Kodak DIGITAL GEM
Kodak DIGITAL GEM (GEM stands for "Grain Equalization & Management") is one program in a family of image enhancement plugins that are sold separately, the others being DIGITAL SHO for fixing exposures, DIGITAL ROC to restore color balance, and the related DIGITAL GEM Airbrush Professional for removing skin blemishes. As well as performing noise reduction, DIGITAL GEM offers soft-focus effects and image sharpening, and lets you remove line screening patterns from scanned images, and JPEG compression artifacts.
DIGITAL GEM automatically reduces both noise and grain in digital images, but it does so without causing excessive softening or blurring. The professional version is twice as expensive but adds a new grain/noise reducing algorithm, 16-bit support, and an improved user interface with a bigger noise preview screen.
Comment
DIGITAL GEM was developed originally by Applied Science Fiction of Austin, Texas (hence the asf.com web address), acquired by Kodak back in 2003. A small product range can easily get lost in a multi-billion dollar company and perhaps the branding of this one reduces it to the standard Kodak style.
DIGITAL GEM won both the DIMA Innovative Product and American Photo Editor's Choice Award (Software) in 2003. Tests and reviews have shown it to be both effective and easy to use.
Tech info
- Plugs into: Photoshop 5.0 onward; Elements 1.0 onward; (Windows only) Paint Shop Pro 7 onward
- OS: Windows 98 onward; Macintosh OS 8.6 onward
- Price level: Approx. $50; (Pro edition $100)
Eastman Kodak Company
Kodak's Austin Development Center was formerly Applied Science Fiction (hence the web address). It continues to develop new technologies with commercial applications for the digital and photographic industries.
From the same vendor:
- Kodak DIGITAL ROC
- Kodak DIGITAL SHO
©trl