The very first image effect I purchased was Photo/Graphics Edges from Auto FX. It came as a demo plug-in effect with an earlier version CorelDraw’s Photo Paint application that I had at the time. This was back when I was just learning what an image application and the effects included with it were capable of. when I saw the edge of the image change when the effect was applied, I clicked the upgrade offer and purchased a selection of the edges. Auto FX said "Never do square again" and I have been using some version of this product ever since! Once you try applying effects to images a whole new range of design possibilities is opened up to you and your creativity is enhanced forever. The learning process is almost as much fun and the results they produce!

The latest version of Photo/Graphic Edges is version 5.0. I used version 4 for so long that I could probably use the interface with my eyes closed. I always liked the fact that it not only worked with its own edges but that others could be added to it and used the same way the Auto FX ones were. It greatly increased the number of effects that could be created. The next version released was the 10,000 edge collection and it had so many images that I am still trying different ones! Version 5.0 has taken the edges and effects to new heights and increased the usability of the application even more. This is something that makes Auto FX applications unique. They don’t sell you the same old application with a minor change and then charge a fortune for it. They come out with amazing new additions to their leading products and totally new innovations for amazing graphic imaging effects. The design team at Auto FX keeps coming up with products that are outstanding in their field.

Photo/Graphic Edges 5.0 can be used as both a stand alone product and a plug-in. I mostly use it as a plug-in because I have an image application open nearly all of the time with all of the plug-ins available in the open application. I don’t have to switch to another application to apply an effect. But for those times that I have an image ready and just want to add an effect, the stand alone feature is extremely handy. I really like the fact that Auto FX has included this feature with their products.

The installation was simple but it’s a large one. You need to have 1.2 GIG of hard drive space available for the installation of this product and it requires 128 Megs of RAM (all of the content and effects are stored on the hard drive). Operating systems required are either Windows 98/NT/2000.ME/XP or Power Macintosh OS 8.5 or higher and it runs native on OS X or higher. It comes on three CD’s and because the catalog of effects needs to be installed for all of the new features to work, the entire set of CD’s are installed. I am using it with Windows XP Professional.

Features include:

17 Volumes of edges effects: Traditional, Darkroom, Geometric, Artistic, Digital, Painted, Deckled, Feathered, Semi-Transparent, Torn and Ripped, Film Frames, Impressionistic, Watercolor Fadeouts, Rubbed Charcoal, Splattered Airbrush, Etched Scratchboard, Darkroom Transfers, Brushed Acrylics, Rough and Gritty, and Abstract Shapes. These edges can be combined in many combinations for even more edge effects.

This new version of Photo/Graphic Edges has four visual effect modules: Edges, Vignettes, Montage, and Frames. This combination offers an infinite variety of artistic design styles to all levels of users. It can be used by both the design professional and the home user. Each of the effects has a set of completely customizable tools. Adding textures, lighting changes, background colors, and other elements is as easy as adjusting any of the tool controls.

Changes to effects can be added easily and if you make a change during the rendering process the control interrupt stops and then applies the new change immediately.

The Memory Dot tool allows you to save the image at a particular point and then return to it if you make changes that you don’t like. There are multiple memory dots available offers a variety of return points.

Photo/Graphic Edges 5.0 has all the same standard tools as the other applications such as save, memory dots, the zoom and panning tools, ability to customize the interface itself (such as change it to a new color), the control interrupts tool, dynamic image and transformation tools, intelligent photo placement tool, the help on demand feature, and the file support.

The Intelligent Photo Placement tool is a unique tool. It allows you to place an image inside of an effect and it will be scaled and oriented automatically to match the angle and perspective of the effect. If you were to select a preset from the Montage effect with 6 images, you would be able to replace the six images that are the same by default to the one original image with 5 other selections and each one would be placed inside the effect you chose in the exact same place and size as the image that was replaced.

The Clone Edge Tool allows you to copy and combine many edge effects together to create even more unique edges.

The Dynamic Image and Effect Transformation tools allow the user to transform the images many times with no loss of image quality. Each time the image is changed, the original image is used to created the new layer effect.

The image on the left shows the user interface with the montage effect module applied to the image.

Each time I review an Auto FX visual effects product I say that I highly recommend their products……and I do. If you were to only going to purchase one product line to work with when adding visual enhancements to your graphic images, this should the company you pick. The variety of effects, the ease of use, the complete customization control of the effects, the ability to use the product as either a stand alone or plug-in, and the time saved in creating the effects, puts Photo/Graphic Edges 5.0 and all the products Auto FX offers at the top of my favorite software applications list. If you want to design artistic graphics, design with "Auto FX Visual Imaging Solutions." I have always disliked creating an image for our home page and having to look at the square (or rectangular) edge of the image. It just seems to sit there, uncomfortably.  Photo/Graphic Edges solved that problem. I have used it over and over again to create a distinctive edge rather than doing “square”.

You can find a downloadable demo version of Auto FX products on their web site www.autofx.com along with the manuals and guides that come with the products. Visit the galleries for each of the products to see excellent examples of what can be done with these effects.

Vignette Interface

Edge User Interface

Control Interrupts

Magnify Tool                 Pan Tool
                      

Save                                Memory Dots
                          

Image Transformation Tool           Transform Tool
                                  

Photo Placement Tool