Google’s $150 Nik Collection of Photo Editing Software is Now 100% Free

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RoseCat

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For those of you who may want to edit images on your Mac or PC, Google's Nik Collection is now FREE. Yep. FREE. :eek:

I do 100% of my editing on my iPhone 5S, but I figure for free, hey, what the heck! :D

Download it here: https://www.google.com/nikcollection/
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Google’s $150 Nik Collection of Photo Editing Software is Now 100% Free
MAR 24, 2016
MICHAEL ZHANG

Whoa. Google just announced that it’s making its Nik Collection of desktop photo editing software 100% free.

You may remember that Google acquired Nik Software and its popular Snapseed photo editing app back in September 2012. Although Google killed off Snapseed for Desktop in March 2013, it was still big news when Google started selling the entire Nik suite (originally valued at around $500) for the “low price” of $150 later that month.

Now it’s free.

“Photo enthusiasts all over the world use the Nik Collection to get the best out of their images every day,” Google writes. “As we continue to focus our long-term investments in building incredible photo editing tools for mobile, including Google Photos and Snapseed, we’ve decided to make the Nik Collection desktop suite available for free, so that now anyone can use it.”

The Nik Collection has 7 desktop plug-ins that provide a wide range of photo editing features, including mimicking the look of old cameras and films, retouching and correcting photos, darkroom retouching, adjusting color and tonality, HDR, image sharpening, and noise reduction.

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The entire collection is free to download starting today, March 24th, 2016. If you spent money buying the collection anytime this year, you’ll get a full refund of your purchase price (it’ll be automatically issued soon).

“We’re excited to bring the powerful photo editing tools once only used by professionals to even more people now,” Google says. You can download the suite for yourself for both Windows and Mac here.

http://petapixel.com/2016/03/24/googles-150-nik-collection-photo-editing-software-now-100-free/
 
One thing you might not realize from the Google page: The installer includes both plug-ins for Photoshop (and compatible programs) and standalone versions of all the tools (so you don't have to have Photoshop).

I've been using the Nik tools for some years on my desktop system, and things like the sharpener, noise reducer, and color efex tools are quite good. But the star, as far as I'm concerned, is SilverEfex Pro for doing b/w conversions.
 
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Ooooh! The Nik Collection plugins are great! Definitely, snap 'em up if you do desktop editing.

...Hmmmmm. I wonder if they've updated significantly since I got 'em a few years back...
 
I think I also read that if you had paid for this collection they'll refund you? :confused: Not sure why...it seems weird to me. Almost like a recall or something.

I don't really understand what the "plug-ins" are? In the Nik folder in my Applications folder there are the noise reducer, b&w app, etc. 7 or so different things... I thought they were all applications, but I guess they're plug-ins? :confused: o_O I only know plug-ins as things you add on to your browser to make it "do" stuff (I know, I know, high-tech speech....hope you can keep up with me. [emoji13] LOL)
 
RoseCat said:
I think I also read that if you had paid for this collection they'll refund you? :confused: Not sure why...it seems weird to me. Almost like a recall or something.

I don't really understand what the "plug-ins" are? In the Nik folder in my Applications folder there are the noise reducer, b&w app, etc. 7 or so different things... I thought they were all applications, but I guess they're plug-ins? :confused: o_O I only know plug-ins as things you add on to your browser to make it "do" stuff (I know, I know, high-tech speech....hope you can keep up with me. [emoji13] LOL)
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Those things in your Applications folder are the standalone programs. You launch one of them, open an image file with it, mess with the image, and save the results to your disk.

The plug-ins get installed for -- and are run through -- a host program such as Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, and you'll access those through the menus of the host program. The plug-ins work on whatever image you have open in Photoshop at the time.

(There's a whole ecosystem of third-party plug-ins for adding functions to Photoshop.)
 
Thanks for the heads-up Catherine... :thumbs:

Just a reminder though folks... :whistle:

MobiTog is The place for iMages taken with and processed on a mobile device... :rog:

So don't go using this, Free or otherwise, to process stuff for your mobile artwork's home... :D
 
terse said:
Those things in your Applications folder are the standalone programs. You launch one of them, open an image file with it, mess with the image, and save the results to your disk.

The plug-ins get installed for -- and are run through -- a host program such as Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, and you'll access those through the menus of the host program. The plug-ins work on whatever image you have open in Photoshop at the time.

(There's a whole ecosystem of third-party plug-ins for adding functions to Photoshop.)
Click to expand...
:notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
Thanks so much Ted! :D

I thought those were stand-alone programs, but then the plug-ins talk got me confused. And besides, I am a bit leery of third-party plug-ins as I tend to equate them with *virus capabilities*. :alien:
 
Venomator said:
Thanks for the heads-up Catherine... :thumbs:

Just a reminder though folks... :whistle:

MobiTog is The place for iMages taken with and processed on a mobile device... :rog:

So don't go using this, Free or otherwise, to process stuff for your mobile artwork's home... :D
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Thank you for the reminder!! :thumbs: That's why I posted this in an off-topic area...didn't want to confuse folks, but also this is such a great deal I wanted to be sure and share it with everyone. :confused:

I don't know if I'll ever use these products as I can't imagine editing on my Mac...I'm so used to the hands-on tapping and swiping, and many times while laying in bed, would seem weird sitting at my Mac and using a mouse! LOL :barf:
 
terse said:
One thing you might not realize from the Google page: The installer includes both plug-ins for Photoshop (and compatible programs) and standalone versions of all the tools (so you don't have to have Photoshop).

I've been using the Nik tools for some years on my desktop system, and things like the sharpener, noise reducer, and color efex tools are quite good. But the star, as far as I'm concerned, is SilverEfex Pro for doing b/w conversions.
Click to expand...

I totally agree! SilverEfex Pro is outstanding for any desktop B/W conversions I do.
Also, there are so many excellent tutorials out there for Nik Software that are extremely helpful.
 
In case you're using Paint.Net (free of charge).
I've read that it's capable to use PS plugins (like the NIK Collection) as well ...!?
 
If you use the Nik collection as a standalone editor, make sure you copy the image first as it won't give you a choice of overwriting the original, it will just do it :thumbs:
 
PS. Just for the records and in case you want to use the NIK collection from within Photoshop that you don't have ...
Adobe offers Photoshop CS2 (Win/MAC) free of charge for download here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-suite/kb/cs2-product-downloads.html#

You need to register an Adobe account to be able to access that page (its login will pop up if you haven't already).
BTW, ...

"Adobe strongly advises against running unsupported and outdated software. Only customers who legitimately purchased CS2 or Acrobat 7 and need to maintain their current use of these products may use the serial numbers provided during the download."

... assigned serial numbers are listed at the right column.
 
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sinnerjohn said:
If you use the Nik collection as a standalone editor, make sure you copy the image first as it won't give you a choice of overwriting the original, it will just do it :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Good to know. I usually use the plugins through PS, which create a separate layer, but you never know when you might want to just pop into the stand alone.

I do sometimes I use HDR eFex on its own to combine exposures, but that generates a tonemapped output file, without overwriting, as I recall.
 
FotoLumos said:
Good to know. I usually use the plugins through PS, which create a separate layer, but you never know when you might want to just pop into the stand alone.

I do sometimes I use HDR eFex on its own to combine exposures, but that generates a tonemapped output file, without overwriting, as I recall.
Click to expand...
Ok yes that's the one exception, the HDR is the only stand alone with a proper menu.........but hey, who really like's HDR ;)
 
sinnerjohn said:
If you use Adobe Lightroom Mobile, on ipad or phone, would that be ok to post on Mobitog ?
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I think that is covered off by the previous statement John - "Taken with AND processed on a Mobile Device"... ;)

Assuming that is, Adobe Lightroom Mobile is an iPad/iPhone App, then all should be fine & dandy, no? ... :D
 
sinnerjohn said:
If you use the Nik collection as a standalone editor, make sure you copy the image first as it won't give you a choice of overwriting the original, it will just do it :thumbs:
Click to expand...
The standalone Mac versions (what I have) will overwrite without asking if you click the Save button on the program's screen. But there is a File menu with Save As and a keyboard shortcut Command-S mapped to that (which is backwards from normal practice where Cmd-S is Save and Cmd-Shift-S is Save As -- oh well). I checked Analog Efex, Color Efex, and Silver Efex -- all three had it.
 
sinnerjohn said:
but hey, who really like's HDR
Click to expand...

Lol! :lmao: You might if you process them with HDR eFex! I don't do a lot of HDR, but that's my favorite processor because you can get anything from very subtle, natural tone compression to the crazy, crunchy, grungy look (which is not really my thing, but eye of the beholder and all that!).

I've been experimenting a bit with exposure blending using luminance masks, which I think I prefer to HDR. If only someone would figure out how to create luminance masks in a mobile app!!
 
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