Noise is a serious problem in digital imaging
In digital photography, the consumer- and prosumer-level cameras produce images with an easily noticeable noise component, which is especially strong in images taken at high ISO rates. Scanned photos contain a similar film grain component. The noise and grain reduce the visual quality of digital images and resulting printouts.

The solution to the noise problem: Neat Image
Neat Image is a digital filter specifically designed to reduce visible noise in digital photographic images produced by modern digital cameras, as well as film and flatbed scanners.

Three main reasons to choose Neat Image:

• Neat Image uses the most advanced noise reduction algorithms in the industry
  Neat Image noise reduction algorithms are developed specifically for digital photography applications by a highly-qualified professional image processing research group. These algorithms surpass the quality of all classic noise reduction methods and even that of the wavelet-based methods. Although the wavelet-based methods were developed only 10-15 years ago and are still considered relatively modern, Neat Image uses an even newer and more efficient approach to noise reduction. This approach enables drawing a more clear distinction between noise and details in noisy images. This helps Neat Image reduce more noise and better preserve true image details in digital photos and scans.
  
  
• Neat Image builds and uses device noise profiles to adapt noise reduction to imaging device
  A device noise profile is a reusable analysis of noise properties of an image acquisition device (a digital camera, scanner, etc.) working in a certain mode. Using a noise profile for an imaging device in effect makes Neat Image noise reduction custom-tailored to this imaging device.
  Device noise profile is a novel concept originally introduced by Neat Image team and supported by Neat Image user community who create noise profiles for many digital cameras and scanners.

2.

• Neat Image can be directly used in Aperture workflow
  
  • Aperture plug-in version of Neat Image can apply noise reduction and sharpening to a single image or series of images
    
    
  • You can automatically batch process images using the Aperture-style batching supported by Neat Image plug-in
    
    
  • Neat Image plug-in for Aperture can be used with the following versions of Aperture:
    
    • Apple Aperture 3.0 or newer
    • Apple Aperture 2.1 or newer
      
      
      
• Neat Image is highly automated
  
  • You can automatically build noise profiles:
    • Auto Profile provides the easiest and quickest way to automatically build a noise profile in just one click
      Auto Profile finds one primary analysis area (shown in GUI) and multiple secondary areas to build an accurate profile
      
    • You can also manually select an image area for primary analysis and let Neat Image do the rest
      
      
  • You can choose which noise profile to use either automatically or manually:
    • Auto Match can automatically select the best matching noise profile from a pre-built profile set using the EXIF data
      
    • You can manually select the desired noise profile as well
      
      
  • You can rely on default filter settings or manually adjust the filters
    • Based on accurate noise profile, default filter settings automatically provide good filtration results without additional tweaking
      
    • Manual filter tweaking is always available too, if you want to get the result that looks perfect to your eyes
      
      
  • You can easily save and later re-use both noise profiles and filter settings
    
    
  • You can automatically apply Neat Image noise reduction to many images using the Neat Image Batch tool
    
    
    
• Neat Image helps to adjust filter setting with efficient visual feedback
  
  • Embedded preview shows how the end result will look like and helps you visually compare 'before' and 'after' versions
    
    
    
• Neat Image is efficient
  
  • Neat Image efficiently reduces most noise types typical for digital cameras, film and flatbed scanners (see some examples):
    • high ISO noise produced by image sensors of digital cameras and scanners (CCD, CMOS, SuperCCD, Foveon, etc.)
    • film grain visible in scanned slides and negatives
    • JPEG artifacts in overcompressed images
    • grain aliasing
    • moire patterns
    • color banding
      
      A useful side effect of Neat Image noise reduction is that noise-free images are better compressable. By reducing noise you can reduce the JPEG file sizes by 30-40% (even if the same compression level is used to save both noisy and noise-free images).
      
      
      
  • Neat Image v6.2 is able to utilize all available cores in dual-core and multi-core processors as well as all processors in multiprocessor systems, which in effect makes filtration 1.5-1.9 times faster on dual-core / dual-processor systems and even faster on multi-core / multiprocessor machines
    
    
  • Neat Image plug-in for Aperture comes in two versions: for Intel Macs and for PowerPC Macs
    
    
  • Neat Image v6.2 processes a 10 Megapixel digital photo in about 8-10 seconds on a Mac with Core Duo 2 GHz
    
    
    
• Neat Image supports the industry standard image types and file formats
  
  • 24-bit / 48-bit RGB and 8-bit / 16-bit grayscale images can be processed
    
    
  • Any file format supported by Aperture can be used with the Neat Image plug-in
    (for example, you can open a PSD, JPEG2000, RAW, DNG, etc., image using Aperture and then directly process it with the Neat Image plug-in)
    
    
  • Neat Image preserves all image metadata (like the EXIF and IPTC data)
    
    
    
• Several tools and resources help you customize Neat Image to your digital camera or scanner
  
  • Rich set of free ready-made noise profiles available in the online profile library helps to start using Neat Image faster and easier
    
    
  • Calibration Target and Batch Profiler make building a set of noise profiles for your camera or scanner very simple

3.

• Neat Image plug-in for Aperture /Mac is currently produced in three editions:
  
  
  • Demo plug-in: freeware edition with limited functionality; free; download
    This edition demonstrates the capabilities of Neat Image and can be used to process small images for non-commercial purposes.
    
    
  • Home plug-in: supports 8-bit (per channel) images and processes up to 50 images in one batch; $49.90; purchase
    This edition is intended for home users.
    
    
  • Pro plug-in: supports both 8- and 16-bit images and supports unlimited batches; $69.90; purchase
    This edition is intended for professionals who process large amounts of images and work with 16-bit images.
    
    
    See Neat Image features and feature map for detailed description of these Neat image editions.
    
    
    
• Order a license for Neat Image Home or Pro plug-in for Aperture /Mac