, DeepPRIME 3)

Versions and evolutions of DxO DeepPRIME include:

For more information about DxO DeepPRIME technologies, examples, and even RAW files you can use to test them yourself, visit this page: https://www.dxo.com/technology/deepprime/

Usage Tips

Local denoising*

If your image has been denoised with one of the DxO DeepPRIME methods, the local adjustments let you refine denoising on parts of your image. After local adjustments activation and masking with one of the available selection tools, you can use the following sliders:

*Please check the Local adjustments chapter of this user guide for more information regarding the available tools.

Lens Sharpness Optimization

About optical sharpness

DxO PhotoLab’s exclusive DxO Lens Sharpness Optimization tool is one of its major strengths. Lens sharpness is an optical aberration which results in a point being transformed by the lens into a small blurred circle. (This should not be confused with out-of-focus or motion blur, which DxO PhotoLab does not correct.) DxO Modules have been created by measuring the amount of blur for every point in the image area for each supported camera body and lens combination. By combining the shooting parameters saved in the EXIF metadata (aperture, focal length, etc.) and the information provided by the DxO Module, DxO PhotoLab can apply corrections that are tailored to each pixel in the image. These corrections are not uniform, given that lenses are sharper in the center, which means that the pixels closer to the edges of the image will be subjected to a stronger correction than those near the center.

The Lens Sharpness Optimization sub-palette is visible only for images for which the appropriate DxO Module is loaded. If no module is available, you should use the Edge offset slider in the Unsharp Mask palette to manually adjust the sharpness in image corners.

It is important not to increase the sharpness of a shot that has already been sharpened by the camera, as is the case for JPEG images. So if you intend to post-process your images, you should shoot without any in-camera sharpening.

Unlike the Unsharp Mask tool, enhancing details with the Lens Sharpness Optimization tool does not create white edges or halos around the sharpened areas.

Lens Sharpness Optimization and Unsharp Mask

We recommend that you perform as much of your sharpening as possible using the DxO Lens Sharpness Optimization tool before using the Unsharp Mask. Of course, for images where the appropriate DxO Module is not installed, you will have to use the Unsharp Mask for all manual sharpening tasks.

Local Lens Sharpness Optimization

Using local adjustments, you can fine-tune the lens sharpness optimization that was applied by the DxO Module.
To do this, just select the area you want in the image and adjust the Intensity slider as follows:

Chromatic aberrations

About chromatic aberration

Chromatic aberration results from different colors focusing on slightly different places, In any case, this is a very visible problem, especially along objects and elements in a high contrast image

: green and red fringes (lateral aberrations), just green or purple fringes (longitudinal aberrations). A particular phenomenon that is also mostly due to chromatic aberration, “purple fringing” is when a ghost-like purple image appears along highly contrasted edges.

For most images, correcting chromatic aberrations and purple fringing is unavoidable

Correcting chromatic aberrations

Lateral chromatic aberration (e.g., magenta or green fringes along edges) is automatically corrected only if the appropriate DxO Module is available. In this case, no further manual action is necessary.

The Chromatic Aberrations sub-palette

You can correct the other types of chromatic aberrations (longitudinal or other) using the two sliders in their respective sections of the palette:

You should check the Purple fringing correction box for all backlit scenes, or when shooting with a lens prone to this optical defect.

ReTouch Tool

The ReTouch tool not only lets you clean the dust from images, but you can also remove elements

Overview

The ReTouch tool (formerly known as the Repair tool) not only lets you clean-up marks and dust from the camera’s sensor, but also remove unwanted elements from the image, with a level of control that forgoes the need for retouching software in most instances. The ReTouch tool includes the following:

Interface

The ReTouch tool in the top toolbar of the Customize tab
The ReTouch tool in the Detail palette

The ReTouch tool is located in the Customize tab and can be accessed in two ways:

The tools are located in an embedded settings palette to the bottom left of the image. A palette of keyboard shortcuts can also be found to the bottom right or, on Mac, in the toolbar under the image.

Mac version

The tools are available in the lower toolbar under the image, in the form of a palette of settings to the bottom left of the image and a collapsible palette of keyboard shortcuts to the bottom right.

Left: settings palette with the Brush active. Right: with the Transform tool active (Mac)
Left: settings palette with the Brush active. Right: with the Transform tool active (PC)

The tools are available in a palette of settings to the bottom left of the image, and in a collapsible palette of keyboard shortcuts to the bottom right.

The settings palette contains all of the tools, as well as their associated options (from top to bottom and left to right):

The lower ReTouch toolbar (Mac).

The lower toolbar contains the following options (left to right):

The keyboard shortcuts palette (top : Mac, bottom : PC)

The palette of keyboard shortcuts can be opened or closed by clicking on the question mark to the bottom right of the image.

The brush

The Mac version brush (left) and PC version (right)

The circular-shaped brush is activated by clicking on the New Mask button in the floating palette to the bottom left. You can adjust its characteristics using the sliders for Size (diameter), Feathering (edge hardness), and Opacity (transparency of the repair).

Left: size 200 px, feathering 100%, opacity 100%
Center: size 100 px, feathering 50 %, opacity 100%
Right: size 100 px, feathering 0%, opacity 100%

A New mask (first button) is made up of the following elements (from center to edge):

A mask made with a brush stroke

Add stroke mode (2nd button) lets you enlarge an active mask. It has the same appearance as the brush in New mask mode, but is distinguishable by the following element:

Add stroke mode

Erase stroke mode (3rd button), lets you erase all or part of the active mask, and appears as follows:


Erase stroke mode

The masks

Moving a mask by hand

When you are doing a repair, provided they are set to display, the masks are represented by white outlines (a circle in the case of single click with the brush) with a circular tile in the center which will vary according to the situation:

The shape of the mask is invisible when it is inactive (translucent tile). Move your mouse pointer over the circular tile to see it. This avoids unnecessary cluttering of the image if you have applied lots of retouching masks.

To fine-tune or resume a repair, you can move the repair mask or the sample source, or both, by clicking on their respective patches to activate them. The mouse pointer changes to the Hand tool as soon as you place it on one of the patches.

You can also change the settings of the feathering and opacity sliders. In which case, the repair area mask will display any changes to these settings in real time.

For better clarity and visibility, the shapes of any inactive masks are not displayed. Only the circular tiles are visible, as well as the shape of the active mask.

To move a circular tile associated with a repair mask and/or sampling mask: activate the repair mask by placing the mouse pointer on the tile (which temporarily becomes the Main tool) then reposition it as you wish by dragging-and-dropping. This option to move masks around helps you refine or restart a repair.

To delete a retouch mask:

To remove all the masks at once:

The Transform Source Tool

Fine retouching with the Transform tool

With the Transform source tool, you can go much further with the precision and finesse of your repairs and retouching. Indeed, you can do the following with the transform tool:

The transform box, once activated, appears as a dashed rectangle that covers the source mask for the repair or retouch. The transform box has 8 anchor points, 3 on each side with 1 on each corner. How the anchor points work will also depend on which keys are pressed:

To invert the transform box, click on one of the flip Icons in the floating palette. To reset it, click on the curved arrow.

Using the ReTouch tool

Cleaning up dust and marks from the sensor

Example of dust cleanup (on a scan from a film)

The ReTouch tool is ideal for cleaning away marks and dust that came from the sensor, on the image. All you have to do is use the following steps:

  1. Activate the ReTouch tool.
  2. Zoom in on the image to at least 1:1.
  3. In the Move/Zoom palette, move to the top left of the image.
  4. For effective cleaning, set the tool to Repair, Feather 100%, and Opacity 100%.
  5. Place the brush over a mark and adjust the size to cover it completely.
  6. Click: the mark is removed, active masks (sample source and repair area) are indicated by an opaque tile connected by an arrow (pointing towards the repair area).
  7. Proceed to the next specks or defects and repeat steps 5 and 6 as many times as necessary.
  8. When you are done cleaning a portion of the image, use the frame in the Move/Zoom palette to move to another spot (you can also move the image by using the Space bar to temporarily enable the Hand tool).
  9. Continue to clean the image one area at a time until you finish at the bottom right of the image.
  10. Click Close to exit the ReTouch tool.

Better visualization of dust and marks

Tip: the Microcontrast tool temporarily set to maximum will help you locate the dust and marks

Sometimes dust that is barely visible on the screen can be seen in the output document, especially when printing. Tip: To more easily identify marks and dust, temporarily alter the contrast, using Microcontrast or DxO ClearView Plus (ELITE edition). With major adjustment, these tools will enhance the contrast of the details and therefore reveal defects that need to be retouched. Once your repairs are made, return the contrast tools back to their default settings.

Retouching skin

Curtailing wrinkles and cleaning the skin of a model

The ReTouch tool is also useful for cleaning up skin blemishes. For example, you can remove or attenuate details such as moles, freckles, acne, beauty spots, scars, wrinkles, crows feet, rogue hairs, etc.

When retouching a face, you should not attempt to remove details that distinguish the person, that are integral to their visual character, such as a moles or wrinkles. However, you can reduce their visual impact slightly using the Opacity slider.

Repair or Clone?

Example of cloning

In most cases you will use Repair mode, which takes into account characteristics such as the luminosity, contrast, and color of the image portion for cleaning or retouching, as this will blend well with the rest of the image.

However, Clone mode will copy an element of the image so you can easily rebuild portions of images that contain well-defined structures or textures. Furthermore, the adjustment of mask size, proportion, and inversion offered by Transform mode will help you attain a high level of accuracy in your retouching tasks.

Batch repairing and retouching

Selecting ReTouch tool for batch processing

If a number of images share the same defect, you can do the following:

  1. Using the ReTouch tool, repair, clean and retouch the first image.
  2. Right-click on the image and then select Copy correction settings from the context menu.
  3. Select the target images.
  4. Right-click on the image selection and choose Paste correction settings > Paste all correction settings in the context menu.
  5. In the dialog box, make sure Detail > ReTouch is checked (as well as the other corrections you want to apply, otherwise select everything else).
  6. Click Paste.
  7. Your corrections and retouching are applied to the destination images.

For best results, only correct defects located in the same location on each image. If there are framing and orientation differences from one image to the next, you will need to change the source sample.

Unsharp Mask

The purpose of the Unsharp Mask tool is to sharpen an image. The tool makes a blurred copy of the original picture, then subtracts the original from the blurred copy, leaving the finest details, which can then be enhanced.

Strong Unsharp Mask applied. Applying DeepPRIME denoise beforehand helps to push sharpening, without compromising the image details and its whole quality
The Unsharp Mask sub-palette

The Unsharp Mask palette includes the following four sliders:

75% zoom is the minimum level for working with the Unsharp Mask palette corrections; however, we recommend that you always choose to work using at least 100% zoom to ensure accuracy and efficiency.

Using the Unsharp Mask

The Unsharp Mask correction is disabled by default. It is unnecessary for JPEG files, as in-camera processing has already sharpened them, and it is usually unnecessary for RAW images for which a DxO Module is available. This means its use is really confined to unsharpened JPEG files and RAW files without a DxO Module. In the latter instance, we advise fine-tuning the Unsharp Mask settings, and then creating a preset.

We recommend that you try fine-tuning the three sliders using these starting values: Intensity = 100, Radius = 0.5, and Threshold = 4. For most images, Threshold should stay within a range from 4 to 10. Radius determines how subtle the correction is: excessive values will result in halos. Finally, you can set the Intensity slider up to 200.

The negative values in the Intensity slider (from -100 to 0) can be used to soften instead of sharpening an image (which can be useful for portraits).

You can deal locally with sharpness and blur with Local Adjustments.

Moiré (ELITE Edition)

Moiré appears as colored artifacts or patterns when fine, high-frequency details interfere with the camera sensor. This is particularly true for cameras with weak or no low-pass filters. The photos they produce are sharper than those taken with traditional digital cameras (which use strong bypass filters), but the risk of introducing moiré will be much higher. Moiré is especially apparent in image details such as tile roofs, wire fences, mesh, feathers, fur, hair, and fabrics.

The Intensity slider helps to reduce or recover these artifacts. Its range goes from 0 to 100, with 99 as the default value in auto mode. After any adjustments, you can reset to the default value by clicking on the magic wand.

The effect of this tool can be previewed only if your image is displayed at 75% zoom or higher.

Correcting red-eye

Red-eye correction is fully automatic, although there is also a manual mode to use in cases when the automatic mode does not detect the problem. You can use the tool with RAW and DNG files, as well as with JPEG and TIFF files. The Red-eye sub-palette in the Detail palette

To activate automatic correction, click on the Red-Eye button, either in the upper control bar or in the Red-eye sub-palette of the Detail palette. The correction is controlled by selection ellipses around each red eye detected in the picture. (with the number of red eyes shown in the sub-palette).

Rolling the mouse over the ellipses activates them to perform the following operations:

If the tool does not detect red-eye because of the orientation of the face or the instance is too small, it will show the message “No red-eye detected” in the sub-palette. In this case, you can make the corrections by hand:

The toolbar below the image allows you to enable or disable the display of ellipses (also called pupil areas), reset corrections, and close the tool.

The Geometry palette

Focal length and Focusing distance

The lens focal length and focusing distance of a photo are recorded in the EXIF data of your images. However, this information is not always accurate. For example, different but close positions of the focal length ring (say, 17 and 18 mm) could result in the same value (say 18 mm) being recorded in the EXIF data. In this case, the distortion correction may be less than optimal. In the same manner, the focusing distance might be recorded in the EXIF data with insufficient precision, and similarly lead to an imprecise correction. In both cases, to improve the effectiveness of the optical corrections, you can provide more accurate values in one (or both) of the sliders that appear in the Geometry palette:

The Focal Distance and Distance focusing sliders are permanently displayed in the Mac version, and appear automatically in the PC version.

Horizon

The Horizon sub-palette

The Horizon tool lets you automatically or manually straighten out a slanted image.

You can also right the horizon with the crop grid (Crop tool).

Automatic mode:

  1. Click on the magic wand to the right of the Horizon slider.
  2. To cancel the automatic correction, click again on the magic wand.
  3. To modify or fine-tune the correction, use the Horizon slider.

Manual mode:

This user-friendly tool, also available in the command bar, lets you easily straighten out a tilted horizon.

  1. Click on the Horizon button.
  2. Superimpose the reference line on the tilted horizon by placing the anchor points on the desired areas.
  3. You can also trace a new reference line in the image and refine its position by moving the anchor points to the desired locations.
  4. If you have enlarged the view by zooming in, you can navigate in the image by using the Move/Zoom palette.
  5. Click on the Preview button on the lower right, underneath the image, to return to the default view.
  6. You can cancel the correction and start over by clicking on Reset.
  7. Confirm the correction by clicking on the Apply button.

The Horizon tool is just as practical for applying small rotations (less than 5%) to your image. To do this, you can use the slider or enter a value.

Crop

The crop sub-palette and the ratios list

Automatic cropping

An image whose perspective has been corrected by the Horizon/Perspective tools generally loses some information at the edges – a great deal more if the correction is significant. This is why the Crop palette is set to Auto based on Perspective / Horizon by default, and the aspect ratio is set to Original, meaning that cropping is performed automatically on the corrected image while retaining as much information as possible.

The grid display is activated by default.

Manual cropping

The lower toolbar

Top: PC. Bottom: Mac

When you activate the Crop tool by clicking on the Crop button in the upper toolbar, another toolbar appears just below the image. This one contains the following options (from left to right):

Straightening the Horizon

Whether you are auto-cropping or manually cropping, you have the option to straighten the horizon directly, without having to go through the Horizon tool:

Cropping manually

If you click on the Crop tool button, a dotted-line crop box will display on the image. You can move or extend this box by dragging its corners. If you have chosen a specific aspect ratio, the box will display the proportions of this aspect ratio, and you will be allowed to change only one of its dimensions, the other tracking automatically. If you have chosen an unconstrained aspect ratio, you will be able to freely change both dimensions of the box.

You can also draw the cropping frame yourself by clicking and dragging on the image while holding down the left button of your mouse. To change the size, simply grab the frame at the side or at the corner. If you grab one of the corners and you reduce the size of the frame to a certain point, it will switch from a horizontal to a vertical ratio.

You can move the frame around the image by clicking the mouse pointer inside the frame and dragging (a quadruple arrow will appear as the pointer).

Clicking outside the box removes the box and lets you create a new box from scratch.

If you have selected Unconstrained in the Aspect Ratio drop-down menu, holding down the Shift key will allow you to preserve the proportions.

From there, you can select a predefined aspect ratio, type in your own values, show or hide the grid overlay, reset and close the tool. When you manually crop, the dimensions in pixels are displayed in the lower-right corner of the frame.

When the crop tool is active, a command bar is displayed below the Viewer pane. You can choose a predefined aspect ratio for your image, or enter a custom ratio, display or hide the “rule of thirds” grid, reset the crop, or close the tool.

You can apply the settings and close the tool by pressing the Enter key, or reset the crop and close the tool by pressing the Escape key.

Custom ratios

The custom ratio will allow you to crop your image according to a format that you would need to (for example) publish on the web, in a book, or simply, for making a print according to the dimensions proposed by a photo lab. In these cases, you will be able to recompose your image exactly as you will see it after publication or printing, without any unexpected surprises. Here, we will use a panoramic ratio of 21 x 9.

To apply a custom ratio:

To delete a custom ratio (PC):

To delete a custom ratio (Mac):

IMPORTANT

If your custom ratio corresponds to an existing ratio, the values of the latter will be automatically selected and displayed (for example, entered for a 75×50 print = 3×2, or 21×9 = 7×3).

If you enter fancy or inconsistent ratios, DxO PhotoLab will display the limit of accepted ratios.

The values can have a decimal (for example: 22.5×5), with a point (Mac and PC) or a comma (Mac).

There is no limit to the number of custom ratios that you can save.

Distortion

The two principal types of distortion: pincushion (left) and barrel (right)

About distortion correction

The geometric distortion introduced by a lens may be in pincushion or barrel form – or sometimes even a mixture of the two. In each case, DxO Labs’ analytical measurements make it possible to correct the distortion such that straight lines in the original scene are correctly reproduced as straight lines in the photo.

The Distortion sub-palette

The Correction drop down menu allows you to select either automatic correction based on a DxO Module, or manual correction. Only the manual option will be active if a DxO Module is not available.

The Intensity slider controls the degree of the correction, with a range from 0 to 100%. The default setting is 100%, and you should only depart from this either to avoid the cropping of important details near edges, or for creative reasons.

Automatic distortion correction

Provided the appropriate DxO Module is loaded on your computer for the image you are working on, DxO PhotoLab will automatically correct any distortions.

Manual distortion correction

Select Manual in the drop-down menu if the relevant DxO Module for your camera/lens combination is not available, or not loaded on your computer, or for creative reasons. In any case, first select the type of distortion you want to correct: Barrel, Pincushion, or Fisheye (for fisheye lenses).

Use the grid to help you manually correct distortion.

Changing a fisheye lens into a super-wide-angle lens

You can automatically turn your fisheye shots into ultra-wide-angle-style photos without circular distortion if the camera/fisheye lens combination is supported by a DxO Module. This will be done automatically if the equipment is supported by a DxO optical module, or manually otherwise, by selecting Fisheye in the distortion type dropdown menu, and by refining the adjustment with the Intensity slider.

If you use the Fisheye correction tool, you can uncheck Keep aspect ratio so as to recover a non-negligible quantity of the angle of view.

Constrain to image

Correcting distortion always requires some degree of cropping. By default, DxO PhotoLab displays the cropped image, with the Constrain to image box checked. Uncheck this box if you want to display the whole image including the black areas around the edges that are the result of distortion correction.

Maintaining the aspect ratio

Most of the time, the distortion correction changes the aspect ratio (i.e., the ratio between width and height) of the image. Since the aspect ratio is of great importance, especially if the photo is to be published, it is maintained by default, resulting in some cut-off (cropped) parts along the image edges. If you want to make sure that the entire usable part of the image stays visible, uncheck the Keep aspect ratio box at the bottom of the palette.

Perspective (ELITE edition)

In architecture, the photographer’s position with respect to a building makes it impossible to shoot it face-on. In such cases, the object will look deformed because of divergent lines that are more pronounced the closer they are to the edges of the image.

The Perspective tool lets you correct vertical parallels, horizontal parallels, force a rectangle, and perform an 8-point correction in a completely independent way on each side.

Perspective adjustment could result in significant cropping of your image, so try to avoid pronounced angles when shooting. Do not frame too tightly either, as you risk not having enough space around the subject for perspective adjustment and cropping.

Interface

Located in the Geometry palette, the Perspective tool consists of the following elements:

Upper toolbar

The buttons on the top toolbar let you activate the different adjustment modes:

The Perspective subpalette is composed of the following elements:

  1. The buttons correspond to the different adjustment modes.
  2. Cancel perspective corrections button.
  3. The Magic Wand in Auto mode (different Auto modes can be found in the Advanced Settings section).
  4. The Intensity slider, set to 100 by default, which lets you re-introduce a leaning effect and restores a more natural appearance to your correction as the setting is reduced.
  5. The advanced settings section is accessed by clicking on “+” (Mac) or on Advanced Settings (PC).
  6. The up/down, Left/Right and X/Y Ratio sliders turn the image along a horizontal or vertical axis to flatten or stretch the image.
  7. Choice of automatic, vertical and horizontal, vertical only, and horizontal only adjustment modes.
Lower toolbar

The lower toolbar has the following functionalities:

Reference lines

The function of the Perspective tool is based on reference lines, two lines in Force parallels mode, 4 connected to each other in Rectangle mode, and 4 without connections in 8 points mode. Each reference line is displayed as follows:

Reference lines can be moved with the mouse:

You can draw a new line using the “+” pointer that appears as the mouse passes over the image.

Background cropping

Adjusting the perspective and modifying the geometry of the image in general leads to distortion which is more or less noticeable according to the amount of correction applied, but will inevitably involve some cropping. Background cropping, that is the portion of the image that will disappear on cropping is indicated by the black areas around the image.

When you confirm the correction with the Close button, the image will automatically be reframed as tightly as possible, keeping the maximum amount of the image, after cropping has been into account. Of course, you can reframe afterwards using the Crop tool (Geometry palette).

Fixing perspective

Auto mode

Automatic crop mode

If your image has enough horizontal and/or vertical reference elements, you can use automatic mode, which you can manually redo if you wish.

Here is how to use it:

  1. In the Geometry palette, Advanced Settings, Auto Mode menu, select one of the 3 modes on offer, the default mode takes into account both verticals and horizontals.
  2. Click on the magic wand.
  3. Here, no confirmation is required. Once the correction has been completed, you can switch to another image or another tool.

Forcing parallels

This mode lets you correct simple scenes like a building with an obvious shifting of vertical or horizontal lines:

  1. Go to the Perspective subpalette and click the Force Parallels button.
  2. Two vertical lines appear as overlays on your image.
  3. Position them on two vertical or horizontal elements in your image, preferably in the same plane.
  4. Adjust the position, size and inclination of the control lines.
  5. Click Apply to see the result.
  6. If the correction gives the impression that the building gets wider at the top, you can restore a natural aspect by reducing the adjustment of the Intensity slider (75 is a good compromise).
  7. Click Close to approve (image is automatically cropped).
Perspective of a building or tower that seems to get wider at the top with, intensity set to 100% (top), and a more natural perspective, with intensity set to 75% (bottom)

Forcing a Rectangle

With this mode, where 4 lines are connected to each other, you can easily add a subject such as a painting, window, door, or any frame that you were unable to perfectly align to and whose different parts are on the same plane:

  1. Go to the Perspective subpalette and click the Rectangle button.
  2. 4 connected lines appear overlaid on your image.
  3. Position the disks at each corner of the subject and adjust the position and inclination of the lines using the reference lines from the image.
  4. Click Apply to see the result.
  5. Click Close to approve (image is automatically cropped).

8 points

This mode works like the rectangle mode, but all 4 lines are independent which lets you place them where you want in the image, this is useful if the reference lines are located on different planes and at different distances:

  1. Go to the Perspective subpalette and click the 8 points button.
  2. 4 independent lines appear overlaid on your image.
  3. Position the lines over the reference lines in the image, adjust their slant and length.
  4. Click Apply to see the result.
  5. Click Close to approve (image is automatically cropped).

Advanced adjustment sliders

Horizontal stretch with X/Y ratio slider and rotation in the vertical axis with the Left/right slider

When you make perspective adjustments and depending on the image and care that was taken with the shot, results can sometimes cause problems with orientation, geometric deformation and, quite simply, the natural look of the image. The following three sliders let you compensate for these problems, but keep in mind that they are intended as subtle adjustments:

Local Adjustments

Local adjustments in DxO PhotoLab let you work directly on specific areas or elements of your image — whether they need precise retouching or just a bit of emphasis. From boosting a sky’s impact, to brightening a backlit subject, sharpening details, or reducing noise and color in a small area, the possibilities are endless. Whether you’re using the Brush, Control Points, the Graduated Filter, various masking tools, or even the AI Mask, you get a wide range of tools with unmatched precision and flexibility. And of course, you can combine them to push your edits even further.

Accessing Local Adjustments

DxO PhotoLab gives you two ways to access local adjustments:

To activate a local adjustment tool, just click its button. No matter which method you use — via the panel or the palette — you’ll find a list of available masks, mask options, and correction tools that can be used locally, all organized by section.

  1. Local Adjustment Tools (from left to right):
    • AI Mask
    • Control Point
    • Control Line
    • Graduated Filter
    • Luminosity Mask (only if DxO FilmPack is installed and activated)
    • Hue Mask
    • Auto Mask
    • Brush/Eraser
  2. Mask and Sub-mask List
  3. Mask Options

Correction Tools* (from top to bottom):

*You’ll find a full description of these tools in the sections dedicated to the different palettes in the Customize tab.

Mask Management

Mask and Sub-mask Basics

As soon as you use a local adjustment tool, you’re applying what’s called a mask to your image — kind of like placing a transparent overlay over a drawing. This mask, whose shape, size, and feathering depend on the tool you choose, lets you apply one or more corrections to just that part of the image.

This is where the overlay analogy ends — because your corrections are actually applied to the image itself, locally, and will blend more or less with the areas not covered by the mask.

When you create a new mask, it always contains at least one sub-mask corresponding to the local adjustment tool you’re using. For example, if you activate the Brush and apply it to your image, the list will show a mask (like “Mask 1”) containing a Brush sub-mask. If you add a Graduated Filter to that same mask, it will appear as another sub-mask under “Mask 1”, and so on.

You can edit masks at any time — before or after making corrections — even if you have since switched to a different tool or task in DxO PhotoLab.Starting with DxO PhotoLab 9 (released September 2025), sub-masks work exactly like regular masks but in a hierarchical structure: one mask can include multiple sub-masks. This lets you combine several local adjustment tools on the same area of the image without stacking separate masks for each tool or correction — though you can still do that if needed. Sub-masks give you more control and greater flexibility.

The Mask and Sub-mask List

Every time you create a mask and/or a sub-mask, it appears in a dedicated list section, ordered by creation date — the most recent one always at the top.

The Mask and Sub-mask Management Section Includes:

  1. List of masks and sub-masks
  2. Chevron to expand or collapse the list of sub-masks within a mask
  3. Scroll bar for navigating through the mask list
  4. Icon and button to temporarily hide the selected mask and its associated corrections*
  5. Create a new mask or sub-mask
  6. Duplicate the selected mask or sub-mask, along with its associated corrections*
  7. Invert Mask: applies the selected mask or sub-mask and its corrections to the opposite area of the image (everything except where the mask is located)*
  8. Invert Shape: the corrections applied to the selected mask or sub-mask become invisible, but the sliders keep their current values*
  9. Reset:
    • On Mac: resets corrections for the selected mask or sub-mask
    • On PC: resets all masks, sub-masks, and associated corrections at once
  10. Delete the selected mask or sub-mask*

*These commands are also available in a floating menu when you right-click on a mask or sub-mask.

Shared Interface for Local Adjustments

In addition to the dedicated palette or panel, local adjustments share a set of interface elements and display modes, though they may look different on Mac and PC. The specific interface for each local adjustment tool is described in its own section below.

When you activate a local adjustment tool, the available tools and options are displayed according to your system:

Bottom toolbar (Mac)

  1. Mode: When you activate a local adjustment tool, different mode buttons will show up, depending on the selected tool (here, AI Mask).
  2. Show cropped areas: When enabled, this option displays parts of the image that were cropped out. Keep in mind that cropping only affects exported images, not the original file.
  3. Show masks: Toggles the visibility of the colored overlay that represents your local adjustment masks and sub-masks. If mask display is turned off, you can still preview the mask by hovering your cursor over the mask marker in the image.
  4. Mask display mode: Lets you choose between Color Mask and Black & White Mask. In Black & White mode, masks and sub-masks appear in white, while the rest of the image turns black — a great way to precisely check the size, position, and accuracy of your mask.
  5. Mask color: By default, the color mask is red. If you’d like to change it, click the color box to open the macOS color picker and choose another color.
  6. Reset: This button deletes all masks, sub-masks, and related corrections in one go. The list will be cleared as well. If you make a mistake, you can restore your local adjustments immediately using the menu Edit > Undo Local Adjustments (cmd+Z).
  7. Close: Closes the local adjustments panel. The masks are no longer shown, but the corrections remain visible in the image. To resume your work later — even after switching to another image or closing DxO PhotoLab — just reactivate local adjustments.
  8. “?” Help icon:
    Click the question mark at the bottom right of the viewer to bring up a visual list of keyboard shortcuts for the currently active local adjustment tool.

Upper toolbar (PC)

  1. Active tool icon:
    This icon lets you show or hide the tool options.
  2. Mode: When you activate a local adjustment tool, different mode buttons will show up, depending on the selected tool (here, AI Mask).
  3. Show cropped areas:
    When checked, this option displays parts of the image that were removed during cropping. Remember, cropping only affects the exported image — the original remains untouched.
  4. Mask display mode: Lets you choose between Color Mask and Black & White Mask. In Black & White mode, masks and sub-masks appear in white, while the rest of the image turns black — a great way to precisely check the size, position, and accuracy of your mask.
  5. Color mask / Black & White: Click the small arrow to switch between the default Color Mask and Black & White Mask. In Black & White mode, masks and sub-masks appear in white, while the rest of the image is black. This is a great way to clearly see the extent and placement of your mask, and how precise your selection is.
  6. Mask color:
    By default, the mask color is red. To change it, click the color square — this opens the Windows color picker, where you can choose a different shade.
  7. “?” Help icon:
    Click the question mark at the bottom right of the viewer to open a visual list of keyboard shortcuts for the currently active local adjustment tool.

To exit local adjustments on Windows, go to the palette and click the active tool’s button again.

Gizmos (Mask Icons)

When you apply a local adjustment mask or sub-mask to your image, a gizmo appears — a small marker that can take on different shapes depending on the selected tool and its status (active, inactive, inverted, etc.).

Gizmo Types:

  1. Round gizmo, black with blue border: Active sub-mask, with the selected tool’s icon in the center
  2. Round gizmo, translucent black with white border: Inactive sub-mask
  3. Round gizmo + black square on white: Inverted sub-mask
  4. Round gizmo + two overlapping squares with black center: Sub-mask and shape both inverted (intersection)
  5. Round gizmo + square with a black dot: Inverted shape
  6. Square black gizmo with blue border: Active mask containing sub-masks (same look when inverted)
  7. Square translucent black gizmo with white border: Inactive mask containing sub-masks
  8. Round or square gizmo + crossed-out eye icon: Mask display is turned off
  9. Gizmos by Tool (from left to right):
    1. AI selection
    2. AI area
    3. AI predefined mask
    4. Control point
    5. Control Line
    6. Graduated Filter
    7. Luminosity Mask
    8. Hue Mask
    9. Auto Mask
    10. Brush/Eraser

You can grab and freely move mask and sub-mask gizmos around the image with your mouse.

Hide / Show

You can turn mask display on or off — whether it’s a color or black & white overlay — using any of the following methods:

  • Hover over the gizmo in the image or over the mask name in the Local Adjustments panel or palette:
    • Hovering a mask gizmo containing submasks will show all the overlays.
    • Hovering a submask gizmo will show its own overlay only.
    • Even if a mask or submask is hidden (crossed eye), it will show when hovering.
    • You can also move your mouse into the image area (the mask will appear), or move it out (the color overlay will disappear). 
    • Finally, you can check or uncheck “Show mask” in the toolbar below the image.
  • To toggle the visibility of a mask and its associated corrections: in the mask list (in the Local Adjustments panel or palette), move your mouse to the right of the mask name and click the crossed-out eye icon. You can also click the eye button just below the list. Until you re-enable display by clicking the crossed-out eye, the mask and its corrections will stay hidden — even if you hover over the image or the gizmo (which will also show the crossed-out eye).
  • To temporarily disable all local adjustment masks and their corrections: click the switch in the Local Adjustments panel or palette. Click again to turn them back on.

Show Cropped Areas

The uncropped view option lets you display the full, original image even after cropping. This is useful if you want to place local adjustment masks or use the eyedropper tool (available with some adjustments) outside the visible crop. To activate it:

  • Mac: Check Show cropped areas in the Local Adjustments toolbar below the image.
  • PC: Check Show cropped areas in the floating box at the top right (hover over the image to make it appear).

Areas outside the crop are shown as a translucent dark overlay.

Compare

Comparing your photo with and without local adjustments lets you see the impact of those edits and decide whether to keep refining them:

  • Local adjustments must be active.
  • In the top toolbar, click the arrow next to the Compare button, then choose All corrections except Local Adjustments from the dropdown menu.
  • Click and release the Compare button to toggle between the image without and with local adjustments.
  • To disable the comparison mode, simply choose any other option.

Opacity

You can adjust the strength and intensity of local adjustments using the Opacity slider. By default, it’s set to 100, meaning the corrections are fully applied. At 50, the effect is reduced by half, and so on.

This makes it easy to tone down adjustments that feel too strong, without having to guess which setting to change — or start over from scratch.

Mask Selectivity (Control Points and Control Lines)

You can use the selectivity sliders to adjust how tolerant the mask is to variations in color where a Control Point or Control Line is applied. This lets you fine-tune how hue and brightness variations are included in the correction. The two sliders available are:

  • Chroma: Controls how much color variation is included (default setting: 50%).
  • Luma: Controls how much brightness variation is included (default setting: 50%).

Typ: The black-and-white mask view is ideal for checking how the selectivity sliders affect the mask.

There is a Diffusion slider too, but available only for Control Points. Please see the Control Points section afterwards for how it works.

Duplicate

Duplicating a mask

Duplicating a mask or sub-mask is a quick way to create a new one with the same corrections. You have two options:

  • In the list, right-click on a mask or sub-mask and select Duplicate mask from the context menu.
  • Select a mask or sub-mask in the list and click the Duplicate mask button below the list.
Duplicating a submask

The duplicated mask or sub-mask will appear on top of the original. If you want to move it, just click and drag the gizmo with your mouse.

You can duplicate a mask or sub-mask as many times as you want:

  • A duplicated mask will be named Mask followed by a sequence number (Mask 2, Mask 3, etc.), even if the original was renamed — custom names are not preserved.
  • A duplicated sub-mask will be named New, with no sequence number, and again, any custom name is not kept.
  • Whether it’s a mask or sub-mask, duplication includes all associated corrections and settings.

Invert

Invert Mask

Inverting a graduated filter mask

This applies to both masks and sub-masks. The correction that was originally applied to the masked area is now applied to the rest of the image, and not to the mask itself.

Here’s a simple example to darken the background or a large area of the image without affecting a specific subject:

  • Select a subject using a graduated filter.
  • Darken that subject using the Exposure slider.
  • In the mask list, you right-click on the mask or sub-mask and choose Invert mask.
  • The selected subject returns to its original state.
  • The rest of the image is darkened based on the Exposure setting.

Invert Shape

Protecting an aera by inverting the shape of a sub-mask

This applies only to sub-masks. The correction is no longer visible, even though the correction sliders still keep their values.

Here’s a practical example to exclude part of a mask from a correction:

  • Select the background using the AI Mask tool.
  • Darken the background with the Exposure slider.
  • Add a Control Point as a sub-mask over part of the background that you don’t want to darken.
  • Right-click on the Control Point sub-mask in the list and select Invert shape.
  • The Exposure correction is no longer applied to that part of the image.

The examples above are intentionally simple and easy to reproduce, so you can better understand how mask inversion works.

The intersection method

There’s actually a third method that combines both mask inversion and shape inversion to create an intersection. This lets you refine how smoothly your corrections blend into the image. A good example would be a landscape: if you create one mask for the sky and another for the ground, the transition between the two masks — and their respective corrections — can be harsh or feel inconsistent.

Edited AI Mask for the sky
Ground corrections hidden after shape inverting
Ground correction is more subtile and natural using the intersection method

To solve this:

  1. Create a mask for the sky using the AI Mask.
  2. Apply your desired corrections.
  3. In the mask list, right-click on the sky mask and choose Duplicate mask.
  4. Right-click on the duplicated mask (named “New” by default) and select Invert mask.
  5. Right-click on the same duplicated mask again and choose Invert shape — this hides the corrections from step 2 within this newly inverted mask.
  6. Add a Graduated Filter sub-mask (technically, you can use any tool, but for landscapes the Graduated Filter is ideal because of its smooth transition).
  7. Draw the Graduated Filter from the bottom of the image upward — the hidden corrections will gradually reappear.
  8. Adjust the filter’s position and range until the result looks as natural as possible.

Rename

Mask renaming
Sub-mask renaming

 By default, masks and sub-masks in the Local Adjustments panel or palette are named after the tool used. You can rename them however you like — for example, to quickly identify what kind of correction you applied to a specific part of the image, based on your own workflow.

Just click on the name of the mask or sub-mask in the list and type a new name. There’s no need to press Enter to confirm.

On Windows, you can also right-click and choose Rename from the context menu (or simply press F2).

Renaming a mask does not change its position in the list.

Delete

To delete a mask or sub-mask:

  • From the list: Select it by clicking on it, then click the Delete mask button below the list. You can also right-click on the mask or sub-mask and choose Delete mask from the menu.
  • From the image: Click on the gizmo to activate it, then press the Delete key (Mac and PC) or Backspace (Mac only).

Local adjusment tools

AI Mask


 As the name suggests, the AI Mask uses artificial intelligence to automatically and accurately select elements in the image. It integrates fully with the local adjustment system and can be combined with all other tools.

Using the AI Mask


 You have three working modes, available in the toolbar below the viewer (Mac) or at the top of the viewer (PC):

Top: Mac, bottom: PC
Top: Mac, bottom: PC
Adding (red masks) or removing (pink mask) AI selections

Selection:

  • Add a selection: After clicking the button, just hover your mouse over the element you want to select. The algorithm will detect and select it, creating a sub-mask. Using Shift+click will add to the selection.
  • Remove a selection: Works the same way, but the selected object will be protected — it won’t be affected by local corrections from other tools.
Top: Mac, bottom: PC
Drawing an area to select the subject

Area¹:

  • Add an area: After activating the tool, draw a selection box around the object or area you want to correct.
  • Protect an area: Works the same way, but the selected area will be excluded from local corrections applied by other tools.
Top: Mac, bottom: PC
Adding a predefined sky AI Mask

Add a predefined mask²:
Click the arrow to open a list of predefined masks. For example, if you select Sky, the algorithm will try to identify the sky in the image and create a sub-mask automatically. You can still refine the result (add to or subtract from the mask) using any other local adjustment tool. When you hover over the list, the mask will only activate if a matching object is detected.

The available preset masks include:

  • Sky
  • Subject
  • Background
  • People
  • Animals
  • Flowers
  • Vehicles
  • Hair
  • Faces
  • Clothes

¹ When using Area mode, make sure to draw a large enough selection to fully enclose the object — this helps ensure a complete and accurate selection.

² In preset mask mode, the algorithm can detect multiple similar objects. For instance, if several people are present, they should all be detected.

No matter the selection mode, the AI mask might look rough at first in the image, but the final selection is refined once it’s applied.

Adding a predefined people AI Mask
Adding a predefined flower AI mask

Control points

This is a unique local adjustment tool: when you click on the image to place a Control Point, the tool analyzes the brightness, contrast, and color of the pixels under the point, and applies corrections to all pixels within a user-defined radius that share similar characteristics.

For example, if you place a Control Point on an object that has a different color than its background, and you adjust the radius to fully cover the object, the corrections will apply only to the object — without spilling over to the rest of the image.

If another object with a similar color is present in the image but outside the radius, it won’t be affected. However, if it falls within the radius, it will receive the same correction.

When to Use Control Points
 Control Points are ideal for making selective adjustments to specific areas, based on the radius and the pixel properties under the Control Point. Areas outside the radius, or with different pixel characteristics, will remain untouched.

Subtle shadow brightening using a control point

Using Control Points

Linked control points
  • Like with any local adjustment tool, go to the Local Adjustments palette and click the Control Point button.
  • You can add as many Control Points as you like and combine them with other local tools as sub-masks.
  • Control Points can be linked together to apply the same correction in multiple spots. With the sub-mask active, just click multiple times in the image. These linked points appear as crosshairs with individual influence circles. You can adjust the radius independently for each point, but the correction will apply equally to all of them.
  • If you need other corrections, you’ll need to create a new sub-mask.

Diffusion slider

Effect of the diffusion slider

The Diffusion slider is available only for Control Points, and will show up in the Mask Selectivity section, beside the Chroma and Luma sliders. It lets you adjust the feathering, I.e. how soft the edges of the tool’s mask are. It is set to 100 by default for maximum diffusion. The lower you set it, the harder and more defined the edges will be.

Protecting an Area

Using neutral control points to protect an area from the corrections

You can place a neutral Control Point to protect part of the image from being affected by another Control Point. To do this, press Alt (PC) or Option (Mac) and click where you want to place the neutral point. You’ll also find a dedicated Neutral Control Point button — in the lower toolbar (Mac) or the embedded top toolbar (PC).

Control lines

Control Lines work similarly to Control Points and, in some ways, to the Graduated Filter — with the added benefit of covering the full width of the image. Instead of analyzing pixels from a single point, Control Lines use an eyedropper that you can move anywhere within the sub-mask to select which parts of the image the correction should apply to.

A great example is editing a blue sky with clouds. If you use Control Points, you’d need to place several and make sure they overlap and are grouped to get an even correction. With a Control Line, you can cover the entire sky, then use the reference eyedropper to sample the blue — the correction will be applied only to the sky, evenly across the image.

Using Control Lines

Enhancing the blue in the sky with a control line
Displaying the effect of the control line: white is 100% of the effect, black is no effect


Go to the Local Adjustments palette and click the Control Line button. You can apply as many Control Lines as you want, and combine them with other local adjustment tools.

The mouse pointer changes to a “+” — just draw the Control Line across the part of the image you want to adjust. The line appears between two dashed lines. You can tilt or move the lower dashed line to expand or shrink the area being affected.

Then, using the eyedropper next to the gizmo, select your reference pixels — this tells the correction which pixel type to apply to. After that, simply use the correction tools as needed.

Moving the Control Line and Eyedropper

You can move the Control Line by dragging its gizmo.
To move the eyedropper independently (even after placing it elsewhere), hold Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac) while dragging.

Protecting an Area
 Just like with Control Points, you can add a neutral Control Line that blocks another line from applying its correction.

To do this:

  • Press Alt (PC) or Option (Mac) and click to place a neutral line,
  • Draw the line across the area to protect,
  • Use the eyedropper to sample the reference zone.
  • Any corrections you apply will not affect the protected area.

There’s also a Neutral Control Line button — located in the lower toolbar (Mac) or in the embedded toolbar at the top of the viewer (PC).

Graduated filter

The Graduated Filter simulates the effect of physical filters placed in front of a lens — commonly used in landscape photography to balance exposure between a bright sky and a darker foreground.

Making the clouds pop with a graduated filter

Using the Graduated Filter
 Go to the Local Adjustments palette and click the Graduated Filter button. As soon as the tool is active, the mouse pointer turns into a crosshair. Click and drag on the image to draw the filter.

The Graduated Filter includes the following elements:

  • A solid line with the mask disk, which marks the starting point of the filter
  • A dashed center line with a handle, which lets you rotate the mask
  • A semi-transparent color gradient overlay, which shows how the effect fades from maximum intensity (starting line) to none (toward the dashed line)

Managing the Graduated Filter

  • You can move the entire filter anywhere in the image
  • You can tilt the filter by dragging the gray dot on the dashed center line
  • The dashed line can be moved to expand or reduce the maximum effect area
  • The starting line can also be repositioned to adjust the gradient transition zone
  • You can draw the filter from top to bottom, bottom to top, side to side, or diagonally
  • To rotate the filter, grab the handle on the dashed line and drag it — the filter can be rotated a full 360°

Adding to or Subtracting from the Graduated Filter

When applying a Graduated Filter — for example, to darken the sky — you might want to prevent the effect from affecting other elements like buildings or mountains. Conversely, you might want to extend the effect to parts of the image the filter doesn’t naturally reach.

While you can use any local adjustment tool to add or subtract from the filter’s mask, the most practical option is the Brush tool:

  • Add to the mask: Go to the Local Adjustments palette, select the Brush tool, and paint over the areas you want to include
  • Subtract from the mask: Select the Eraser tool and paint over the parts you want to exclude from the filter’s effect

Luminosity Mask (if DxO FilmPack installed)

The Luminosity Mask lets you apply corrections based on a specific brightness range in your image — with extremely fine control, including over how smoothly transitions are handled. Once the mask is activated by clicking the Luminosity Mask button in the Local Adjustments palette, click anywhere in the image with the eyedropper to create the luminosity mask.

Selecting the luminosity range with a brightness zone
Modifying the brightness range

Selecting the Luminosity Range
 You have several tools available to define the target brightness range:

  • Eyedropper: Click on the image to sample a spot. A gizmo appears, and a trapezoid shows the corresponding brightness range. You can sample again as many times as you like. Moving the gizmo around the image updates the sampled area and its corresponding range automatically.
  • 11 Brightness Zones: The scale from 0 to 10 allows you to quickly select a brightness range by clicking one of the numbered blocks — from darkest (0) to brightest (10), with midtones around 5.
  • Trapezoid: Beyond showing the current range, the trapezoid can be moved along the scale to adjust the selected brightness area.
Selecting the brightness range with the eyedropper
Extending the brightness range
Reducing the low light fall-off
Balance tonality with the Luminosity Mask

No matter which method you use, you can fine-tune the range with the following tools:

  • The black handle and white handle above the trapezoid (with their corresponding dotted lines) mark the lower (shadows) and upper (highlights) limits of the selected brightness range. The current values — from 0 to 255 — are shown in the top input fields. You can adjust them by clicking the handles or typing directly into the fields.
  • The handles below the trapezoid control the transition zones (fall-off) between the selected range and the rest of the image. Moving these away from the dotted lines makes transitions softer and more gradual; moving them closer makes the transition sharper. The lower input fields let you set these values manually, also from 0 to 255.

If you press Alt (PC) or Option (Mac), you can move each pair of handles (both brightness range handles or both fall-off handles).

Increasing and decreasing the luminosity range
Increasing and decreasing the fall-off (transition)

By adjusting the position and width of the trapezoid, as well as the transition zones, you can isolate and correct very specific luminosity ranges in the image with high precision.

Moving the gizmo in the image modifies the trapezoïd (and vice versa)

Hue Mask

The Hue Mask tool lets you apply corrections based on a color range, with extremely fine control — including transition zones.

Selecting a blue object with the eyedropper

Selecting the Hue Range
 The Hue Mask tool includes the following elements:

  • Hue Channels:
    There are eight predefined hue channels to help you quickly select a general color range, which you can then refine using the trapezoid:
    • Red
    • Orange
    • Yellow
    • Green
    • Cyan
    • Blue
    • Violet
    • Magenta
  • Hue Eyedropper:
    When the Hue Mask tool is active, your mouse pointer turns into an eyedropper when hovering over the image. Click on the image to select a hue range. You can click and sample as many times as needed. Once a hue range is selected, it’s shown in the trapezoid and marked in the image with a gizmo².
  • Trapezoid:
    Besides showing the selected hue range, the trapezoid can be moved along the scale to adjust the selection.
Reducing the selected hue range
Increasing the selected hue range
Selecting the blue channel
Selecting the orange channel
Enhancing the sky with a hue mask, plus Exposure and ClearView sliders

You can refine the hue selection using these elements:

  • Black handles above the trapezoid and the associated dotted lines define the limits of the selected hue range. Hue values range from 0 to 360¹ and are shown in the two top input fields. You can adjust these values using the handles or by typing them in directly.
  • Gray handles below the trapezoid represent the hue transition zones at either end of the range.
    • Moving them farther from the dotted lines widens the transitions, creating a softer effect.
    • Moving them closer makes the transitions sharper.
      You can also enter exact values in the two lower fields (range: 0 to 360³).

If you press Alt (PC) or Option (Mac), you can move each pair of handles (both hue range handles or both fall-off handles).

If the hue range you’ve selected sits at both ends of the color scale, you can shift the scale itself for better visibility.

By adjusting the position and width of the trapezoid³ and its transition zones, you can create an extremely precise selection of the color range you want to correct using local adjustment sliders — for example, to brighten, darken, or saturate the targeted area of the image.

Moving the hue mask gizmo in the picture changes the trapezoid, and vice versa

¹ The 0–360 range corresponds to the color wheel — a circular representation of primary and complementary colors, which you’ll also find in DxO PhotoLab’s HSL tool.
² If you move the Hue Mask disk within the image, the mask, trapezoid, and values will update automatically.
³ If you move the trapezoid, the gizmo in the image will also be repositioned to match the selected hue range.

The hue linear scale can be shifted with the mouse
Increasing and decreasing the hue range
Increasing and decreasing the hue fall-off (transitions)

Auto Mask

Painting to select with Auto mask
Subject selected with the Auto mask brush

Auto Mask lets you paint and apply corrections to specific areas of an image without going over the edges — it automatically detects boundaries based on differences in brightness, contrast, and color. It works much like the Brush tool, but with edge detection. Even if you go outside the lines, corrections will only apply within the detected contours.

The Auto mask brush (left: PC, right: Mac).
Auto mask size control (top: Mac, bottom: PC)

Using Auto Mask
 Once activated, the Auto Mask appears as a colored circle (depending on your default mask color) with a “+” in the center.

  • Paint over the area or object you want to correct. You can also use single clicks to build up your strokes.
  • Even if you go beyond the object, corrections will generally stay within the edges.
  • If they don’t — for example, when part of the object blends into the background — activate the Eraser by holding Alt (PC) or Option (Mac) and clicking.
  • If the area is textured, the mask might not apply perfectly — simply brush over it again.

You can adjust the brush diameter by holding Ctrl (PC) or Cmd (Mac) and scrolling the mouse wheel.

The Auto Mask brush does not have a feathering (soft edge) setting.

Subject edited after Auto mask selection

Brush/Eraser

The Brush lets you apply local corrections freely by painting over any part of the image — using your mouse or any pointing device (touchpad, pen tablet, etc.). It can also be switched to Eraser mode to subtract from the selection. As a universal tool, it has many uses — brightening a backlit subject, adjusting color, or sharpening a detail, for example.

Brush/Eraser settings (top: Mac, bottom: PC)
1: minimum feathering, 2: feathering at 50, 3: maximum feathering (left: PC, right: Mac)

Using the Brush
 The brush appears as a disk. Just click and paint over the area you want to edit.

When the Brush or Eraser is active, the following sliders appear:

  • Size: Hold Ctrl (PC) or Cmd (Mac) and scroll the mouse wheel to adjust brush diameter.
  • Feathering: Hold Shift and scroll to adjust edge softness. Scroll up for a harder edge, down for a softer one.
  • Flow: Controls how much correction is applied with each stroke.
    • At 100%, one stroke gives the full effect based on the set opacity.
    • For example, at 20%, each pass applies 20% of the full effect, building up gradually with repeated strokes.
  • Opacity: Defines the maximum transparency of the painted area.
    • At 100%, corrections are fully applied.
    • For example, at 50%, the mask won’t allow more than 50% opacity, and local corrections will be applied at half strength.
Brush stroke, 1: no feathring, 2: 50% feathering
Brush stroke with low flow accumulating, 1: first pass, 2: 4x pass, 3: 8x pass
Opacity acts as a threshold and won’t let you build more than your setting, even when accumulating strokes endlessly (top: stroke at 50%, bottom: after multiple strokes)
Painting with the brush
Brush mask edited

Using the Eraser

The Eraser uses the seme settings as the brush. You can select it in the lower (Mac) or upper (PC) toolbar.

Alternatively, when using the brush, hold Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) to switch to the Eraser, then brush over the unwanted area. Use the color mask overlay to see exactly what you’re erasing.

To return to Brush mode, simply release the Alt/Option key.

The Watermark palette

Purpose and usefulness of watermarks

DxO PhotoLab lets you add a watermark to your images in the form of text, graphics, or both. The DxO Instant Watermarking tool offers the advantage of a live preview of the watermark in the image, during creation and alteration. Then it is up to you to decide whether or not to add the watermark to your exported images.

The purpose of a Watermark is to:

  • Protect your images.
  • Mark your images as belonging to you, as an author, a company, or more generally as the owner of the work.
  • Sign your images — for example, for an exhibition or publication in a web gallery.

The text or image, if embedded judiciously (avoiding placement too close to the edges), will discourage theft, reuse, or unauthorized republication of your images. On the other hand, an overly conspicuous watermark can also alter and even discourage others from viewing your images.

If you choose an Image watermark, you will need to create it first in an image editing or graphic design program. DxO PhotoLab does not let you create logos and other graphic elements.

A watermark is not a substitute for the author and copyright information in the image metadata; we encourage you to continue to fill in these fields, particularly the Metadata palette.

The Watermark palette

The Watermark palette is located at the very bottom of the right pane of the Customize tab (DxO Advanced workspace) or as a sub-palette at the bottom of the Basic Tools palette. Inactive by default, it is activated as soon as you click on one of the modes (Image or Text); the tools displayed depend on your choice.

When you apply a watermark to an image, it will always be visible, both in the Viewer and in the image browser thumbnail. Although the look of the watermark can be undone — in other words, you can change or replace it at any time — its application will be permanent in exported images.*

* Watermarks will not be applied to images exported using the Export to DNG option (denoising & optical corrections only).

Embedding an image

To embed a watermark image:

  1. Display your photo in Fit to Screen mode so you can check the size, proportions, and appearance of the watermark in real time.
  2. In the Watermark sub-palette, select the image mode by clicking the Image button.
  3. In the Preview window, click on Browse.
  4. A system dialog box allows you to locate and select your image. Click on Open.
  5. The watermark image will appear in the Preview window as well as in your photo, depending on the selected position. The name of the file is displayed below the preview window.
  6. The checkerboard lets you position the image in the center, top, bottom, left, right or corners of your photo; click on one of the 9 blocks to place it where you want it.
  7. When you select a position other than the center, margin sliders activate in the palette: for example, Left margin for the left position, or Left margin + Top margin for the top left position, etc. These sliders (set to 0 by default) allow you to position your image exactly where you want it in the photo.
  8. The Rotate watermark button, to the left of the positioning grid, allows you to rotate your image in 90° increments with each click.
  9. Adjust the image size** with the Scale slider, between 1 and 100 (default value: 15).
  10. The Blending Mode menu lets you select how the embedded image will blend into the photo. 7 blending modes are available (see section on Blending modes below).
  11. Use the Opacity slider to play with the transparency of the watermark and thus its presence in your photo.

** Make sure your image file is of a size and resolution high enough to avoid edge potential cropping and degradation of its appearance.

Embedding text

Text is the easiest way to mark your photos with your name or your company name if you are a professional, for example. Unlike images and logos, which you need to create outside of DxO PhotoLab, DxO PhotoLab lets you enter your text directly thanks to the pre-installed fonts of your operating system.

To insert a text watermark:

  1. Display your photo in Fit to Screen mode so you can check the size, proportions, and appearance of the watermark in real time.
  2. In the Watermark sub-palette, select text mode by clicking the Text button.
  3. Click in the input field just below the Image/Text buttons and enter your text, which will also activate all the other tools in the sub- palette. Enter your text and validate with the Enter key; the embedded text will appear in the image.
  4. Select your favorite font from the drop-down list below the input field (the default font is Arial).
  5. You can also change the default white of the font by clicking on the white tile, which opens the operating system’s color picker where you can select another color.
  6. The menu to the left of the tile lets you change the style of your font (bold, italic, etc.).
  7. The checkerboard lets you position the text in the center, top, bottom, left, right or corners of your photo; click on one of the 9 blocks to place it where you want it.
  8. When you select a position other than the center, margin sliders will activate in the palette: for example, Left margin for the left position, or Left margin + Top margin for the top left position, etc. These sliders (set to 0 by default) allow you to position your text exactly where you want it in the photo.
  9. The Rotate watermark button, to the left of the positioning grid, allows you to rotate your text in 90° increments with each click.
  10. Adjust the size of the text with the Scale slider, between 1 and 100 (default value: 35).
  11. The Mode menu allows you to choose how the embedded text will blend in relative to your photo. There are seven blending modes available (see below).
  12. You can use the Opacity slider (set to 100 by default) to play with the transparency and presence of the text in your photo.

For watermarks, there are no prohibited characters, no incompatible fonts, and no limit to the number of characters.

Blending modes

You can control how the embedded watermark, text or image, appears in the image, depending on the colors, brightness, opacity or background you choose. The use of blending modes requires a little experimentation on your part; the result depends largely on the type of watermark, its settings, and the image in which it will be embedded, of course. There are seven different blending modes:

  • Normal (default setting)
  • Multiply
  • Screen
  • Overlay
  • Soft light
  • Vivid light
  • Linear light

Embedding an image and text

The Watermarking tool offers great flexibility by giving you the possibility of embedding both an image (logo or other) and some text:

  1. In the Watermark sub-palette, click on the Image button and then follow the same steps as in the Embedding an Image section above.
  2. Once the image is embedded, click on the Text button, then repeat all the steps in the Embedding Text section.

Creating, applying, and managing watermark presets

If you want to use more than one type of watermark, the sub-palette allows you to create, save, apply, and modify as many watermarks as you want, as presets.

Creating and saving a preset

  1. Create an image and/or text watermark* by following the instructions detailed in the Embedding an image and/or Embedding text sections above.
  2. In the sub-palette at the bottom, click Create Preset.
  3. Enter a unique name in the dialog box that appears and confirm by clicking OK.
  4. The name of the watermark is displayed in the Preset list at the top of the sub-palette: This is the preset you just created, and it is active.

*You can create a preset that includes both image and text, no matter whether you are in Image or Text mode, both will be taken into account. There is no limit to the number of presets that you can create.

Applying a preset

  1. In the Preset list, select the desired watermark.
  2. The watermark will be embedded in the photo.
  3. The sub-palette shows the settings for the selected watermark.

Changing a preset

  1. In the Preset list, select the watermark you want to change.
  2. The watermark will be embedded in the photo.
  3. The sub-palette shows the settings for the selected watermark.
  4. Change the settings as desired. To return the settings to the original watermark settings, click on the round-arrow (reset) button.
  5. To keep the watermark with its changes, click Update.
  6. To keep the original watermark and its modified version, click Create Preset and enter a new name.

Deleting a preset

  1. In the Watermark sub-palette, choose the watermark you want to remove from the Preset list.
  2. Click the trash can button on the right side of the Preset menu.
  3. A dialog box will ask you to confirm the deletion. In this case, choose OK.
  4. The watermark disappears from the Preset list.

Applying, exporting, and printing a watermarked photo

Applying a watermark to one or more photos

When you create a watermark, the watermark is displayed in real time on the photo in the Viewer and in the image browser. To apply the watermark to multiple photos at the same time, select the photos in the image browser (in which case, the first selection will be displayed in the Viewer).

Exporting one or more watermarked photos

Whatever export mode you choose – disk, application, etc. – the watermark will be applied to your photos, with the following exceptions:

  • If you select the mode Export to DNG (denoising and optical corrections only).
  • If you select No watermark in the export options (Watermark section, Preset menu).
  • If you have checked Replace with a preset in the Watermark section of the export options. In this case, you can replace the watermark with another watermark that you choose from the Preset menu.

Printing a watermarked photo

These are the options when it comes to printing your watermarked photos:

  • If printing outside DxO PhotoLab, export the image by applying the watermark.
  • If you print while in DxO PhotoLab, the watermark will be applied to your print.
  • If you do not want to print the photo with its watermark, disable the Watermark sub-palette beforehand.

A few tips

Whether or not you should embed a watermark is a matter of much debate. Does the watermark really protect your images and your rights? Does it interfere with the look of your photos? If you decide to embed a watermark, here are some tips:

  • Avoid logos and text that look aggressive, high contrast, or have overly strong colors, as they can distract and interfere with the look of your photos.
  • Choose a small watermark placed at the edge of the image, but not too close to the edge, because if the photo is reproduced without your permission, it could be easy to crop it out. Use the margin sliders to place your watermark a little further inside the photo and, if possible, at an angle to make cropping more difficult.
  • You can also embed a watermark across the width of the image, but with very low opacity so as not to interfere with the look of the photo. Make sure that it is barely visible, knowing that it is easy to reveal by pushing up the brightness and contrast settings.
  • If you want to add a copyright symbol (©) to your text, and it is not directly accessible on your keyboard, use the option + g keys on a Mac, and the ASCII code Alt+0168 on a PC.

The DxO ViewPoint palette

About the DxO ViewPoint palette

– This palette only appears if the DxO ViewPoint plugin license has been activated.

– For a complete description of the plugin tools, consult the DxO ViewPoint user guide. Nonetheless, given that the Perspective and ReShape tools reside outside the DxO ViewPoint palette, you will find more about them in your DxO PhotoLab user guide (after this section).

When you install DxO ViewPoint, a specific palette appears in the Customize tab, which offers you the following tools:

  • Volume Deformation.
  • Miniature Effect.
  • ReShape Fusion.
  • Flip the image horizontally or vertically.

The DxO ViewPoint Guide tool is only available in the plug-in for Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom Classic, as well as the standalone program.

The DxO ViewPoint palette

From DxO PhotoLab 6, the Perspective tool is available natively and so is no longer displayed by the DxO ViewPoint plug-in. You can find the Perspective tool in the PhotoLab Geometry palette.

Correcting volume deformation

The deformation of subjects situated on the edges of images is a geometric flaw that is frequently seem in interior, event, and wedding photos. Known as volume deformation, it frequently occurs when using a wide-angle or wide-angle zoom lens to photograph objects, people, or groups of people. The elements on the edges appear elongated or stretched out. The DxO ViewPoint palette lets you correct this phenomenon as well as horizontal/vertical and diagonal distortion.

For more information about the different tools available depending on the version, see the DxO ViewPoint user guide.

Miniature effect (since DxO ViewPoint 3)

The miniature effect simulates a tilt-shift lens that moves the plane of sharpness in an image, lending it the appearance of a scale model or of a diorama in a landscape photo. This effect is even more dramatic in images of urban landscapes when shot from above. The Miniature Effect tool provides great flexibility in the positioning and intensity of the focus areas.

When you activate the Miniature Effect, two gradients of blur appear on the screen (you will see 4 superimposed on the image): the solid lines delineate the area of the image that will remain sharp (generally in the center), and the dotted lines mark the transition zone between sharp and blurry at the top and bottom of the image. You can reposition the miniature effect anywhere in the photo, and you can also rotate it up to 360°.

The intensity of the shape and the blur are adjustable, and you can also deactivate the symmetry between the positions of the two blur gradients, as well as the intensity of the blur symmetry (meaning that you can have a different blur for each gradient).

ReShape Fusion Tool (since DxO ViewPoint 5)

The ReShape tool allows you to modify one or more elements in the image using a deformable point grid. It can be used for a variety of applications:

  • Refine, equalize, or alter the proportions of an object.
  • Refine geometry corrections (perspective adjustment, volume distortion).
  • Compensate for the curvature of a straight line or the horizon.

Additionally, Reshape Fusion offers tools that allow you to make local adjustments to shapes, volumes, horizon, and perspective, while controlling the propagation of corrections and preserving the original framing if you need it. 

Flip horizontally/vertically (since DxO ViewPoint 4)

Activating DxO ViewPoint installs two inversion tools into DxO PhotoLab:

  • Flip horizontally: inverts the image along the horizontal plane.
  • Flip vertically: reverse the image along the vertical plane.

These commands are available either in the Image > Orientation menu, or in the right-click context menu > Orientation. You can combine, as well as reset, them.

Features specific to using DxO ViewPoint in DxO PhotoLab

A certain number of tools and features are specific to using DxO ViewPoint in plugin mode:

  • The parts of the background that are cropped out after geometric correction are displayed in gray.
  • It is possible to preview the correction directly while using the tool by holding down the Ctrl (PC) or Cmd (Mac) key.
  • You can zoom in and navigate within the image using the toolbar. After zooming, you can also temporarily activate the Hand tool to move about in the image by holding down the Space bar.
  • The anchor points for the perspective and horizon tools do not have an integrated magnifying loupe.
  • The Miniature Effect tool does not let you adjust the blur intensity interactively in the image the way it does in DxO ViewPoint. To adjust the intensity, use the Blur sliders in the Miniature Effect sub-palette.
  • The Perspective, ReShape Fusion and Miniature effect tools have an activation button in the top toolbar.
  • The Perspective tools are accessible via the Geometry palette.

The DxO FilmPack palette

This palette is displayed only if a DxO FilmPack plugin license has been activated.

The DxO FilmPack palette integrates the film emulations and editing tools specific to DxO FilmPack with your usual workflow in DxO PhotoLab.

The DxO FilmPack palette

Several palettes and tools are at your disposal:

  • Filter: Simulates lens filters.
  • DxO FilmPack Grain (PC) / Grain (Mac): Lets you apply a specific grain type from more than sixty films, color as well as B&W, and to set the size of the grain.
  • Fine Contrast: adds the Fine Contrast slider to the Contrast sub-palette of DxO PhotoLab.
  • Creative vignetting (available only in the ELITE Edition of DxO FilmPack): With this palette, you can modify the amount of light on the edges of an image in order to draw attention to a subject in the center.
  • Blur (available only in the ELITE Edition of DxO FilmPack): With this palette, you can create a blurry effect around your subject with Vignetting, and with Soft Focus, you can apply a diffusion effect to your images.
  • Frame (available only in the ELITE Edition of DxO FilmPack): Lets you place a frame around your image; different styles are available.
  • Texture (available only in the ELITE Edition of DxO FilmPack): Allows you to simulate scratches or tears on analog film negatives.
  • Light Leak (available only in the ELITE Edition of DxO FilmPack): Lets you reproduce the effects of aging analog film negatives or problems related to accidental exposure of analog film to light.

For more information on the different tools available, depending on the version and/or edition, see the DxO FilmPack user guide.

Time Machine is an illustrated history of photography by decade, going from the 19th century through to the years 2010-20. In addition to consulting this history, the Time Machine window allows you to directly apply the proposed presets:*

  • In the Color Rendering subpalette, click on the Time Machine button.
  • Select a period by clicking in the banner at the bottom of the window.
  • Each period offers several pages that you can browse using the arrows located above the text.
  • Under each illustration, you will find the corresponding renderings, which you can apply directly to the images by clicking on them.
  • You can change the rendering as you wish, as the applied settings are reversible.
  • To exit Time Machine, click Close.

* Time Machine renderings are also available via the Presets button, in the top right-hand corner of the Organize and Customize tabs.

The DxO FilmPack Time Machine window

Was this page helpful?