Topaz Photo AI v4.0.1

[Lingyu]

Hello! Today we have a patch release for Photo AI with fixes for numerous bugs.

We will continue to update Photo AI with bug fixes to improve performance, stability, and reliability.

We are in final stages of fixing denoise and sharpen outputs on 50 series NVIDIA graphics cards. An update for it is coming soon.

You can find the installer links and the full changelog below for this version of Photo AI. For any issues, make sure to send us an email to support@topazlabs.com

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v4.0.1
Released May 30th, 2025
Windows: Download
Mac: Download

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Changelog

• Add personalization on/off toggle
• Added cloud processing enable/disable toggle
• Add animation for healing brush processing
• Removed beta tag for face recovery v2
• Remove selection from super focus before processing occurs
• Fix incorrect text color in dust & scratch modal
• Fix sharpen model grid select alignment
• Fix denoise value set below 1 breaking processing
• Fix invalid login error for existing account
• Fix recover faces manual strength not applying to images
• Fix clicking off license dialog cancelling login
• Fix healing brush and remove processing conflicting when used on the same image
• Fix original image flickering before processed image appears
• Fix preview status for dust & scratch processing
• Fix export with wrong file name failing to export
• Fix Apple Photos plugin export hanging with some file types
• Fix error code when using LrC > File > Plug-in Extras on Windows
• Fix monochrome non-raw output having 1 channel and failing to import to Lightroom Classic

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Lingyu Kong
Technical Product Manager
Image AI

[joseph.reagle]

I disabled the new cloud processing option in the settings but still get the annoying “You need to buy credits” box in the lower right…?

[Ange.topazlabs (ange.topazlabs@gmail.com)]

@joseph.reagle - thanks! I’ve relayed to the development team this bahavior, they will look into it to remove this.

[Fotomaker]

Thank you for the update, Lingyu. I’ll download and give it a whirl on my pics in Ps 2025!

--------------- Just tried one of my prior test images (with scratches & dust). Got a funky result you guys might want to look at…

Ran Dust/Scratches as Step 1 - then used the PAI DS touchup brush while still in the DS UI. Snip of result as a Split View is just below my Suggestion.

Suggestion: Could you guys pls add the same functionality we have in Ps wrt Remove Tools? What we can do in Ps is if we have a line (like, for ex., a scratch), we can click at one end of the line, depress the Shift key, then click once again at the other end of the line and the full line gets an overlay and a remove is carried out - vs. having to paint across the entire length of a bunch of lines (which is slow and inefficient if a lot of lines are present, or remain after a DS run).

Step 2 - Ran SuperFocus on result from Step 1:

Step 3 - Ran Face Recovery on Steps 1-2, It reintroduced a scratch across the subject’s face - near the nose - and also a bunch of streaky looking scratches and an exposure gradient at bottom of the image. Seems like it shouldn’t do that while moving through the processing layers. Also, seems like it lifted the blacks in the image on that 3rd step. Something it shouldn’t do to the overall image if attention should just be on the face/head…

I just ran this Standalone post install. Didn’t go into Ps 2025. Win 11 Pro desktop PC, Processor = Auto (AMD RX6800 XT GPU, Intel i9 12th gen CPU).

[Imo]

Thank you Lingyu. The update reverted back my processor from Auto to 4090, but after set it back to Auto, exit and restart it stayed on Auto fortunately.

[rogeruzun (rogeruzun@gmail.com)]

The RTX 5000 series went on sale Jan 31st 2025. Its now May 30, 2025. 4 Months. Even if you released a fix tomorrow, that could hardly be considered soon. I cannot believe you would release another update that omits the rtx 5000 series bug fix.

[Zed1]

Hello Lingyu & everyone,

It is certainly good to see another patch release and nice that it fixes a few fairly longstanding user requests. Having said that I’m going to express a personal opinion that has more votes than anything else as far as I can see … it was a tough decision where to post this and in the end decided here because it gets most reads rather that in the Voting Ideas sub-topic which gets fewer visits …
so here goes -

Urgent Need for GUI and Usability Enhancements

Despite continuous updates, a pervasive issue across all Topaz products is the inadequate implementation of several standard Windows GUI essentials. These repeatedly overlooked ‘minor’ requests significantly hinder usability:

• Unresizable/Unmovable Dialog Boxes: Many are too small to read their contents and/or they overlay image detail we need to see.
• Lack of Copy/Cut/Paste Functionality: The text prompt box is missing basic mouse-click interaction.
• Non-Sticky Text: Text in the prompt box frequently disappears or resets.
• Annoying Repeating Messages: There are no ‘Don’t show again’ options for persistent on-screen messages.
• Searching for faces Message When Face Recovery is turned OFF!
• Image Manipulation Errors: Issues and errors persist with basic image rotation and cropping.
• Masking Brush Sizing: There’s no easy slider or scroll option for precise brush sizing.
• Lack of Preset Saving: No good way to save or tag rendered images with model settings.
• Batch Processing Flaws: Group batch rendering loses individual image model settings.

• Too many Re-occurring Glitches Fixed problems come back in subsequent releases

As many users have previously said: Can Topaz please concentrate on perfecting their early superiority in Sharpening, Denoising and Upscaling as CORE FUNCTIONS (maybe with Recover Faces) because other software already does a superior job on Dust and Scratches, HDR & Panoramas, Remove, Colorize, Tone-Color-Lighting editing etc.
Recently it feels that time spend on those additions has impacted adversely on the core functions and reliability of Topaz software which is a pity.

A quick review of user feedback reveals 144 votes specifically supporting a focus on core functionalities and GUI improvements, yet the relevant sub-topic has seen no updates since December 2024. We users have not given up - we have just posted more similar requests in other Forums.
It’s important that Topaz acknowledges and addresses these persistent ‘minor’ issues, as their collective impact significantly degrades overall software usability and user satisfaction.
Prioritizing these fixes would not only improve user confidence but also solidify Topaz’s reputation as a leader in user friendly and user responsive image enhancement software.
I am a long time and loyal Topaz user and I absolutely agree that we are still seeing improvements but these usability issues are driving me crazy …

[CORE FEATURE FOCUS] - Refocus on core features (Gigapixel/DeNoise/Sharpen) - No more fancy features

I have used Photo AI for a while now. I also know the previous products Gigapixel/DeNoise/Sharpen AI, which were very good but sadly development was halted. Lately the focus in development seems to lie on new features, mostly image editing: Keyboard Shortcuts Coloring Lightning Social Media Soon even basic Object Removal Many users feel that this is going in the wrong direction. There are many unresolved issues: Blurry patches UI not built for many images (Gigapixel had more advanced mult…

[gosa]

Soo… upon suggestion I’ve added a post in the “ideas” part of the forum - asking for a more convenient way to change brush size:

Some kind of scroll functionality for easy brush resizing

Having spent the last week (on an off between other stuff in life) with a batch of indoors rather low-light sports photos I’ve come to the realization that I’ve had to do a lot of brushing - refining subject masks, preserving text etc… And this is where I’m experiencing an increasing level of frustration with having to move back and forth between brush slider and what I’m masking to change size as the needed brush size rarely stays the same between photos. So - how difficult would it be to imp…

Please drop a vote if you feel my suggestion could lead to something helpful for you.

[gosa]

On another note…

What happened with the “minor denoise” slider in the different sharpening models?

I just updated from 3.6.2 to 4.0.1 (didn’t want to change versions while in the middle of processing a “bigger” job the last week), and now when I’m test driving this version I’m finding out that the “minor denoise” (I think that is what it was called) slider is gone from the sharpening models.

I have found that - at least in the photos I’m dealing with - that necessary sharpening many times leaves unwanted results on for example skin, something I’ve been correcting by a bit of denoise.

Is this no longer possible?

[axel.matthies]

@Zed1

Hello Lingyu & everyone,

…
As many users have previously said: Can Topaz please concentrate on perfecting their early superiority in Sharpening, Denoising and Upscaling as CORE FUNCTIONS (maybe with Recover Faces) because other software already does a superior job on Dust and Scratches, HDR & Panoramas, Remove, Colorize, Tone-Color-Lighting editing etc.
Recently it feels that time spend on those additions has impacted adversely on the core functions and reliability of Topaz software which is a pity.

…

I fully agree with you.

PhotoAI is now completely overloaded with functions that are usually performed in other applications during the development process.

Personally, I only use denoising and sharpening (but mostly just sharpening), and I would be happy if PhotoAI were available in a stripped-down version (e.g., PhotoAI ) that only provides the basic functions. This should then also be offered somewhat cheaper, e.g. 49$ or so.
If you need or want more, you can use the full version (e.g., PhotoAI Pro or PhotoAI Enhanced).

[gosa]

Interesting thing just happened… just ran Superfocus V2 on a photo.

The processing finished with a “box” placing itself - along with a full screen semi-transparent (on the side of opaque) overlay that basically prevents me from actually seeing the result:
(sorry - can’t offer the full screen - there were kids in the photo that I can’t show without permission)

Now how am I supposed to give fair feedback if I can’t see the processed result first?

[unrelent]

@Zed1

Text in the prompt box frequently disappears or resets.

The fact that the text prompt is disappearing really bothers me. I have to keep the prompts in Notepad++ (unless it’s one short sentence) and I do Copy/Paste. Sometimes I have to try to edit the prompt and I don’t like writing it all over again. So before I finish editing a photo, I would like to have the text prompt associated with it (within a reasonably limited range, say max. 256 words or something like that).

[axel.matthies]

You can enable the “minor denoise” slider in the Preferences. It is disabled by default.
After you change the setting restart PhotoAI. Then it should work.

[gosa]

Ohh… that was way too easy. Thanks!

Don’t remember ticking something like that in previous versions, but maybe I did…

[plugsnpixels]

M2 Mac Mini, local processing.

Spent a little time testing this extreme image (old tintype barely hanging on…).

PAI in auto mode did an overall decent job with some level of restoration (mainly the faces).

I then went into Dust & scratches manual mode and began painting… Some of the strokes worked, some did nothing, while the next ones elsewhere worked.

Here is a before-and-after with the end result as I left it, otherwise it’s too much manual work to finish the job (and this was just a test anyway):

Quick pass through PS’s Photo Restoration (which I hadn’t bothered with before), FWIW. Seems PAI does a better job maintaining realism:

Trying a less radical image, this one a little soft plus dusty (black flecks from photo album paper maybe). The people look great but the flecks are not going anywhere. And I notice we have no slider control over Dust & scratches, right?

Detail in the dress collar is lost and the dots are fuzzed out a bit:

Now trying Super focus on another old image. Here the preview is way larger than the original, and the older woman turned into a dude…

Running it anyway to see what I get…

And the answer is-!

Adding Face recovery after Super focus, as we’re supposed to do. Almost got it! Clothes look “better”. But these are different people now…

We’re eliminating about half of the dust here, but not the one over his face…

Denoise then steps in to mop up with some added mush but no one’s going near that cheek squiggle or the worst of the dust… Manually painting over the dust on the face does nothing at all except take too much time to repeatedly “lock edits”.

But I can remove the bunch of dust on the right side, at the expense of original image detail…

So for me right now, Dust & scratches ranks right up there with Balance color and Adjust lighting for “usefulness”. Recover faces and Upscale are the most useful features in the whole app, as they are usually fantastic. Sometimes Denoise is helpful

[Fotomaker]

@plugsnpixels

Quick pass through PS’s Photo Restoration (which I hadn’t bothered with before), FWIW. Seems PAI does a better job maintaining realism:

Some of that is affected by slider placement/balance b/wn slider pulls in that Ps neural filter…

Interesting series of tests.

So hot here today, kinda hard to do anything. No A/C…classic old CA house. Before global warming didn’t really need it.

[plugsnpixels]

Thanks, not sure what “b/wn” means but playing with the various sliders in PS did not do much.

Hot down here in SoCal even with the air on but’s it’s gonna hurt come electric bill time…

“Cooling down” after today.

PS: Mac Mini stays cool and doesn’t use its fan much

PPS: And the right panel is still getting in the way-!

[Fotomaker]

@plugsnpixels

not sure what “b/wn” means

I abbreviate everything! B/wn = between.

BTW (see, abbrev.), is that final pic of the guy (with the nice head of hair) a relative of yours? For some reason he reminds me of a show I saw on Nick at Night (maybe) called Our Gang. There was a character named Alfalfa on that show that the guy above vaguely reminds me of…

Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer

[plugsnpixels]

Between, that’s what I thought

The yearbook photo kid is the child of my great-grandfather’s sister.

Another (my grandmother). I cannot manually remove the spot near her eye using D&S in PAI, that’s a job for PS:

A different grandma, a bunch of dust and scratches from a scan of an old box camera negative. PAI again is getting about half of them (more obvious when you toggle the “after” off and on in the app):

Face recovery is excellent!