This article was published on March 24, 2016

Google is making the excellent Nik Collection for professional photographers completely free


Google is making the excellent Nik Collection for professional photographers completely free

Big news for the professional and enthusiast photographers out there: Google is making the entirety of Nik Software’s photo editing suite completely free.

It’s a big deal – Nik Software has been around for about two decades, and its film-like filters and other editing tools are some of the most popular among professional photographers, along with VSCO or Alien Skin’s Exposure.

Nik says the price drop is a result of Google’s continued focus on its Photos app; Google is probably more interested in promoting its tools and software than any potential immediate revenue from it. Google had previously dropped the suite’s price from $499 to $149 after acquiring Nik – which also makes Snapseed, a popular mobile editing app – almost exactly three years ago.

The full suite includes seven tools, which can work as standalone software or as plugins for popular apps like Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop:

  • Analog Efex Pro – Imitates old school film photography
  • Color Efect Pro – Image filters for color correction, retouching, and creative effects
  • Silver Efex pro – Probably Nik’s best-known tool, it creates black-and-white photos with a variety of presets and controls
  • Viveza – Adjusts the color and tone of your images without masks or selections
  • HDR Efex Pro – Creates and edits HDR images
  • Sharpener Pro – Advanced sharpening tools, useful for large prints
  • Dfine – A great noise-reduction tool

It’s a powerful collection of tools, and now that it’s free, it’s hard no to recommend you give it a go. One last neat tidbit – if you purchased the Nik Collection in 2016, Google will provide you with a full refund.

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