I’m a big fan of Topaz Labs and one of my favourite plugins in their collection is Topaz Restyle. This plugin has over 1,000 presets that allow you to easily add different colour effects to your images.
When I first tried the plugin, my first impression was that it is a bit overwhelming to browse through 1,000 presets to find one that is perfect for your image. It takes a little getting used to having so many options, but I quickly realized that they have done an excellent job of organizing and naming the presets to make them a little easier to find.
Here is a video demonstration of how I went about using the plugin to add some effects to one of my images:
Isn’t that cool? I’m very pleased with how easy and fun it is to use.
The user interface is very intuitive.
Please click the image to view a larger version.
You have tons of options to choose from.
Here are some results from my own images. The first image I tried was on this photo I made of a metal warehouse that had some interesting colours. I tend to go for the subtle approach so you can see the subtle but effective change between the before and after images.
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Not all of the presets are quite so subtle. Here is another photo I made of a different metal warehouse and I applied a preset that is a bit more conspicuous.


In the photo below of some lily pads in a pond in front of a condo building, the preset added quite a bit of depth to the lily pads.


I tried it a photo of some flowers. I’m not sure if I prefer the before or after version on this one, but it did add an interesting effect.


Here’s an image I made of some abandoned boots. Remember what I said about how well they named the presets? This preset is called “abandoned bricks.”


In this photo of a Baobob Tree in Africa, the preset really brought out the colours I was after. Also, named appropriately, it’s called “Antique Trees”!


Another great use I’ve found for this plugin is to remove colour casts caused by neutral density filters!


The only downside, as I mentioned before, is that even though the plugin will ultimately save you time by making it quick and easy to apply effects, you could initially spend all afternoon playing with it and browsing through all the presets.
But I think you’ll agree it’s time well spent when you can speed up your workflow later and create images with impact.
If you’re interested in checking out Topaz Restyle, pick up the free trial and give it a whirl.
If you like it, you can get a big discount by using the discount code febrestyle before February 28, 2015.
Normally the plugin sells for $59.99 but you can pick it up for $39.99 using the discount code.
Get more information and pick up a free trial version of Topaz Restyle here.
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I’ve long been a fan of the NIK plugins, but since I got the Topaz bundle, (and now the ReStyle plugin), I’m afraid my loyalties have moved 🙂
I’m using it with Aperture 3 (through Fusion Express) and it just works great!
Thanks for the review Anne!
You are welcome Dirk, I’m glad you found it helpful. I too like Nik, but I find them to be totally different than Topaz. I can usually tell by the image as I am processing it which one I will go with. It depends on the vision that is in my head for the image. Thanks for your visit and comments.
Very comprehensive review, Anne. The video was particularly helpful. Thanks very much
Glad you enjoyed it Len! Thanks for your comments.