Tue, 23 Oct 2007 Akvis Decorator Review

Akvis Decorator – may sound like a brand of household paint, but it’s actually a clever plug-in for Adobe Photoshop, from the same people that brought you Coloriage. While the latter helps you add colour to images that have none, Decorator helps you realistically change colours and textures that are already in place.

It’s easy to do this in Photoshop when the image you’re editing is a flat, two dimensional design. Decorator enables you to wrap textures around the contours of any object though, following folds and bumps as though in 3D. This makes it a useful production tool in any studio that needs to tweak and change pictures for commercial use, but it’s a fun plugin for amateur designers too.

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Mark Hattersley
Editor in Chief

Do you share your creations online?

Question of the day!

Do you share your creations online?

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paintings & illustrations, mostly, which i upload to flickr.RT @fragmentedm

I draw manga/anime characters. I also do graphic design and photography.RT @spialelo

Yes. I usually put them up on my #deviantart account for feedback on how to improve.RT @spialelo

Like other Akvis plug-ins, Decorator is a mini-application rather than just a simple filter. The workflow’s straightforward though. Make a selection in Photoshop, then start up Decorator to start editing.

The simple interface is easy enough for image manipulation neophytes as well as seasoned Photoshop experts. Choose from a library of available textures by double clicking on the big texture swatch. You’ll find hundreds of ready-to-use textures in twenty categories. If they’re not enough, you also add your own custom creations to the library.

Go back to the Navigator interface to alter lighting, scale, brightness and warping preferences using familiar sliders, then click the After tab and the Run button to apply your changes. Use it to change the pattern of a dodgy suit, give your car a Paisley respray or add artistic effects to portraits.