Nik Multimedia's Nik Sharpener Pro 2

Nik Multimedia has released the latest version of its nik Sharpener Pro software. A plug-in for Photoshop as well as other image-editing applications, nik Sharpener Pro 2 has added 16-bit compatibility for sharpening 16-bit images, a larger preview area, and new tools offering more control of where sharpening is applied to the image.

The new tools comprise sliders in the Advanced controls menu, a Selective tool, and a RAW Presharpening feature:

“? The five slider controls in the Advanced menu allows users to associate each slider with a different color in an image; the slider allows the user to increase or decreasing the sharpening applied to areas of the image that have that color. For maximum control, each of the five sliders can be operated independently.

“? The Selective tool allows users to apply sharpening to any part of an image with selective brushstrokes. The sharpening can be selectively brushed into the image, or can be applied to the whole image and then selectively brushed out.

“? The RAW Presharpening feature is designed to enhance the detail in digital areas that are converted from a RAW file format, and is controlled with a simple slider and preview area. Users can see and control the amount of sharpening in real time.

Nik Sharpener Pro 2 is compatible with Adobe Photoshop 5.5 “? CS 2.0, Photoshop LE 4.0 “? 5.0, PhotoDeluxe 2.0 “? 4.0, and Photoshop Elements 1.0 “? 3.0; Jasc Paint Shop Pro 6.7 “? 8.0; Corel Photo-Paint 8.0 “? 11.0; Ulead PhotoImpact 4.2 “? 7.0; and Microsoft Digital Image Pro 10. Available for Windows and Macintosh OS X.

Sharpener Pro 2 Inkjet Edition sells for $169.95; Sharpener Pro 2 Complete Edition (works for every output device) is $329.95. Registered owners of nik Sharpener Pro version 1 qualify for a special upgrade pricing. Available June 1. (Nik Multimedia: www.nikmultimedia.com)