AKVIS Inspire AI 2: Photoshop Plug-in Review

Introduction

AKVIS is a software company known for creating various graphic and image processing tools, often using AI and advanced algorithms. They have developed several applications for tasks like photo retouching, artistic effects, and image editing. Their new version 2 of Inspire AI ups the ante and uses neural networks to stylize images using various samples of painting. The program copies the color scheme and style of an art sample to a photo, creating a new artwork. The software includes a gallery of styles and the possibility to load a custom sample. The program adapts a photo to suit the style of the selected artwork. The AI-based program applies the color scheme and style of a selected artwork to a photo. The program can generate totally new artworks by copying a style of reference images using neural networks.

The program works both in standalone mode and as a Photoshop-compatible plug-in.

AKVIS ArtWork is from AKVIS, a company based in Russia that specializes in graphic programs. Apart from ArtWork, AKVIS also creates other Photoshop plug-ins like Pastel, OilPoint, AirBrush, Sketch, Neon, Refocus, Retoucher, Chameleon, MultiBrush, Enhancer, Decorator, Coloriage, etc.

You can download a free 10-days trial version of Inspire AI 2 from the AKVIS site.

My contact at AKVIS for this review was Kat Kharina. Thank you, Kat.

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How To Use

Once AKVIS Inspire AI 2 is installed, follow these steps, or just read along to do a quick walkthrough.

1. Launch an image editor such as Adobe Photoshop, where you installed the AKVIS Inspire AI 2 plug-in. Alternatively, you can use the Inspire AI 2 standalone program as we did.
2. Next, open an image within AKVIS Inspire AI 2, as shown in Figure 1, below.
3. 
   Figure 1: Image opened in AKVIS Inspire AI 2
4. The AKVIS Inspire AI 2 interface is explained below. Each description corresponds to an area marked in Figure 1, above:

A. Buttons

5. This section provides several command buttons to open and save images, print, use batch processing, and view styles. The rightmost area provides options to start processing the image, and to launch the information dialog, help files, and the Preferences dialog box.

B. Tools

6. Here you can access the Crop, Pan, and Zoom tools:

C. Preview

7. Preview shows a live representation of changes made.

D. Style and Result

8. In this area, as shown in Figure 2, below, you can see the original image in the leftmost thumbnail highlighted in red. The thumbnail in the middle is empty now because that represents the Style we want to use, and that’s not selected yet. To open a gallery of Styles, you can click on the button, as shown highlighted in green within Figure 2.
9. 
   Figure 2: Style and Result
10. Doing so shows you Styles, as shown in Figure 3, below. You can select any style by clicking on its thumbnail, or you can import your own image to set a style and color palette using the Custom Style option, as shown highlighted in green within Figure 3.
11. 
    Figure 3: Styles gallery
12. The Style chosen will now show up in the middle thumbnail area, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 4, below. You can compare with the empty Style thumbnail area, as shown in Figure 2, above. Next, click the Run button, as shown highlighted in green within Figure 4.
13. 
    Figure 4: Style applied
14. Doing so applies the Style you selected to the open image, as can be seen highlighted in red within Figure 5, below. Compare with Figure 1, shown previously on this page.
15. 
    Figure 5: New Style applied to image

E. Navigator

16. On the top right, you'll find the Navigator. This also lets you choose the area of the image to be shown in the Preview pane.

F. Presets

17. Click this selection box to bring up a drop-down list, as shown in Figure 6, below. Here, you'll find several presets, and you can choose from any of them.
18. 
    Figure 6: Inspire AI Presets

G. Settings Panel

19. Based on the Preset you choose, the Settings Panel will have different values. You can customize these values and create your own presets.

Here are some Before and After samples created using AKVIS Inspire AI 2:

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Specifications

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