ARTISAN PRO | SHIBUI | MAX REPOSITORY
ARTISAN PRO | SHIBUI | MAX REPOSITORY
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::: Small bugfixes for Artisan Pro, Artisan Max, and Quick Mask Pro, December 8, 2025 :::
More info:
As a result of the introduction of Adobe PS 27.1.0 and the necessary bugfixes from November 27, 2025, we have identified a few more bugs in Artisan Pro, Artisan Max, and in Quick Mask Pro. There are now free updates available via the Adobe Creative Cloud.
Which panels have a free update:
Artisan Pro X (UXP) current version v1.3.1 > Updated version: Artisan Pro v1.3.2
Artisan Max (UXP) current version v1.1.1 > Updated version: Artisan Max v1.1.2
Quick Mask Pro (UXP) current version v1.0.4 > Updated version: Quick Mask Pro v1.0.5
No update was necessary for Artisan Shibui v1.0.1
When will the release be available
The free update is available now, as of December 8, 2025
How to update to the latest panel versions
The free updates will automatically be visible in your Adobe account via Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop > Stock & Marketplace > Plugins > Manage Plugins > Select the plugins in your account and click update the same way you would update Photoshop.
Recommendation
To avoid issues with operating the panels, I recommend updating the panels now to comply with all Adobe PS CC versions of 2022 up to the most recent PS 27.1.0
::: To comply with the latest changes in Adobe PS 27.1.0, we have released a free update for all Artisan UXP panels as of November 27, 2025 :::
More info:
With the recent introduction of Adobe PS 27.1.0, the 'Selection' button in the panel causes the screen to freeze. This didn't happen in any of the panels with the previous Adobe versions (it is a simple feature in the panel that has never changed).
A brief investigation revealed that Adobe PS 27.1.0 has modified some code, which resulted in the 'Selection' button crashing Photoshop. To remediate this, we have created a fix that complies with the new PS 27.1.0 changes. The free update with the fix will be made available to all current owners of the UXP panels.
Which panels have a free update:
Artisan Pro X (UXP) current version v1.3.0 > Updated version: Artisan Pro v1.3.1
Artisan Max (UXP) current version v1.1.0 > Updated version: Artisan Max v1.1.1
Artisan Shibui (UXP) current version v1.0.0 > Updated version: Artisan Shibui v1.0.1
Quick Mask Pro (UXP) current version v1.0.3 > Updated version: Quick Mask Pro v1.0.4
When will the release be available
The free update is available now, as of November 27, 2025
How to update to the latest panel versions
The free updates will automatically be visible in your Adobe account via Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop > Stock & Marketplace > Plugins > Manage Plugins > Select the plugins in your account and click update the same way you would update Photoshop.
Recommendation
To avoid issues with operating the panels, I recommend updating the panels now to comply with all Adobe PS CC versions of 2022 up to the most recent PS 27.1.0
The new Artisan Shibui 2025 plugin combines the best and most used features of Artisan Pro UXP 2024 and all Quick Mask Pro UXP 2024 features in a bundled plugin. The result is a more efficient, stripped-down, and clearer version of Artisan Max. Furthermore, Artisan Shibui 2025 comes as a one-off purchase only, not as a subscription.
Artisan Shibui doesn’t replace Artisan Pro and Quick Mask Pro but will exist alongside the separate plugins as a minimalist, essential, and bundled plugin.
All necessary features of Artisan Pro 2024 that cannot be missed are present in Artisan Shibui 2025 and almost all features of Quick Mask Pro 2024 are also there. The result is a more intuitive and streamlined plugin. The Quick Reference Guide is available in the Manuals section and there's also a YouTube video with a demo of the new Artisan Shibui.
If you need an overview of how the various plugins compare and relate to each other, then have a look at this comparison guide.
Related to this release, a new 16-zone and 11-zone dynamic zone map has been implemented in Artisan Shibui and also in the Artisan Pro and Quick Mask Pro plugins. If you already have the UXP versions of Artisan Pro and Quick Mask Pro (only available from the Adobe store after January 2022) then you can update your panel for free by going to PS > Plugins > Manage Plugins.
Artisan Max is the Artisan Pro and Quick Mask Pro plugins integrated into one plugin and offered as a monthly subscription.
Artisan Max doesn’t replace Artisan Pro and Quick Mask Pro but will exist alongside the separate plugins as a subscription with extras.
All features of both separate plugins are therefore available in Artisan Max plus new bonus features that will only be made available in the Artisan Max plugin. The first bonus features are Dynamic FX and more convenience with a 1-click luminosity mask creation and removal. New B&W processing and masking features will therefore only be developed for the Artisan Max plugin. Artisan Pro and Quick Mask Pro will always have free technical updates when necessary.
Apart from the integration of both plugins and the additional features, the main difference between the Artisan Max and the separate plugins is that Artisan Pro and Quick Mask Pro are both a single-purchase product while Artisan Max is a monthly subscription that can be canceled at any time. Keep in mind that Adobe only allows re-subscribing to a canceled subscription only once. The Quick Reference Guide for Artisan Max is available in the Manuals section on this Knowledge Hub here
By Friday, September 29, or perhaps sooner on Thursday, September 28, the 2nd update of Artisan Pro 2024 v1.2.0, now with 2 new features, will be available on the Adobe Marketplace.
The new features consist of B&W color filter emulations that you can use instead of the regular B&W conversions. Especially useful when turning blue skies to black is a desired result or when converting portraits to B&W. You cannot use the color filters for an already B&W-converted image. It is meant for use on color layers only.
Apart from this, the microzones have been enhanced. No message is shown anymore when activating a zone and furthermore, you can now activate and use multiple zones simultaneously. Which zones are activated are now clearly visible by just opening the drop-down list. Activated zones are then visible as being highlighted in green.
Adobe just approved and published the updated versions of Artisan Pro and Quick Mask Pro, on the Adobe Marketplace to make it compatible with Adobe PS CC v25.0 (PS CC 2024). We also fixed the restore issues and ensured the panels just performed a bit better. Just navigate on the Creative Cloud Desktop App to Stock & Marketplace >Plugins > Manage Plugins and install the latest versions. They're respectively called Artisan Pro 2024 and Quick Mask Pro 2024 since they are now fully compatible with Adobe PS CC 2024. This implies that also the latest version of Adobe PS CC 2024 is recommended for installation.
Please be informed
**PS CC 2024 (V25.x.x) update not yet compatible with Artisan Pro plugin**
Today's release of yet another major PS update v25.x.x (PS 2024) is causing problems in the Artisan Pro and Quick Mask Pro plugins. We're looking into that and already have solved one of the issues but there are several new issues introduced as a result of the new Adobe PS CC version. If you are used to working with the panels we recommend to not update to the PS CC 25.x. just yet. We will keep you updated and we will of course release a new update once we have fixed the issues. [Read more + Updates here...]
Adobe PS CC 24.4.1 is an unstable release
PS CC 24.4.1 is a release that can cause the restore feature in the UXP version of Artisan Pro to behave unpredictably and incorrectly. It's not fully clear yet what is wrong with Adobe PS CC 24.4.1, but after several tests and also input from other Artisan users, I can, for now, confirm that the restore feature is working correctly on all previous versions of PS CC, on both Windows and Mac computers, but not with PS CC 24.4.1. What happens is that instead of the top layer that is selected for restore, the restore will be applied to the layer beneath it. I cannot reproduce it at all times but it happens in PS CC 24.4.1 on both Mac and Windows, but only sometimes on the Mac with M1/M2 processors, but almost always on Windows. It doesn't happen with the CEP version of Artisan Pro, only with the UXP version.
Update: PS CC 24.5 has been released shortly after PS CC 24.4.1 and introduced the error that the selection doesn't load. This is not related to the plugin but the selection sometimes loads and sometimes not and gives a warning message. Still, the restore feature sometimes works, sometimes not but seems less glitchy in 24.5. I've also observed on a Mac with M1/M2 that if restore doesn't work and you zoom in to around 100%, the restore will work.
My recommendation is to not update to PS CC 24.4.1 or PS CC 24.5 yet till more has become clear (or till Adobe releases a new update) or to roll back to the previous PS CC version.
If anyone is working with PS CC 24.4.1 and notices this erratic behavior of the restore feature too, please let me know and please include if you're on Mac (Intel or M1/M2) or Windows.
Webinar B&W Fine Art Architecture Series - January 29, 2023
I'm announcing a new and paid 3.5 hr webinar via Zoom for January 29 (max. 20 students) on creating a B&W fine art series of architectural photographs that is consistent and celebrates both the architectural structure as well as the artistic representation by the photographer. The use-case is my recently launched 29-image series "The Age of Modern Architecture in Qatar" which is now on exhibition in the M7 museum in Doha, Qatar. Also, since I'm adding new photographs to the series that I'm currently shooting in Qatar I will be sharing how I'm selecting the new photos for the final selection to be processed. [More info and sign up here]
Recording Quick Mask Pro UXP Webinar Available on YouTube
The 2-hr recording of the Quick Mask Pro Webinar carried out on December 11, 2022, via Zoom, is now available on YouTube.
You can watch it [here]
Release of Artisan Pro X (UXP)
Today, Thursday, February 10, 2022, we released the UXP version of B&W Artisan Pro X 2022 (UXP) that will work on any Mac computer, M1 and Intel and of course any Windows computer without the need of starting Photoshop in Rosetta emulation mode. To know what more changed compared to Artisan Pro X 2022 (CEP) and older, read more here.