This guide is for the plug-in v6 32-bit included
in Demo, Home+ and Pro+ editions of Neat Image v6 (Win).
Also see how to use the standalone version. If you use another version of Neat Image, please
check its documentation. |
I. Open input image in Photoshop In Photoshop, open the image to be processed (it should be
either an RGB or grayscale image). 
|
II. Start Neat Image plug-in Start the Neat Image plug-in using the Filter > Neat
Image > Reduce Noise... menu item in Photoshop. 
This will open Neat Image plug-in window. |
III. Build noise profile using Auto Profile 1. Click the Auto Profile button to build a new
noise profile for the input image: 
Auto Profile will try to automatically find and
analyze a flat featureless image area that contains only noise and no important
details: 
2. Visually inspect the selected image area - it should contain NO
VISIBLE DETAILS, only noise; otherwise the noise profile and
subsequent noise reduction may be inaccurate. If the selected area does contain any details, move
the selection to a featureless area or simply draw a new selection in such
an area (the selection should be more than 32x32 pixels large). Then click
the Auto profile button again.
3. After that, a new noise profile is ready and the input
image can be processed. |
IV. Switch to Noise Filter Settings Click the Noise Filter Settings tab: 
|
V. Use Preview Click the Preview button to prepare a preview based on default filter settings: 
Neat Image will automatically select an area in the image and prepare a preview in the selection: 
Hint: click in the selected area in Neat Image to compare before and after versions. |
VI. Adjust Filter Settings to achieve desired level of noise
reduction and sharpening  1.
Reset the filter settings using the Trash Can buttons (for noise filter and sharpening).
2. Default filter settings should produce good results but try to vary the settings and see how the preview changes: Start by varying Noise Reduction Amounts: Luminance channel
This controls how much of the detected noise is removed in the luminance channel of the image. Too high value of the noise reduction amount can lead to unnatural (oversmooth, plastic-like) results. Too low values may be not enough to sufficiently reduce objectionable noise. You have to balance the noise reduction amount in the luminance channel to get the result that looks best to YOUR eyes. Default values of Noise Levels usually provide good results, so you
can just leave the default values.
If the noise analysis was accurate in step III above
then you do not have to adjust the Noise Levels
settings. You only have to change them if you see that there is any objectionable residual noise or JPEG compression artifacts remaining after applying filter, even if the Noise Reduction Amounts settings are set to remove 100% of the detected noise. In such a case, increase the Noise
Levels values to tell Neat Image that there are some residual noise elements remaining in the luminance or chrominance channels. You can find more details about noise filter settings in the User Guide, the Filtration process details section, the Stage III. Adjust filter settings subsection.
3. When you are happy with the preview results proceed to the next step below. |
VII. Apply filter to image Click the Apply button to start processing: 
|
VIII. Final result After the processing is completed, the filtered image is back in Photoshop: 
Hint: if you move the mouse pointer over the above screenshot, it will
temporarily switch to the unfiltered image to show the difference between
original and filtered images. |
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