Using the plug-in to process images

The Neat Image plug-in can be invoked from an image editor to process the selected area in a layer or a channel of the current image. This subsection describes key stages of using the Neat Image plug-in. Since these stages are very similar to the filtration process of the Neat Image standalone version, the stages below are described based on the Filtration process details section.

Stage I. Invoke the plug-in from the image editor

In the image editor, select a layer (or a channel) in the image that should be processed. In this layer (channel), select an area to be filtered. The whole layer (channel) will be filtered if no area is selected.

Invoke the Neat Image plug-in using the standard way of invoking filter plug-ins in your image editor:

• Select the Filter | Neat Image | Reduce Noise… menu item in Photoshop / Photoshop Elements.
  
  or

• Select the Effects | Plug-in Filters | Neat Image | Reduce Noise… menu item in Paint Shop Pro.

Stage II. Prepare a device noise profile

Preparing a device noise profile is done in the same way as with the standalone version of Neat Image. Please see Filtration process details: Step II. Prepare a device noise profile.

Stage III. Adjust filter settings

This is done in the same way as with the standalone version of Neat Image. Please see Filtration process details: Step III. Adjust noise filter settings.

Stage IV. Adjust Actions settings (optional)

At this point in the workflow, the noise profile is ready, filter settings are adjusted and, therefore, the filter is ready to be applied to the image. However, before proceeding to the next stage to apply the filter, you may want to adjust the Action settings of Neat Image that are accessible using the Actions menu. These settings specify which noise profile and filter preset should be used by the plug-in on startup in when you open it next time. For example, you can have Neat Image automatically build a new noise profile using Auto Profile when you open the plug-in.

The following options are available:

• Use Current Profile: the plug-in will use the current noise profile used in the plug-in;
  
  
• Auto Match Profile: the plug-in will use profile matching to find and load a profile from the profile set on the disk (see the Profile Matching options);
  
  
• Auto Build Profile: the plug-in will use Auto Profile to build a profile using the input image;
  
  
• Auto Fine-Tune Profile: the plug-in will additionally apply Auto Fine-Tune to adapt the loaded profile to the input image; this option is available when you use either Use Current Profile or Auto Match Profile; (Auto Profile applies Auto Fine-Tune automatically);
  
  
  
• Use Current Preset: the plug-in will use the current filter settings;
  
  
• Auto Match Preset: the plug-in will use preset matching to find and load a preset that matches the input image or noise profile (see the Preset Matching options).

Stage V. Apply filter

To apply filter to the image

• Click (the Apply button on the toolbar of the Noise Filter Settings tab) or select the Filter | Apply menu item.
  
  The plug-in window will be closed and filtration will start. Processing may take a few seconds (depending on the speed of your computer's CPU and size of (the selected part of) the image). During this time, the image editor will display the filtration progress.
  
  In Photoshop, updating Photoshop user interface during processing may be slow. This is a feature of Photoshop. Do not consider it to be 'hanging' or 'freezing', just let it work.
  

The Neat Image plug-in will automatically save the current settings such as device noise profile, filter preset, Action settings, which will enable re-applying the plug-in (for example, using the Ctrl+F shortcut in Photoshop) with the same settings without re-doing the stages II-III. Also, you can open the plug-in manually and continue work with the last used parameters.