Silver Efex Pro 2: How to Download, Install, and Activate the Best Black and White Plugin
How to Install Silver Efex Pro 2 and Create Stunning Black and White Photos
If you love black and white photography, you need a powerful tool that can help you create stunning images with ease. That's where Silver Efex Pro 2 comes in. Silver Efex Pro 2 is a plugin for Photoshop and Lightroom that lets you master the art of black and white photography using a comprehensive set of darkroom-inspired controls and a refined interface. In this article, we will show you how to download, install, and use Silver Efex Pro 2 to create stunning black and white photos that will impress your viewers.
Installation Id Silver Efex Pro 2
What is Silver Efex Pro 2?
Silver Efex Pro 2 is a plugin for Photoshop and Lightroom that allows you to create stunning black and white images using a comprehensive set of darkroom-inspired controls and a refined interface. It is part of the Nik Collection by DxO, a suite of eight powerful plugins that offer endless creative possibilities for your photos.
The benefits of using Silver Efex Pro 2
Why should you use Silver Efex Pro 2 for your black and white photography? Here are some of the benefits:
It gives you complete control over brightness, contrast, tones, and gradients with absolute precision.
It lets you emulate the look and feel of classic film emulsions such as Kodak Tri-X 400, Ilford Delta 100, and Fujifilm Neopan.
It offers you a range of custom presets that let you quickly achieve different styles and moods for your images.
It enables you to make local adjustments using control points and control lines that let you target specific areas of your image.
It provides you with beautiful finishing touches such as sepia tones, burnt edges, vignettes, borders, and more.
The features of Silver Efex Pro 2
Silver Efex Pro 2 has many features that make it the ultimate tool for black and white photography. Here are some of them:
The choice of professionals
Silver Efex Pro 2 is easy to get started with, but also quick to become a pro with. It has a user-friendly interface that lets you access all the tools and settings you need in one place. You can also customize your workspace by choosing which panels to show or hide, and by resizing or rearranging them. You can also save your favorite settings as presets for future use.
Inspired by the darkroom
Silver Efex Pro 2 lets you feed your creativity with tools that tap into photography's history. You can use tools such as dodge and burn, curves, levels, color filters , and tonal contrast to fine-tune your image. You can also apply different types of grain to add texture and character to your image.
Complete control
Silver Efex Pro 2 gives you complete control over brightness, contrast, tones, and gradients with absolute precision. You can use sliders, histograms, and color pickers to adjust the global settings of your image. You can also use the zone system to see the tonal range of your image and make adjustments accordingly. You can also use the histogram warning to avoid clipping the highlights or shadows of your image.
Get an authentic, vintage look
Silver Efex Pro 2 lets you emulate the look and feel of classic film emulsions such as Kodak Tri-X 400, Ilford Delta 100, and Fujifilm Neopan. You can choose from over 20 film types, each with its own grain, contrast, and tonality. You can also apply different types of filters and effects to enhance or alter the mood of your image. For example, you can use a red filter to darken the sky and increase the contrast, or a blue filter to lighten the sky and create a softer look.
Intuitive local adjustments that just work
Silver Efex Pro 2 enables you to make local adjustments using control points and control lines that let you target specific areas of your image. Control points let you adjust brightness, contrast, structure, and more for a selected area. Control lines let you adjust brightness, contrast, and structure along a linear or radial gradient. You can also use the U Point technology to automatically select similar areas based on color, tonality, and texture.
Beautiful finishing touches
Silver Efex Pro 2 provides you with beautiful finishing touches such as sepia tones, burnt edges, vignettes, borders, and more. You can use these tools to add some flair and personality to your image. You can also customize the intensity, size, shape, and color of these effects to suit your preference.
How to download and install Silver Efex Pro 2
Now that you know what Silver Efex Pro 2 can do for your black and white photography, let's see how to download and install it on your computer.
Download Silver Efex Pro 2 from the official website
The first step is to download Silver Efex Pro 2 from the official website of Nik Collection by DxO. You can either buy the full version for $149 or try it for free for 30 days. To download Silver Efex Pro 2, follow these steps:
Go to https://nikcollection.dxo.com/silver-efex-pro/
Click on the "Buy" or "Try it for free" button depending on your choice.
Enter your email address and click on "Download".
Wait for the download to finish and locate the installer file on your computer.
Install Silver Efex Pro 2 as a plugin for Photoshop or Lightroom
The next step is to install Silver Efex Pro 2 as a plugin for Photoshop or Lightroom. To install Silver Efex Pro 2 as a plugin, follow these steps:
Double-click on the installer file that you downloaded in the previous step.
Follow the instructions on the screen to agree to the terms and conditions and choose the destination folder.
Select the photo editors that you want to install Silver Efex Pro 2 as a plugin for. You can choose from Photoshop, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop Elements, Affinity Photo, Capture One (Windows only), or DxO PhotoLab (Windows only).
Click on "Install" and wait for the installation to complete.
Restart your photo editor if it was open during the installation.
Activate Silver Efex Pro 2 with your installation ID
The final step is to activate Silver Efex Pro 2 with your installation ID. To activate Silver Efex Pro 2 with your installation ID, follow these steps:
Launch your photo editor and open an image that you want to edit with Silver Efex Pro 2.
Select Silver Efex Pro 2 from the menu or toolbar of your photo editor.
If this is the first time you are using Silver Efex Pro 2, you will see a window asking you to enter your installation ID.
Your installation ID is a unique code that is generated when you download Silver Efex Pro 2 from the official website. You can find it in the confirmation email that you received after purchasing or downloading Silver Efex Pro 2.
Copy and paste your installation ID into the window and click on "Activate".
You will see a message confirming that your activation was successful.
You can now use Silver Efex Pro 2 to create stunning black and white photos.
How to use Silver Efex Pro 2 to create stunning black and white photos
Now that you have installed and activated Silver Efex Pro 2, you are ready to use it to create stunning black and white photos. Here are the steps to follow:
Launch Silver Efex Pro 2 from your photo editor
The first step is to launch Silver Efex Pro 2 from your photo editor. To launch Silver Efex Pro 2 from your photo editor, follow these steps:
Open an image that you want to edit with Silver Efex Pro 2 in your photo editor.
Select Silver Efex Pro 2 from the menu or toolbar of your photo editor. For example, in Photoshop, you can go to Filter > Nik Collection > Silver Efex Pro 2.
You will see a window with your image and the Silver Efex Pro 2 interface.
Choose a preset or start from scratch
The next step is to choose a preset or start from scratch. A preset is a predefined set of adjustments that you can apply to your image with one click. Silver Efex Pro 2 offers you a range of custom presets that let you quickly achieve different styles and moods for your images. You can also create your own presets or import presets from other sources. To choose a preset or start from scratch, follow these steps:
On the left panel of the Silver Efex Pro 2 interface, you will see a list of presets organized into categories such as Neutral, Classic, Modern, Vintage, and more.
You can click on any preset to preview how it will look on your image. You can also use the arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate through the presets.
If you like a preset, you can click on the "Apply" button at the bottom of the left panel to apply it to your image.
If you want to start from scratch, you can click on the "Neutral" preset at the top of the list. This will reset all the adjustments to their default values.
Adjust the brightness, contrast, tones, and gradients
The next step is to adjust the brightness, contrast, tones, and gradients of your image. These are the basic adjustments that affect the overall look and feel of your image. To adjust the brightness, contrast, tones, and gradients of your image, follow these steps:
On the right panel of the Silver Efex Pro 2 interface, you will see a set of sliders under the "Global Adjustments" section.
You can use these sliders to adjust the brightness, contrast, tones, and gradients of your image. For example, you can use the "Brightness" slider to make your image lighter or darker, the "Contrast" slider to increase or decrease the difference between light and dark areas, the "Amplify Whites" and "Amplify Blacks" sliders to boost or reduce the intensity of white and black pixels, and the "Soft Contrast" slider to add or remove contrast in midtones.
You can also use the "Dynamic Brightness" slider to adjust the brightness based on the tonal values of your image, the "Structure" slider to enhance or smooth out details and textures, and the "Fine Structure" slider to adjust the details and textures in smaller areas.
You can also use the "Tone Curve" tool to adjust the tonal range of your image by dragging the curve up or down. You can also use the "Levels & Histogram" tool to adjust the black point, white point, and midtone of your image by dragging the sliders below the histogram.
You can also use the "Color Filter" tool to apply a color filter to your image. You can choose from different colors such as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and more. You can also adjust the strength and hue of the filter using the sliders.
You can also use the "Split Toning" tool to apply different tones to the highlights and shadows of your image. You can choose from different colors such as sepia, cyanotype, selenium, and more. You can also adjust the strength and balance of the tones using the sliders.
Apply filters and effects to emulate classic film emulsions
The next step is to apply filters and effects to emulate classic film emulsions. These are the advanced adjustments that affect the style and mood of your image. To apply filters and effects to emulate classic film emulsions, follow these steps:
On the right panel of the Silver Efex Pro 2 interface, you will see a set of tools under the "Film Types" section.
You can use these tools to emulate the look and feel of classic film emulsions such as Kodak Tri-X 400, Ilford Delta 100, and Fujifilm Neopan. You can choose from over 20 film types, each with its own grain, contrast, and tonality.
You can also use the "Film Type" tool to customize your own film type by adjusting the sensitivity, grain per pixel, softness, hardness, and brightness of the film.
You can also use the "Film Grain" tool to add or remove grain to your image. You can adjust the grain size, roughness, and contrast using the sliders.
You can also use the "Film Sensitivity" tool to adjust how sensitive your image is to different colors of light. You can increase or decrease the sensitivity for red, orange, yellow, green, aqua, blue, purple, and magenta using the sliders.
You can also use the "Levels & Curves" tool to adjust the tonal range of your image by dragging the curve up or down. You can also use the "Color Filter" tool to apply a color filter to your image. You can choose from different colors such as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and more. You can also adjust the strength and hue of the filter using the sliders.
Use control points and control lines to make local adjustments
The next step is to use control points and control lines to make local adjustments. These are the selective adjustments that affect specific areas of your image. To use control points and control lines to make local adjustments, follow these steps:
On the right panel of the Silver Efex Pro 2 interface, you will see a set of tools under the "Selective Adjustments" section.
You can use these tools to adjust brightness, contrast, structure, and more for a selected area of your image.
To use control points, click on the "Add Control Point" button and then click on the area of your image that you want to adjust. A circle will appear around the area, indicating the size and scope of the adjustment. You can drag the circle to resize or reposition it. You can also use the U Point technology to automatically select similar areas based on color, tonality, and texture.
To use control lines, click on the "Add Control Line" button and then click and drag on your image to draw a line. A gradient will appear along the line, indicating the direction and intensity of the adjustment. You can drag the line to reposition it, or drag the endpoints to resize or rotate it. You can also choose between linear or radial gradients.
For each control point or control line, you can use the sliders on the right panel to adjust brightness, contrast, structure, amplify whites, amplify blacks, fine structure, selective colorization, and control point size.
You can also use the "Group" button to group multiple control points or control lines together and apply the same adjustments to them. You can also use the "Duplicate" button to copy a control point or control line and paste it elsewhere on your image.
You can also use the "Brush" button to paint over areas of your image that you want to exclude from the adjustment. You can adjust the brush size, opacity, and edge using the sliders.
Add finishing touches such as sepia tones, vignettes, borders, and more
The final step is to add finishing touches such as sepia tones, vignettes, borders, and more. These are the creative adjustments that add some flair and personality to your image. To add finishing touches such as sepia tones, vignettes, borders, and more, follow these steps:
On the right panel of the Silver Efex Pro 2 interface, you will see a set of tools under the "Finishing Adjustments" section.
You can use these tools to add sepia tones, burnt edges, vignettes, borders, and more to your image.
To add sepia tones, click on the "Toning" button and choose from different colors such as sepia, selenium, copper, coffee, and more. You can also adjust the strength and balance of the tones using the sliders.
To add burnt edges, click on the "Burn Edges" button and choose from different styles such as dark rough edge 1, dark rough edge 2, dark rough edge 3, and more. You can also adjust the size and opacity of the edges using the sliders.
To add vignettes, click on the "Vignette" button and choose from different styles such as lens falloff 1, lens falloff 2, lens falloff 3, and more. You can also adjust the amount, shape, and transition of the vignettes using the sliders.
To add borders, click on the "Image Borders" button and choose from different styles such as film edge 1, film edge 2, film edge 3, and more. You can also adjust the size, spread, and variation of the borders using the sliders.
Conclusion
Silver Efex Pro 2 is a powerful plugin for Photoshop and Lightroom that lets you create stunning black and white photos with ease. It offers you a comprehensive set of darkroom-inspired controls and a refined interface that let you master the art of black and white photography. You can download, install, and activate Silver Efex Pro 2 from the official website of Nik Collection by DxO. You can also use Silver Efex Pro 2 to adjust the brightness, contrast, tones, and gradients of your image, apply filters and effects to emulate classic film emulsions, make local adjustments using control points and control lines, and add finishing touches such as sepia tones, vignettes, borders, and more. With Silver Efex Pro 2, you can unleash your creativity and transform your photos into stunning black and white masterpieces.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about Silver Efex Pro 2:
What are the system requirements for Silver Efex Pro 2?
Silver Efex Pro 2 is compatible with Windows 7 (64-bit) or later and Mac OS X 10.12 (Sierra) or later. It requires a minimum of 4 GB of RAM (8 GB recommended) and 4 GB of disk space. It also requires a compatible host application such as Photoshop CS5 or later, Lightroom Classic CC or later, Photoshop Elements 13 or later, Affinity Photo 1.8 or later, Capture One 20 or later (Windows only), or DxO PhotoLab 3 or later (Windows only).
How much does Silver Efex Pro 2 cost?
Silver Efex Pro 2 is part of the Nik Collection by DxO, a suite of eight powerful plugins that offer endless creative possibilities for your photos. You can buy the full version of Nik Collection by DxO for $149 or try it for free for 30 days. You can also buy Silver Efex Pro 2 separately for $69 or try it for free for 30 days.
How do I update Silver Efex Pro 2?
To update Silver Efex Pro 2 to the latest version, you need to download and install the latest version of Nik Collection by DxO from the official website. You can also check for updates from within Silver Efex Pro 2 by going to Help > Check for Updates.
How do I uninstall Silver Efex Pro 2?
To uninstall Silver Efex Pro 2 from your computer, you need to run the uninstaller program that came with Nik Collection by DxO. You can find it in the folder where you installed Nik Collection by DxO. You can also use the Windows Control Panel or the Mac Finder to uninstall Nik Collection by DxO.
Where can I find more tutorials and tips on how to use Silver Efex Pro 2?
You can find more tutorials and tips on how to use Silver Efex Pro 2 on the official website of Nik Collection by DxO. You can also watch video tutorials on YouTube or read blog posts from other users.
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