Phototools 1.0

strong>Over 250 special effects designed by professional photographers

This tool offers more than 250 predefined effects that can be instantly applied to any image. The interface is easy to use. On the right-hand pane there is the extensive library of effects, which includes Colour Treatments, Film and Darkroom, Camera Tricks, and One Click Art, among many others. Just double click on one to apply the effect. Double clicking on another effect adds it to the layer stack, and you can apply multiple effects to any image. Once you have found a look that you like it can be saved as a custom preset. A selection of predefined Presets is included, which can be a good starting point for your own presets. There are numerous before and after preview display options: full screen, side by side, split screen ? above/below and side by side.

The effects are all predefined so there is no opportunity to tweak the settings, the only control you have is to define how the effect is applied, and to define a fade which weakens the effect. When you click the apply button a new Photoshop layer is created, leaving your original picture untouched as a background layer. This gives you further opportunity to blend the new layer with the original image. There are some very nice effects in the library, and combining two or more effects will give you an infinite collection of filter permutations. WDC RATING: 89%