DxO PhotoLab 9.6 update: DeepPRIME XD3, compressed DNG files and ‘feathered’ AI masks

The DxO PhotoLab 9.6 update is not a major version release, so it’s a free update for existing PhotoLab 9 users, and a pretty substantial one at that. And there might be enough here to convince anyone thinking about getting DxO PhotoLab 9 to finally take the plunge.

PhotoLab 9 is DxO’s flagship photo editing software. It combines DxO’s legendary DeepPRIME RAW processing and denoising, with powerful automated lens corrections and advanced editing tools, including AI masking. All its edits are non-destructive, so you can go back and change them at any time, and it also has basic but effective image browsing, organizing and search features.

The 9.6 update brings two features already seen in DxO PureRAW 6, the company’s RAW pre-processing tool. These include DxO’s latest DeepPRIME XD3 process and its new compressed DNG format which allows the program to export fully-corrected RAW files no larger than the original RAW files from the camera.

The support for DeepPRIME XD3 brings PhotoLab in line with PureRAW 6. DxO had already released DeepPRIME XD3 for Trans (Fujifilm) sensors, and this is the equivalent for regular bayer sensors. It’s the latest iteration of DxO’s RAW/denoising process and said to give the best results yet.

The compressed DNG format sounds less exciting but could prove much more significant in the long run. In the past, PhotoLab exported Linear DNG files which were like perfected, part-processed RAW DNG files which other programs could open and edit as regular RAW files but with DxO’s lens corrections and noise reduction already applied. However, these DNG files were 2-4 times larger than the original RAW files, which DxO admits was a ‘pain point’ – especially in view of today’s spiraling storage costs.

Impressively, though, DxO’s new compressed DNG format results in files no larger than the original RAW files, and sometimes even smaller. This is a huge step forward, though perhaps more so for DxO PureRAW, which could now become a standard pre-processing tool for all your RAW files with no storage penalty.

The third improvement in PhotoLab 9.6 is also very interesting. It adds ‘diffusion’ controls for PhotoLab’s AI masks, and this is highly significant. To date, AI masking – as used in Lightroom, for example – has been highly effective at isolating objects and areas, but with hard-edged masking that can produce harsh and unrealistic tonal transitions with strong editing adjustments. PhotoLab. 9.6’s diffusion controls, however bring the promise of softer, ‘feathered’ AI masks for smoother, less obvious blending with surrounding areas, more like regular gradient, brush and (in PhotoLab) control point adjustments.

DxO PhotoLab 9.6 is available for download now. DxO PhotoLab 9 users will be automatically prompted to download and install the update when they launch the program. New users can get a 15% discount at the checkout with the code below, but there’s also a fully functioning trial version if you want to see how all this works.