ACDSee Pro 5.2.157

Overview

ACDSee Pro 5 is a robust photo editing/processing software for Windows that is designed to accommodate the intensive requirements of professional photographers and graphic designers. The software helps you create stunning renditions of photographs using a variety of adjustable enhancements and settings. The developer, ACD Systems, has been offering premium imaging solutions since 1993.

Interface

The ACDSee Pro interface is split into several micro-development platforms, each of which cover a different aspect of photo editing, from file conversion to geometric adjustments. Our favorite sub-interface in the software is the Develop platform, which gives you access to a plethora of advanced, non-destructive editing options. All adjustments made to photos in the Develop interface are guaranteed to preserve the resolution and overall quality of imported content. The other main interface is the Editing platform, which lets you tweak images on an advanced level after you’ve optimized the imported image in Develop mode.

Pros

• Advanced Image Tuning Capabilities - Adjust every aesthetic aspect of an image, including color, white balance, exposure, tonal distribution, saturation, and much more. Set hue and brightness presets based on color, to create vibrant images automatically.

• RAW Image Processing – Pictures look incredible immediately after being imported into the software because the proprietary RAW processing technology preserves color profiles to display life-like hues and shades.

• Ultimate Contrast Control – tools likes the luminance histogram and tone curve adjuster give you supreme control over contrast levels throughout the image.

• Superb Shadow Editing - split toning tools offer total control over shadows and lighting effects in images, letting you emphasize highlights and change the scene in a photo completely.

• Create Realism and Atmosphere – high-tech HDR algorithms let you adjust the range of your photos and tweak lighting to create unbelievably realistic scenes.

• Comprehensive help documentation with a built-in search engine makes it easy to conquer the software in less than 40 hours (one work week).

Cons

• Paid version is somewhat expensive in comparison to similar image editors. However, ACDSee enthusiasts say it is worth the extra cost because of the aforementioned features and control it provides.

What’s New in ACDSee Pro 5?

Six new photo editing effects have been added to version 5, including a revolutionary special effects panel that lets you quickly revamp an image using customizable FX presets. Three interesting effects are preloaded in the software, including the Lomo effect (retro style), Collage effect (dynamic creativity on the fly), and Orton effect (great pastel feature for landscapes and portraits). A new photo editing feature called Dodge and Burn has also been added, giving you the ability to selectively pinpoint certain areas of an image to adjust vibrance and saturation.

Alternatives

The most notable alternative to ACDSee Pro 5 is Adobe Photoshop. Although Photoshop is more popular than ACDSee, the latter has gained a significant following in recent years because of the unique features it provides.

Conclusion

With several editing/production modes, and all of the features one would expect from a premium photo editing software, ACDSee pro 5 is an ideal selection for amateur and experienced professionals alike.