Nik Collection 8 Is a Big Upgrade That Adds Masking and More

The Nik Collection has been a powerful and useful tool for photo editors since DxO rescued the software from Google in 2017.

The software is used in Photoshop and has a variety of color and black-and-white effects that have proven popular.

This version 8 of the collection is a big leap over previous upgrades.

Boris Oliviero, the product director, says:

With Nik Collection 8, we wanted to enhance both creativity and efficiency. We’ve reimagined the Photoshop workflow, making it easier than ever to apply powerful effects, refine local adjustments, and move seamlessly between plugins.

Photographers can now import masks directly from Photoshop into any Nik Collection plugin, making full use of Photoshop’s powerful selection tools. A new feature in the Local Adjustments panel also lets users transfer masks effortlessly between plugins. And when ready, photographers can send masks created in Nik Collection straight back to Photoshop for further refinement.

With Nik Collection 8, your masks remain accessible at every step of the workflow, whether they originate from Photoshop or a Nik Collection plugin. 

Users can now:

• Convert edits into a Smart Object for non-destructive editing

• Apply changes to the current layer or create a new one

• Generate a new layer with a mask, providing additional flexibility

This interaction between the Nik Collection and Photoshop allows users to test multiple ideas for an image without breaking their creative flow, and have all of their edits immediately at hand once back inside Photoshop.

The Nik control panel has also been updated, replacing the traditional Nik palette. This new design allows photographers to save screen space by choosing which plugins to display, and launch any plugin with a single click for a more fluid workflow. Plus, all of the essential controls for managing layers and masks are immediately accessible.

There's a solid update to Nik Silver Efex, including:

• Color Reference Image: Users can now view their original color image while working in black and white. This makes it easier to make changes that are dependent on the original image, such as applying Color Filters or adjusting the Sensitivity sliders inside the Film Types filter.

• Streamlined Interface: The logic of the interface now matches that of Nik Color Efex and Nik Analog Efex, keeping filters on the left-hand side until they are used to edit an image.

• Better Logic When Applying Presets: Only the relevant filters appear on the right-hand side when a preset has been selected.

• New Local Adjustments: ClearView and Selective Tones can now be applied locally.

• New Filter Looks: Each filter now includes various pre-defined options for quick application

And the Nik Collection 8 makes it quicker to switch to TIFF format when using the Quick Export button. Plus, the export options are now instantly accessible so that users can tweak the Quick Export configuration directly rather than having to navigate the menu.

Using Nik Collection 8

Overall, I found this update powerful and it seemed to work as advertised. The masking back and forth with Photoshop is powerful and a time-saver.

As far as presets go, I'm glad to see those are retained in the new version, and as usual with the Nik Collection, they are never over the top or unnatural.

I think the biggest negative is that almost everything has changed. The desktop tool looks different and takes up more desk space. Below you can see the new panel on the left and the old panel on the right.

You can have more settings available at the top level, but people who were on previous versions of the Nik Collection can't just install the new version and start working. There is a learning curve to version 8, but that's the price of increased power in the tools. I found the changes were worth the extra effort, but be prepared to hit the books.

Getting the Nik Collection 8

The software is available today from the DXO website. It woks on macOS and Windows.

Pricing for new buyers is U.S. $159.99. Upgrades for current uses is $89.99. DxO offers a free 30-day trial that can be downloaded here.

What I Like

• Includes all the features of previous versions

• Adds powerful masking tools that interact with Photoshop in both directions

• The new panel is more efficient, but see my negative below

• Exporting is now much easier

What I Wish Could Be Improved

• The onscreen panel is larger than the old one, taking up more real estate

• Upgrading users will be faced with a very different GUI, which will have to be learned

Final Thoughts

DxO makes some world-class software that offers high value for money. I don't even begin editing until I run my raw files through DxO PureRAW, and I find myself using the Nik Collection in many of my editing sessions. Version 8 brings even more features to the table, which should make your work faster and more compelling. I think of the Nik Collection as a very powerful local adjustment tool that complements my editing, and this new version makes the process even better.