Auto FX Photo/Graphic Edges

Professional Photographer John Stephen Hockensmith: Review of Auto FX Photo/Graphic Edges

Back In January, Todd and Cathy asked me to take a look at the updated software package version of AutoFX Photo/Graphic Edges Platinum Edition. This was pretty exciting because I have used an older version of a competitor’s frame and edge software here in Hockensmith Photographics since 2005. Frankly, the older competitor's version was of little use and really just occupied some program space on the hard drive. With excitement I wanted to see what the famed AutoFX designers had delivered in this release.

The latest offering from AutoFX, is a powerful plugin for graphics professionals and digital photographers, as well as, amateur photographers and enthusiasts that allows the users to manipulate images within Adobe Photoshop CSx or Adobe Elements. Yet wisely, the Auto FX programmers did allow the Photo/Graphic Edges 7.0 program to run as a separate application for a non-Adobe oriented users. I particularly like the instantaneous previewing the interface renders after an image and the software selection combinations have been selected. With this instant feedback, the user can readily try many combinations of effects of the same image to see the direct impact that is delivered without leaving the program. PGE 7.0 Platinum delivers many new borders, frames, and effects to enhance one’s collection and presentation. By far, PGE 7.0 Platinum outdistances anything I have seen of compared for point-and-shoot creative photographic edging.

PGE 7.0 Platinum has a new user interface, many exciting new features, with easily to understand preset effects, all of which is customizable so your creativity is not confined to what you have seen elsewhere. AutoFX offers interactive help which is intuitive and information as it appears when hovering over a button. With this and other innovations PGE 7.0 Platinum supports and boosts a wealth of new effects coupled with intuitive help. The overall User Interface (GUI) of PGE 7.0 is easy to use and its large content previews make it easy on the eyes.

For today’s competitive portrait market, Auto FX Photo/Graphic Edges 7.0 is just the tool that it takes to help compete for the Seniors & School, Children and Family Portrait Business.

Below is a couple of screen shots of the many thousands of combinations that even a novice can quickly access using AutoFX PGE 7.0 Platinum.

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Click images below to view larger

Wedding storyboards are extremely quick and easy with this wonderful Photoshop plugin. Below is a screen shot depicting wedding possibilities.

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PGE 7.0 Platinum is a well deserved upgrade for existing users. Plus it would be a great advancement for any new user to step into the plugin world of AutoFX. The AutoFX approach to plug-ins and creativity is easy and opens new conduits to a unique expression of your creative talents.

The uses for PGE 7.0 are endless; particularly in scrapbooking, storyboarding, as well as, creative textures for amateurs and professional alike… there are no boundaries of what you can do with this plug-in.

My favorite and most exciting feature is the way I can creatively construct the edges of a photograph with the edge brush. This will prove very helpful in my next project which is a Children’s Book. With the ability to load an image, select edge brush, pick a splatter or other brush template and just paint in the area and creatively reveal the portions of the image that speak to the composition is just beautifully intuitive and, again, quite simple.

I have made a few screen shots to illustrate the easy, effective and, extraordinary results possible within the first day of my exploring PGE 7.0.

Let's take an overview of what is present in Photo/Graphic Edges 7.0 Platinum Edition.

Auto FX Photo/Graphic Edges 7.0 Features:

• Much Improved interface
• Updates to Content Management System and much improved rendering engine
• Improvements in the previewing system and a new "favorites" to facilitate quicker recall.
• More than 300 new presets (triple the number of effects in the earlier PGE 6.0) PGE 7.0 has over 1,000 pieces of preset content)
• With 32 new effects PGE 7.0 boast: Darkroom Edges, Grunge Edges, Painted Edges, Montage Edges, Geometric Edges, Digital Edges, Abstract Edges, Vignette Edges, Transfer, Edge Brush, Burned Edges, Photo Border, Photo Tabs, Acid Etching, Ambient Brush, Distort Edges, Putty Edges, Smudged Edges, Film Frames, Grunge Frames, Natural Media, Storyboards, Thin Borders, Artistic Frames, Classic Frames, Dual Frames, Quad Frames, Scrapbook Fun, Traditional Frames, Watercolor Frames, Adornments, and Overlays.

Pros

• Easy to install
• 300 presets "New"
• 32 major special effects categories "New"
• 4 GB of high-quality content
• New Storyboards
• New GUI is leaner, allowing more image content on the screen
• Hundreds more photo frames
• Thousands of overall new effects, frames, textures, and content
• Highly Customizable
• Smart Layers allow several different effects in the same composition to be combined
• Unlimited undo “ctrl Z”
• Help-On-Demand feature really works
• Simple and powerful GUI
• Save your work in multiple formats: .bmp, .psd, .tif, .jpg, or .png
• Allows the user to more quickly explore his or hers creativity.
• Object Transformation Tools: photos can be scaled, stretched, selected, rotated, or moved inside edges
• PGE 7.0's effects for a more custom and perceptual look
• Works inside Photoshop and PGE 7.0 does not require external importing/exporting

Cons/Disadvantages

• None to be found

Auto FX Photo/Graphic Edges 7.0 retains all the great features of earlier AutoFX versions and is a bargain for the new purchaser. Certainly it should be included in your arsenal of graphics assets. And if you have already previously purchased PGE 6.0, there is an upgrade available. The updates, improvements and additional templates can quickly justify the cost. With regards to all graphic plugin programs in the photo software market today, AutoFX Photo/Graphic Edges 7.0 Platinum Edition deserves the highest recommendation.

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