Adobe buy Topaz Labs

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techcrunch.com

Adobe acquires image and video enhancement tool maker Topaz Labs | TechCrunch

Adobe said that it will integrate Topaz Labs' tools across its apps.
techcrunch.com techcrunch.com

The way Topaz switched to subscription model and recently licensed their DeNoise and Sharpen technology to Adobe, perhaps was a precursor to such a full buyout i.e. Adobe were testing the waters via Lightroom & Photoshop phoning home.

Whatever the tech & business reasoning I surmise there will be a hardcore of Topaz users who will not be happy!
 
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I found Topaz software seemed to over cook images it went from making single applications that where excellent to putting everything in a bloated application IMO.
I hope Adobe tweak some of the ways Topaz software was created to put it back a little to give results before Topaz messed it up.
 
russellsnr said:
I found Topaz software seemed to over cook images it went from making single applications that where excellent to putting everything in a bloated application IMO.
I hope Adobe tweak some of the ways Topaz software was created to put it back a little to give results before Topaz messed it up.
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Certainly since they morphed the separate applications into one and then added an extra dose of AI the default settings have given over cooked results but it is fairly simple to turn it down to get what you want. I still prefer Topaz over Adobe's denoise and supersize because you get a full screen before/after preview rather than a tiny sample to judge how the settings are working together.
 
I pretty much predicted over a year ago that either Topaz successfully pitch to adobe or go bust, probably on here in the archives... So this is happening. There is possibly some benefit to us as adobe users unless this will remain gated behind their most premium subscription tiers. On the other hand the risk of old apps getting nuked, just the activation server really, just went exponential. Luckily I don't need to use it much: just once or twice a year.
 
Not wanting to have anything ever from Adobe my Topaz account has been cancelled.
 
Many years ago there was a Swedish company producing excellent Raw software of which I used the free version for amateurs. Adobe took it over and re-employed the Swedish software guys in their Lightroom development which improved enormously then so I bought LR v2 and have used LR ever since. I see no particular advantage to me in Adobe's takeover of Topaz but nor do I see it as a problem. Topaz were beginning to regularly increase charges so I assume were having economic difficulties. The differences between the capabilities of Topaz and Adobe has narrowed in recent years. I shall certainly maintain my Adobe subscription as I want the best and use it.

Dave
 
I’ll just have to find a workaround. I don’t actually use it much nowadays. Just need C1 to keep on improving it’s NR ans do the same for sharpening.
 
Dave Canon said:
Many years ago there was a Swedish company producing excellent Raw software of which I used the free version for amateurs. Adobe took it over and re-employed the Swedish software guys in their Lightroom development which improved enormously then so I bought LR v2 and have used LR ever since. I see no particular advantage to me in Adobe's takeover of Topaz but nor do I see it as a problem. Topaz were beginning to regularly increase charges so I assume were having economic difficulties. The differences between the capabilities of Topaz and Adobe has narrowed in recent years. I shall certainly maintain my Adobe subscription as I want the best and use it.

Dave
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Not that it matters much, but the program you are referring to was RawShooter, which was Danish, and set up by a "rebel" group of people who left Capture One (when it was still Phase One) to set up the company.

Like a few people here, who were users of Raw Shooter, I got a free license to LR, as an "upgrade" from the now discontinued Raw Shooter. I can't actually remember Raw Shooter being free, but maybe there was a free Raw Shooter, and a paid for Raw Shooter Pro. EDIT: Actually, looking it up, I see there was a free "essential" version and a paid "premium" version, And the company was set up by Michael Jonsson (the original architect of Phase One Capture One).

There is an article here discussing how it influenced the development of LR

www.keptlight.com

RawShooter: A look back to early days of digital photography - Kept Light Photography

Digital photo editing has come a long way in the past two decades, and two software programs that have impacted the field are RawShooter and Lightroom. Released in 2005 by a Danish company…
www.keptlight.com www.keptlight.com
 
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myotis said:
Not that it matters much, but the program you are referring to was RawShooter, which was Danish, and set up by a "rebel" group of people who left Capture One (when it was still Phase One) to set up the company.

Like a few people here, who were users of Raw Shooter, I got a free license to LR, as an "upgrade" from the now discontinued Raw Shooter. I can't actually remember Raw Shooter being free, but maybe there was a free Raw Shooter, and a paid for Raw Shooter Pro. EDIT: Actually, looking it up, I see there was a free "essential" version and a paid "premium" version, And the company was set up by Michael Jonsson (the original architect of Phase One Capture One).

There is an article here discussing how it influenced the development of LR

www.keptlight.com

RawShooter: A look back to early days of digital photography - Kept Light Photography

Digital photo editing has come a long way in the past two decades, and two software programs that have impacted the field are RawShooter and Lightroom. Released in 2005 by a Danish company…
www.keptlight.com www.keptlight.com
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My memory was not perfect but I could no longer find any detail on my computer as it was so long ago. Yes, I had the free version of Raw shooter and after the Adobe takeover, I could still use it for a while but as you suggest those that had the paid for version got a free LR licence. Thanks for the link.

Dave
 
Dave Canon said:
My memory was not perfect but I could no longer find any detail on my computer as it was so long ago. Yes, I had the free version of Raw shooter and after the Adobe takeover, I could still use it for a while but as you suggest those that had the paid for version got a free LR licence. Thanks for the link.

Dave
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Nor is my memory, but as a Capture One user, I just remembered the background.
 
Free RawShooter was called 'Essentials', it was software I used religiously when it was free, prior to LightRoom.

Will be interesting to see how Topaz apps get assimilated into Adobe, I did but a one-off licence for denoise (which I still use) but resisted going for the subscription model of PhotoAI.
 
Yes, it will interesting to see how Topaz handle those legacy users like myself who have the original triumvirate plus original non subscription Photo AI.

Why, because IIRC all such programs require license confirmation on the Topaz server to continue to function!
 
I’m seeing a lot of people complaining about it on social media groups , personally I’ve never gone down there subscription route ,having the stand alone sharpen and denoise purchases from a few years ago , I’m presuming they will still work as they were paid in full ,not used very often these days but handy at times.
As per box brownies comment above
 
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the black fox said:
I’m seeing a lot of people complaining about it on social media groups , personally I’ve never gone down there subscription route ,having the stand alone sharpen and denoise purchases from a few years ago , I’m presuming they will still work as they were paid in full ,not used very often these days but handy at times.
As per box brownies comment above
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Same, I own Topaz PhotoAI version 3.2.2 and it's a perpetual licence which I can use it forever.
I would just keep a copy of the installer safe somewhere in case you need to rebuild your pc or mac.
 
Hiphopapotamus said:
Eesh. Subscription galore, thanks Adobe
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Not just Adobe. Most software used in the commercial world is subscription these days. It's how the companies get money to fund development. Unless of course you don't want development ...
 
Also OS updates can scupper an application.
 
Stephen L said:
Not just Adobe. Most software used in the commercial world is subscription these days. It's how the companies get money to fund development. Unless of course you don't want development ...
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If you were to draw a curve of major tangibly beneficial features in software applications over the last 35 years then there was a relatively steep curve though the mid nineties that then would have flattened off by the mid 2000s. From the mid 2000s software application vendors were struggling to get customers to upgrade on new releases.

The alternative to subscriptions for suppliers would be a smaller customer base for new software and updates - and having to find new ways of selling updates to customers who had the discretion not to pay for them.

So they would likely have to work lot harder to make less money and there might be more opportunities for smaller suppliers.
 
Pound Coin said:
Also OS updates can scupper an application.
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Or in the case of Adobe with Windows 10 a few years back - the application can effectively scupper your old retail OS. You stull have to pay the subscription but you don't get the benefits of updates.

(Though interestingly they were able to provide support for Windows 7 Pro for commercial customers).

That dual approach to customers demonstrates the confidence they have over retail subscriber lock in. If they had been operating on the traditional discretionary update model then chances are they would have supported all customers on older platforms for longer.
 
Dryce said:
If you were to draw a curve of major tangibly beneficial features in software applications over the last 35 years then there was a relatively steep curve though the mid nineties that then would have flattened off by the mid 2000s. From the mid 2000s software application vendors were struggling to get customers to upgrade on new releases.

The alternative to subscriptions for suppliers would be a smaller customer base for new software and updates - and having to find new ways of selling updates to customers who had the discretion not to pay for them.

So they would likely have to work lot harder to make less money and there might be more opportunities for smaller suppliers.
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Do you honestly believe that? Fine. Major commercial companies, and I'm talking data warehousing here, wouldn't touch a small supplier with a bargepole. They need assurance of continuous development and adaptability as the world changes. And yes, I have familial knowledge of this.

Maybe your approach would work for the small users, such as ourselves, but in reality improvements in "our" software is trickled down from the big boys just as F1 technology trickles down to mainstream car makers.
 
I think that software companies, in the photography world don’t have to go subscription DXO manage it but I guess that they are niche in what they do
Even Affinity now owned by Canva is basically subscription albeit with the base program free
For me with Topaz, I only use the stand alone program that i bought a few years ago occasionally and would not use it often enough to justify paying monthly for it
 
Stephen L said:
Do you honestly believe that? Fine. Major commercial companies, and I'm talking data warehousing here, wouldn't touch a small supplier with a bargepole. They need assurance of continuous development and adaptability as the world changes. And yes, I have familial knowledge of this.
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Yes. I do believe it.

I wasn't actually referring to large customers. Apart from the comment about Windows 7 Pro which would encroach into large enterprise procurement conservatism.

Lots of small companies are now being tied into paying subscriptions for software. Accountancy software is interesting in that regard. Smaller businesses paying more and being locked in as well because it's difficult to change.

And what we are seeing is very little room for smaller or second tier suppliers to grow. Each application sector tends to come down to just two or three dominant players.
 
Hanley said:
Same, I own Topaz PhotoAI version 3.2.2 and it's a perpetual licence which I can use it forever.
I would just keep a copy of the installer safe somewhere in case you need to rebuild your pc or mac.
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I do as well, but my concern is the activation server can be de-activated, meaning you still won't be able to fully re-install, or worse it may need to phone home every few months or weeks already and I believe I saw signs of that.
 
 
Dave Canon said:
I have since found:-

Financial
Topaz Labs has shown consistent revenue growth, with a reported revenue of $4.6M in 2024 and an estimated $9.1M for the year 2026. The company's valuation is at $13.8M, and it has raised $200K in total funding across 1 round. Topaz Labs employs approximately 51 people as of 2026. The company's financial status is supported by its revenue growth and the acquisition by Adobe, which is expected to enhance its position in the market and provide continued support to its existing customers.

This does not sound like Adobe grabbing an ailing company but just keeping a major interest in the image processing market. Perhaps it will be business as usual.

Dave
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Well it looks like the Pike swallowing the Minnow.......


AI overview quoted here....
"Adobe's recent Q2 fiscal 2026 financials show record revenue of $6.62 billion, representing a nearly 13% year-over-year increase.

The company reported operating margins around 45%, with Digital Media and Digital Experience segments driving strong adoption across enterprise and consumer markets

.Core Q2 FY2026 Financial MetricsTotal Revenue: $6.62 billionGAAP Net Income: $1.71 billionEarnings Per Share (EPS): $5.96 per shareRemaining Performance Obligations (RPO): $22.2"
 
Dave Canon said:
I have since found:-

Financial
Topaz Labs has shown consistent revenue growth, with a reported revenue of $4.6M in 2024 and an estimated $9.1M for the year 2026. The company's valuation is at $13.8M, and it has raised $200K in total funding across 1 round. Topaz Labs employs approximately 51 people as of 2026. The company's financial status is supported by its revenue growth and the acquisition by Adobe, which is expected to enhance its position in the market and provide continued support to its existing customers.

This does not sound like Adobe grabbing an ailing company but just keeping a major interest in the image processing market. Perhaps it will be business as usual.

Dave
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These numbers looks big to you and me but the reality is they are quite low. revenue != profit so well worth considering that too. Adobe is grabbing a bargain
 
If Adobe are involved at all, bang goes any semblance of cyber security. Seems like every Adobe product is like a security tea strainer - literally dozens of security updates per month per product.
 
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