FAQ

1. I already have a panel for luminosity masks, why should I buy this?

Because this is not a panel for creating luminosity masks – it does that too but can do far more. The luminosity masks feature is only one small bonus feature part of this full post-processing workflow panel. It is a full workflow panel designed to process B&W images optimally and easily, like for example Silver Efex Pro or Topaz B&W.

2. I believe in artistic and original individual expression, a filter makes it less personal, less unique, and less artistic.

I believe in that too, I reject filters. This panel is not a one-click filter that gives instant results. Let alone magical results. It is an automated workflow panel with exactly the right and best tools to use in that workflow. And you have to work hard for a good result. This panel helps you with getting that result by offering a proven methodical way, the built-in workflow, and the right and best tools, the often complex presets I created, for the job. Without a personal artistic vision and without wanting to invest time to really get to know B&W photography and how to create beautiful and personal B&W images, this panel is not for you. It’s for the serious and dedicated B&W artist.

3.  I’m very proficient with PS and B&W photography, I can do it all myself. What’s the use of this panel for me?

Well, I am too, and I can do it all manually too, obviously, because this panel is the automated version of my manual workflow in B&W that I developed 12 years ago for Photoshop. And this specific workflow of creating accurate hard selections for specific shapes and planes, creating selective contrast and creating dimensional depth per plane/shape with gradients in especially manmade objects, increasing or decreasing local (micro) contrast with intersected masks with subtle transitions by restoring edges, has been adopted often with personal variations on it, by thousands of photographers worldwide. And yet, I use the panel myself extensively. Why? Because I can do it faster and much more accurately with much more subtlety and consistency than when I do it manually. Furthermore, creating depth in very small objects like thin cables is nearly impossible to do without the panel (Special FX feature) or costs a lot of painstaking effort that can not match the subtlety of the method with the Special FX feature.

4.  I like B&W photography but I am a beginner and don’t know much about Photoshop but I want to learn B&W photography. Is this panel not too complicated for me?

No, this panel also offers something for everyone. There’s a way of working with the panel that’s less intimidating and time-consuming. It will result in less sophisticated images but still very good artistic results, considering the time, effort, and experience you give it. The perceived lesser amount of sophistication is all due to not investing time in creating hard selections – often the activity that scares away even very experienced photographers. The panel offers tools that can bypass the need of creating hard selections. E.g.: Advanced Adjustments darken/lighten locally by just indicating an area with a quick, free-form lasso tool selection, then darken/lighten and the adjusted area then blends in smoothly with the rest of the image. Contrast/detail enhancements are done in a similar way, all you have to do additionally is to choose the right tonal zone the target area is in by simply using the eye-dropper tool, select the zone from the drop-down list, then darken/lighten it and the adjustment will blend smoothly with the rest. You can do all those adjustments even by using the rectangular marquee tool: roughly select the area with the rectangular marquee tool, darken/lighten it and then use the Restore feature to blend it in smoothly with the rest of the image. Everything can basically be done with limited Photoshop knowledge using Advanced or Micro-Zone Adjustments without hard selections. But if you’re experienced and have no issues with creating hard selections, then the results will be even better and the panel will be used to its fullest potential.

5.  I only work with native B&W images that have no color in them. Can I still work with this panel?

Yes, absolutely. The panel is designed to operate independently from color information as it only takes into consideration the actual RAW luminance value of a pixel, not the color information of a pixel. This is the purest way, and in my opinion, the right way, to process images to B&W. The majority of B&W photographers, even the most experienced and internationally recognized artists, use color information as a way to convert and process their images to B&W. That’s their choice. I simply choose to work like the photographers did in the analog darkroom who only had B&W negatives, with only luminance information and no color information to create B&W photographs. I do that because I believe it’s more accurate and offers more artistic, controlled, and deliberate results. See my articles on this topic for more background information here and here. Obviously, you can use color images too with this panel to create B&W images. The panel, and the recommended workflow through the panel, simply ignore the color information and only looks at the luminance values. Except for the new color grading presets.

6. Does this mean that I can’t process color images with this panel?

No, that’s not correct. You can process color images very accurately, effectively, and beautifully just by using the luminance value information to come to your colorful end result. Later on, you can alter the saturation/hue yourself with either the built-in color-grading or split-toning presets, or do it yourself manually with Photoshop’s color features. Besides, I believe that working in color can be done better by first adjusting the luminance values of a color pixel (to more accurately create depth perception) and only after that, adjusting the color information itself (the hue/saturation) as you will then get a more accurate result in color that takes into account every aspect of an image: tonal value, contrast, depth, and color.

7. Why should I use this panel that I’ve never heard of and not use B&W software that is around much longer, is much better known, and has been proven?

You don’t have to use this panel if you don’t believe in it and are used to the software you’ve been using for years. I can tell you this though: all the software you’re using is usually created by highly skilled software engineers with a passion for image-making. And they create sophisticated software and they deliver. And I’m sure, software technically speaking, their software is much more sophisticated than mine. I on the other hand am a highly-skilled B&W photographer and image-maker, with a passion for automation and for making complicated things easier and faster. That’s an important difference. Furthermore, I stood at the basis of developing and then popularizing a visual style in especially B&W architecture, that is being emulated by thousands of photographers worldwide for more than a decade already. A visual style that has become synonymous with the phrase B&W Fine art architecture these days, and continues to be emulated for years to come. And I put all this knowledge and creativity into my software. I don’t think any of the software engineers of the software you’re using can say the same. And, let me also mention that I’ve won five awards for 5 years in a row at major and prestigious international photography competitions at a professional level with my B&W photographs. In conclusion: first and foremost I’m an artist/photographer who knows what other artists need from a practical and artistic point of view. I don’t see it as a product like the big software firms. To me, it is a tool that I’ve designed to also use it myself and improve my own art in the first place. And that is the decisive difference with other software.

8. Does the panel also work in older versions of PS?

`Edit February 2022: In February 2022 we released the UXP version of the Artisan Pro panel that is now compatible with all computers: old (Intel-based) Macs, new (M1/M2 Silicon) Macs, and all other PCs. The panel is now only available as an official Adobe plugin via the Adobe Marketplace store.

Edit 14 November 2021: With the recently released version of Artisan Pro X 2022 (v2.1.0) this will work only with versions of PS CC 2020 and later. All older versions of the panel will still work with older versions of PS CC as listed below.

The latest version of B&W Artisan Pro X 2021 (v2.0.0) will work only in PS CC 2019 and higher. But to make full use of the latest features, PS CC2021 is recommended. Older versions of B&W Artisan Pro X will also work on older PS CC versions from 2015.5 and higher. B&W Artisan Pro X 2021 can also work on those older PS CC versions but this hasn’t been tested. It will definitely not work on the older PS CS versions, only CC and it will also not work in Photoshop Elements.

9. Is the way you work with the panel, not a destructive workflow?

No, there’s a difference between a traditional workflow, the workflow using adjustment layers that Adobe endorses and everyone seems to use, often referred to as a ‘non-destructive workflow’', and a non-traditional workflow such as the workflow supported in the panel and used by me. A non-traditional workflow is not equal to a destructive workflow. I’ve explained this extensively in this article and demonstrated in the 3 live webinars on Artisan Pro X (totaling 9 hours) that you can find in this Youtube playlist. Reading the article and watching the webinars you will see there’s a very intentional reason to deviate from the traditional workflow with adjustment layers. The many subtle incremental changes that are typical for my workflow, using dozens of channels, are not workable using the traditional workflow.

10. Does Artisan Pro also work on a Mac?

Yes, absolutely. It will work on both Mac OS and Windows systems. We’ve tested it extensively on all recent Mac OS and Windows systems, using various PS CC versions from 2015.5 and higher and we keep a close eye on any new Windows, Mac, or PS updates to ensure it will work on every possible combination. It also works on the latest Apple M1 architecture but with the caveat that there are still ongoing compatibility issues between M1 machines and Adobe software. As long as those issues are still there, this might also affect the Artisan Pro panel as this panel uses Adobe software as the host.