DxO PhotoLab 9: AI Masks and support for iPhone image formats

Support for Apple HEIC/HEIF and ProRAW files is one of the highlights, but new features in DxO Photo Lab 9 also include powerful batch renaming, a host of improvements for a smoother workflow… and AI!

DxO announces the launch of DxO PhotoLab 9, the world’s most advanced end-to-end RAW photo editing software, according to the company. Version 9 introduces masking powered by AI that guarantees supremely accurate selections, allowing photographers to create local adjustments with more precision than ever.

“Version 9 is a major step forward in RAW photo editing,” explains Jean-Marc Alexia, VP of Product Strategy. “The AI-powered masking offers unmatched accuracy, and when you combine this with all of the other features in PhotoLab 9, it’s probably our biggest upgrade to our flagship editing software of the last twenty years.”

The new AI Masks harness the power of artificial intelligence to create smart, pixelprecise selections in an instant. Users can quickly create masks through three different methods: hovering and clicking on different parts of the photo; drawing a box around the area of an image that contains the object to be selected; or choosing from various Subject Types, a list of predefined objects, including sky, people, faces, and hair.

The list of predefined objects offers more than just quick selection. For example, if a photographer selects “Hair” and makes some adjustments, these changes can be intelligently copied and pasted between images, or saved as a preset that is contextually aware of the selection. Complex retouching becomes faster, smarter, and effortlessly consistent.

In PhotoLab 9 DxO combines DxO AI Masks and U Point Technology to achieve unmatched precision. The company says that “by integrating effortlessly with other Local Adjustments tools, AI Masks deliver an unparalleled level of flexibility and control. Selections can be refined using DxO’s renowned U Point technology: using a combination of AI Masks, Control Points, Control Lines, Graduated Filters, and the Brush tool, photographers can create highly complex masks that would otherwise be too sophisticated for even the most advanced AI. This offers a significant advantage over competing tools, where refining complex selections can be laborious.”

For photographers who demand the most precise control, DeepPRIME noise reduction technologies and DxO’s exclusive Lens Sharpening Optimization can now be targeted using local adjustments. While PhotoLab’s automated processing already delivers, DxO adds, “outstanding results, this gives users the ability to fine-tune their image with a supreme level of detail, especially given that the new AI Masks — combined with existing local adjustment tools — offer incredible precision.”

DxO PhotoLab 9 introduces a smarter, faster workflow with a series of improvements designed to make photo organization faster and more intuitive. New features include image stacking, a Favorites system for folders and projects, and direct access to the Project palette from Customize mode. And as part of a cleaner, more versatile editing experience, you can also easily relocate folders that have been moved.

DxO PhotoLab 9 also introduces a powerful new batch renaming tool, giving users full control over how original and processed files are named. Filenames can be automatically generated using image metadata, EXIF information, or custom text, streamlining organization and post-processing. Users can also create and save their own presets, making it easy to apply consistent naming conventions across entire projects or workflows.

Version 9 introduces support for Apple’s iPhone image formats — HEIC/HEIF and ProRAW — making it easier than ever to edit photos taken using iOS devices. This expanded compatibility ensures a seamless workflow for photographers who want to harness the power of DxO’s renowned image processing tools with photos captured on their iPhone.

It’s not just iPhone users that get an answer to their requests. Users of Fujifilm cameras also asked for compatibility with their sensors and files and that’s something that DxO has been working on for a while now. Two years ago, DxO introduced DeepPRIME XD, the ‘eXtra Detail’ engine designed to use more intense processing for taking on the most demanding files. The technology continues to evolve, ensuring unprecedented results for images captured at extreme ISO levels.

Now, DxO is proud to announce that, following the technology preview released as part of DxO PureRAW 5, DeepPRIME XD3 has emerged from beta and now processes RAW files from all X-Trans cameras. With the introduction of DeepPRIME XD3 X-Trans unrivaled noise reduction and detail extraction for X-Trans sensors. According to DxO “the image quality is unprecedented, able to recover noise and retrieve details from images captured in very low light like never before.”

DxO PhotoLab 9 is available from the DxO website (shop.dxo.com), for macOS and Windows machines:

• New license                                                 239,99 $ – 239,99 € – 219;99 £
• Upgrade from DxO PhotoLab 7 or 8          119,99 $ – 119,99 € – 109,99 £

A 30-day trial is available from dxo.com/en/dxo-photolab/download.