STOIK PictureMan Pro
An alternative, high-end, but not inexpensive image editor is STOIK PictureMan Pro from Russian developer STOIK Imaging. It contains dozens of image correction tools for advanced image processing in 48 bit color mode. The program also has all the functions of a full editor, including multilayers, advanced painting and plugin support. It has over 120 image processing filters and special effects including a range of artistic simulations.
PictureMan Pro's retouching filters include dust cleaning, scratch removal, JPEG denoising, despeckling, sigma filter, sharpening, smoothing, shadow lightening and a stamp brush. PictureMan Pro supports pressure sensitive tablets and has infinite undo-redo. It accepts Photoshop-compatible plugins on-the-fly without program restart.
Among PictureMan Pro's later features (v.5.0+) is a smart resize algorithm which allows you to create high-quality photo thumbnails and enlarge images up to 1000 percent without significant loss of visual sharpness.
Comment
PictureMan was the first image editor to be optimized for Intel's MMX technology and has all the features that many photographers look for, including consistent color management and accurate color correction. By using 48 bit color (16 bits per channel), the developer avoids the degradation problems encountered with 24 bit color (8 bits per channel) processing, without seeking a full non-destructive solution. Degradation of the image is simply less likely to be noticed at the higher bit level.
Although PictureMan's user interface deserves an update, the program has some excellent smooth filtering algorithms, ideal for portraiture and nature photography.
Tech info
- OS: Windows 98 onward
- Price level: Approx. $200
STOIK Imaging
STOIK Imaging was formed in 1990 as a spin-off from the Soviet space program and since then has become a significant player in the photo software market. It develops code on an OEM basis for partners worldwide, one example being the media browser STOIK Imagic, 20 million copies of which have been distributed with products from major camera manufacturers like Samsung and Ricoh.
From the same vendor:
- STOIK Cameraphone Enhancer
- STOIK Imagic
- STOIK Noise Autofix
- STOIK PanoramaMaker
- STOIK Smart Resizer
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