Topaz Labs creates a range of high-quality editing software. Products such as Mask AI, Sharpen AI, and DeNoise AI, offer specialized editing. Aside from these products, Topaz also offers Topaz Studio 2 – this is their flagship post-processing program.
Topaz 2 is comparable to Lightroom and Luminar 3 and is dubbed as the future of creative editing. It provides powerful filters, advanced image masking, and non-destructive layer support.
Moreover, Topaz 2 provides basic editing features so that you can turn your images into photographic masterpieces. Filters such as AI Clear and Precision Contrast help develop images that pop and look superb. Furthermore, detailed textures, image overlays, and artistic pre-sets give users immense creativity.
If you want to experiment with different photo styles or create artistic work for marketing media, Topaz Studio 2 is an excellent choice. In this Topaz Studio 2 review, we look at the software features, usability, performance, and editing features:
Main Features
Topaz Studio 2 is predominantly used to create artistic photos. Photo editing software such as Lightroom primarily concentrates on post-processing – artistic license is usually a secondary objective.
With Topaz Studio 2, the reverse is true. This program is bursting with features geared towards marketing, digital media, and advertising. The following are some of the main features this software has:
- Textures
- Impressions
- Sharpening tools
- Basic editing features such as contrast and saturation
- AI-enhanced tools to remove image imperfections
Topaz Studio 2 has over 200 “looks” – these are one-click effects that can be applied easily. The looks mimic a myriad of different styles such as retro photography, film photography, and black and white images. Moreover, the program has a range of tools to improve the basic quality of images such as sharpening tools, denoise, and contrast improvement.
Usability
This program is easy to use – it has a clean interface with minimal buttons. The whole layout looks uncluttered and minimalistic – some editing programs have too many toolbars clogging up your monitor. Furthermore, the filters and “looks” can be applied instantly with a single click.
Users can edit these filters further using sliders which provides additional control. The basic editing tools are also easy to use – everything is applied using sliders. Generally, we found Topaz Studio 2 extremely simple, especially with a graphics tablet in play.
Performance
When using Topaz Studio 2, there is minimal lag. Sometimes, we noticed that there is a delay when managing larger files. Generally, the performance was fit for purpose – we could add filters, edit photos, and manage files without issues. The following is the minimum system requirements:
- Operating System: Windows 7 or later
- Memory: 8GB
- Graphics: Dedicated 2GB
It should be noted that this is the minimum requirement – it is recommended to have 16GB of RAM and a 4GB graphics card. The minimum requirements looked adequate, but we could see that you may experience lag if working with ultra-detailed images and filters.
Editing Features
The basic editing features are comprehensive – users can alter standard image parameters such as clarity, temperature, and saturation. Furthermore, there is a basic crop tool with minimal adjustment features too.
Whilst Topaz Studio 2 is predominantly used to create artistic photos, the basic editing tools are more than adequate. If you simply want to process your images and improve the quality then you can do so using this program.
How Does Topaz Studio 2 Compare?
So how does this photo editing software compare to other similar products? A great comparison we can make is with PaintShop Pro 2020. These two products have similar functionality and can appeal to a similar range of customers.
One of the main differences is that Topaz Studio 2 does not have advanced photo management features. Users can open images, but there is no rating system. PaintShop Pro 2020, on the other hand, does offer image management – you can assign ratings and colors to photos, for example.
Both programs have a myriad of pre-set filters and give the ability to crop and rotate images. We would advise that PaintShop Pro 2020 has more advanced features, but Topaz Studio 2 is perfect if you just need to make quick, artistic edits.
| Topaz Studio 2 | PaintShop Pro 2020 | |
| Photo Management | No | Yes |
| RAW Editing | No | Yes |
| Preset Filters | Yes | Yes |
| Basic Photo Editing | Yes | Yes |
| Crop and Rotate | Yes | Yes |
Is Topaz Studio 2 Worth the Investment?
Topaz Studio 2 is certainly a vast improvement on the original product. Topaz Labs has essentially re-built the software and added an abundance of new features. We like the non-destructive editing – this is highly important and something all photo editors should have.
Furthermore, the wealth of pre-sets available makes editing photos simple. Users can quickly apply filters to turn their images into stylish works of art.
The main downside is that some may consider Topaz Studio an overlapping product. Remember that Topaz Labs have a wealth of products such as DeNoise AI, and Adjust AI. Some of the features are present in both the specialized programs and Topaz Studio 2.
It can, therefore, provide difficulty to know which product to choose. Do you go with specialization or the general photo editing of Topaz Studio 2?
