Akvis SmartMask

Type of Program: Image Masking Tool
Supported Platforms: Windows XP/NT/2Kx/Vista
Company Name: Akvis
Version: 1.1
Price: Home License - PlugIn ($ 120 - € 90)

Download/Homepage

 This is another fine piece of software from the Akvis stable which makes complicated image selection within an image remarkably simple and as usual there is an excellent online tutorial

The idea is so simple that even a child can master this. There are two pencils (red and blue); you draw a line with the blue pencil inside the object you want to select (for example, yourself on a group photo), and with the red pencil - some lines outside the object, to define the areas that should be cut out (other guys in the photo), then process it.

The program has 3 modes (Sharp, Soft and Complex). The “Sharp” mode allows you to select parts of the image with ease where the object is well defined whilst the “Soft” mode also includes a green pencil to help you to define difficult parts such as fluff, hair, fur etc. In cases where the selected object stands against a background of a similar color range, or the object's edges are uneven, you can use the touch-up brush in the Complex mode. There is even a facility to get rid of color tint to make your selection blend better on its new background.

SmartMask is a plugin and integrates into image processing programs installed on your computer. The plug-in is compatible with Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Corel (Jasc) Paint Shop Pro, etc. A full compatibility list can be found here http://akvis.com/en/compatibility-software.php

This brings the Akvis tally to 11 programs which you can buy as a bundle which saves you loads and is a super bargain.

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Reviewed by Simon Baillie

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