Whether we like it or not, AI is here and looking to be an integral part of our future. AI is everywhere. A simple search will lead you to AI-driven art and software. It’s relatively new in photo retouching, and so far, it looks promising. Retouch4ME is one of the companies hoping to entice photographers with their plugins.
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We reviewed the software a few months ago and found the standalone plugins to be expensive for what they offer. Rather than be an entire suite, it would be great if photographers could bundle a few of the best options into one package. Although it’s still not an option at this time, we hope it will be in the future.
Alas, the AI-driven plugins continue to improve with constant feedback. Skin Mask is the newest plugin available from the company. It installs and operates the same as with the other plugins. How does it stack up?
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Retouch4Me Review Update
I added the following to our Retouch4Me Review:
The Skin Mask plugin is a simple option for quickly evening-out skin tones. It is best when used in Photoshop. Create a new layer before running the plugin. Then you can choose to select all skin, body, or just the face. It does a very decent job for something as simple as clicking a button. Of course, you can send it to Retouch4Me if you aren’t happy with the result.
Click Apply for the plugin to run. Camera Raw is the best choice for any skin tone corrections. From there, I suggest creating either a black or white layer mask for finessing and best results. Run the plugin for the body separately from the face when skin tones vary greatly.
Skin Mask
Retouch4Me’s Skin Mask plugin is as functional as the other plugins. On the one hand, its interface is very rudimentary. Then on the other hand, the AI-driven plugin is simply a click of a button. Skin Mask helps do precisely what it says it will do. It selects the skin.
Create a separate layer before running the plugin. Then choose between face, body, or all skin and click Apply.
This image shows all skin selected as opposed to just the face as in the previous mask image. The plugin takes less than 10 seconds to produce a result. From there, make a go into Camera Raw and make any necessary tonal adjustments. Then create a layer mask of your choosing for precise finessing.
Here is a before and after portrait image where I corrected the tone of her face.
This portrait image was improved by using Skin Mask to lighten the skin tones ever so slightly.
I did the same thing with this film image.
For the most part, Skin Mask is fast and accurate. There were very few occasions where it couldn’t produce a result. This black and white film image is one of them. My best guess is that there weren’t enough varying tones for the AI to select.
This black and white image with a contrasting background selected the skin without any qualms.
I chose this image with a lot of loose hair that is a similar hue to the skin tone of the model. Retouch4Me Skin Mask took a little longer to yield a result and did an excellent job with its selection. I removed a little magenta from the overall tone and increased subtly contrast. The final result is on the right.
A Nice Addition
Skin Mask By Retouch4Me is an efficient way to make global skin adjustments quickly and easily. It would be great if Retouch4Me offered a bundle with Skin Mask, Heal, Clean Backdrop, Dodge Burn, and Skin Tone. The standalone plugin has a price tag of $124.
We would still love to see full Capture One integrations and an updated interface. Skin Mask and Heal are the standouts in the Retouch4Me suite. We look forward to seeing what other AI-driven editing the company has in store.