Corel AfterShot Pro 3 User Guide After Shot Ug En

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Corel® AfterShot® Pro 3
User Guide

Contents
Quick Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
What is Corel AfterShot Pro? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
What’s new in Corel AfterShot Pro 3? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Workspace tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Understanding non-destructive editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Understanding the Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Understanding the export process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
System requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Supported cameras and file formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
About image size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Learning how to use Corel AfterShot Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Using the Help system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Corel AfterShot Pro User Guide PDF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Learning with video tutorials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Web-based resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Library and catalogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
About the Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
About catalogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Importing images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Managing your Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Portable catalogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

File System mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Image settings in File System mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Editing photos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Contents

About non-destructive editing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
About adjustment tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Standard tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Histogram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Basic Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Color tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tone tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Detail tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Metadata tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Plugins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selective editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Retouching with Heal, Clone, or Blemish Remover . . . . . . . . . . . .
Removing red eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cropping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Straightening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working with Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Copying and pasting settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Undoing changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
About default settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the History palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Editing photos in an external image editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Corel AfterShot HDR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Working with Corel AfterShot HDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Organizing images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Stacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Thumbnail indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sorting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Filtering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ii

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Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Ratings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Flags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Keywords. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Effective use of keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Working with keywords and keyword sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Metadata. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Types of metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Storing and sharing metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working with metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Viewing metadata. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Editing metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Managing metadata sets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Finding photos by using metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Metadata in images that you output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding metadata in other applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Watermarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Watermark settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Saving watermarks as presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Exporting images. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
About exporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exporting without a batch preset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exporting with a batch preset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using batches with folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pausing, resuming, and stopping batches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Managing batches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understanding export settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Web Galleries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Copying images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contents

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iii

Adjusting the workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Showing and hiding panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Viewing options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Multi-Image View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Resizing panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Magnifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Metadata viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Slideshows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
About slideshows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Slideshow settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Playing a slideshow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Printing with Corel AfterShot Pro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Printing a folder of images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Print settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Controlling print jobs and page breaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Managing print batches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Print layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Application preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Accessing preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
General preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Display preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Color Management preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Import and Cache preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Renaming preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sequence preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Keyboard preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Soft Proofing preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Copy Sets preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Defaults preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Crop preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
External Editor preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Performance preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hardware Acceleration preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Additional information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Renaming formats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Metadata tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
File locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Command line options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Custom print layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
About color management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Updating and extending the application . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Finding and installing downloadable content. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Providing feedback for downloadable content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Restoring purchases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220

Contents

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Quick Start
This section introduces some of the basic tasks that you can accomplish
in Corel AfterShot Pro. If you're looking for a quick way to start working
with the application, take a few minutes to go through the steps
below. The steps include handy shortcuts and tips that help you work
quickly.
There are three main steps:
1.Open your photos in Corel AfterShot Pro.
2.Select and edit one or more photos.
3.Output your edited photos individually or as a batch.
Before you begin, see “Workspace tour” on page 16 for a quick
overview of the workspace.
Step one: Open your photos
To get you started quickly, we're going to work directly from the folders
on your computer. After you're familiar with the application, you can
choose to build a Library by importing photos into Corel AfterShot Pro.
When you're ready for more information, see“About the Library” on
page 35.

To navigate to your photos
• In Corel AfterShot Pro, click the File System tab, and navigate to
your folder in the Directory View.

Quick Start

When you click a folder, the photos from the folder are displayed
as thumbnails in the Thumbnail panel.

Thumbnail panel, displayed as a strip in Standard View

Step two: Selecting and editing photos
To view and adjust images, you need to select them. The Thumbnail
panel displays thumbnails of the photos that are in the active folder.
When you select a thumbnail, the Preview panel displays a larger view
of the photo. When you edit a photo, the original file (master file) is
never altered — edit information is saved separately and what you see
onscreen is a master version, a preview that shows your edits. You can
edit the entire photo or a selected area of the photo. When you are
finished editing a photo, you can simply move on to the next photo, or
you can save your changes as a new version. This means that you
capture the edits as a variation of the original file. The version can be
viewed as a thumbnail or in the Preview panel. It can also be output.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

To preview and select photos
1

In the Browse panel, click the File System tab.

Navigate to the folder you want. The Thumbnail panel displays the
photos that are in the folder.

Click a thumbnail to display it in the Preview panel.
Before you start editing, you can choose between viewing the
edits directly on the master version of your file, or creating a new
version for editing by pressing Insert or by right-clicking the
thumbnail and choosing Version > New Version from Defaults.

You can also
Scroll quickly through thumbnails

Press [ or ].

Compare two or more photos (or
versions) in the Preview panel

Click the Toggle Multi-Image
(or press M),
View button
and Ctrl + click or Commandclick the thumbnails. The Preview
panel displays the selected
photos.
This is a great way to select and
flag the best photo in a series of
similar photos. For more
information about flagging and
organizing your photos, see
“Organizing images” on
page 103.

Select all thumbnails

Press Ctrl + A or Command-A.

Deselect thumbnails

Click a background area of the
Thumbnail panel or press Ctrl +
D or Command-D.

Note: The last image you select is called the active image. While
in Multi-Image View mode, metadata changes, adjustments,
and other edits apply only to the active image.
Quick Start

To edit a photo
1

In the Browse panel, navigate to the folder you want.
The Thumbnail panel displays the photos that are in the folder.

Click a thumbnail to display it in the Preview panel.

Experiment by trying any of the editing actions in the following
table.

To
Flag or add
keywords (i.e. add
metadata)

Do the following
• Flag — click a thumbnail and on the Top
toolbar click the Flag as Pick button
or
press . (period key). To mark a photo as a
reject, click the Flag as Reject button
or press , (comma key).
• Keywords — on the Tools panel, click the
Metadata tab, click inside the Keywords
box, and type one or more keywords,
separated by commas.

Crop a photo

On the AfterShot Pro toolbar at the bottom of
the Preview panel, click the Crop tool
. In the
Cropping palette, adjust the settings that you
want, and in the Preview panel, drag the crop
area over the area that you want to preserve.
Click Done in the Cropping palette.

Adjust the color,
tone, or sharpness
of the entire
photo

In the Tools panel, click the Standard tab, and
adjust the settings you want in the Basic
Adjustments section.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Do the following

Edit a selected
area only

1 Click the Open Layer Manager button
in
the upper-right corner of the window.
2 In the Layers palette, click the +Adjust
button at the top of the palette. A new editing
layer is created.
3 Click a Region tool, such as the Circle Region
tool, click an area that you want to adjust, and
adjust the Size, Feather, or other settings at the
bottom of the Layers palette.
4 In the Basic Adjustments section of the Tools
panel, adjust any of the settings you want — the
changes apply to the selected area(s) of the
current layer.

Tip: There are some handy ways to undo actions. Here are a
few you can try:
• To undo one action at a time, press Ctrl + Z or
Command-Z.
• To reset a Tools panel slider to its original setting,
double-click the slider name.
• To clear all the changes that you've made to a photo,
right-click the thumbnail, and choose Settings >
Apply Default Settings from the context menu.

To show your edits on a new version
• In the Thumbnail panel, right-click or Control-click an edited
photo (master version), and from the context menu, choose
Version > New Version from Current.
Note: You can confirm that a photo has been edited by looking
for the Edit icon

Quick Start

in the corner of the thumbnail.

A new thumbnail appears next to the thumbnail of the master
version. By default, versions use the following naming convention:
original file name + version number (_v2, _v3, ...).

Three edited versions based on the same master file

You can now return to the master version and edit it in a new way and
create another version. To start from the original settings, you can clear
the edits made to the master version by right-clicking or Controlclicking the thumbnail, and choosing Settings > Apply Default
Settings from the context menu.
Tip: Whether you choose to create a new version before or after
editing a master version depends on your workflow. For
example, if you know that you want to make several versions
from the outset, you can create a version before you start
editing, so you can always see how the original master file
looks. If you want to quickly fix a photo, you can simply edit the
master version—you can create other versions later if you want.
The non-destructive nature of editing in Corel AfterShot Pro
gives you maximum flexibility.
For more information about editing photos, see “Editing photos” on
page 47.
Step three: Exporting photos for sharing and print
After you organize and edit your photos, you can share your work by
exporting your photos. Exporting lets you save your photos to a
standard file format so that you can share your work on the Web, via
email, or use your files in other applications. You can also output your
6

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

files to print. There are a number of standard output choices, called
batches, that let you output quickly, but you can also create a custom
batch. For example, you can choose file type, quality, color space, and
image size. You can also set a naming convention to rename the files
when they are output and you can apply presets. For more information
about outputting, see Exporting images.

To get you started quickly, let's use standard batches to save to JPEG
and print a couple of 5 x 7 inch photos.

To output to a full-sized JPEG
1

In the Thumbnail panel, select one or more photos that you want
to output.

Do one of the following:
• • In the Browse panel, click the Output tab, and in the Batch
Output section, drag the thumbnails to JPEG Full Size.
• • Press F (shortcut key assigned to JPEG Full Size batch).

In the Select a Destination dialog box, choose a folder where the
files will be saved.

Quick Start

After you select a destination folder, files are saved automatically
to that folder for the rest of the session. You can change the
destination and access other output settings by double-clicking a
batch name in the Batch Output or Printing section.

To print to a standard print size
1

In the Thumbnail panel, select two photos that you want to print.

In the Browse panel, click the Output tab, and in the Printing
section, drag the thumbnails to a batch name, such as 5x7 Qty.2.
Numbers appear next to the batch name, (0 of 2), to indicate the
number of photos printed and the total number of photos in the
batch.

Double-click the batch name to preview the print job in the Print
Settings dialog box.

In the Print Layout section, enable the Scale crop or Scale reduce
option (matches the photos to the selected print ratio) and
preview the results.

Choose your printer from the drop-down list in the bottom left
corner.

Click Print.

Moving on
Now that you have been introduced to the basics, here are some
additional topics that will provide you with more detailed information:
• About the Library
• Managing your Library
• Editing photos
• Organizing images
• Exporting images

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Welcome
In this section, you’ll learn about
• What is Corel AfterShot Pro?
• What’s new in Corel AfterShot Pro 3?
• Workspace tour
• Understanding non-destructive editing
• Understanding the Library
• Understanding the export process
• System requirements
• Supported cameras and file formats
• About image size

What is Corel AfterShot Pro?
Corel AfterShot Pro is a fast, flexible workflow application for digital
photos, including RAW formats, JPEG, and TIFF. Corel AfterShot Pro is
designed to help you organize, optimize, and output your photos. You
can work with individual photos or tap into powerful and flexible
multi-image processing options that let you adjust and output your
photos so you can print them or share them via email or the Web. Corel
AfterShot Pro is completely non-destructive; your original image files
are always safe. You can use Corel AfterShot Pro on its own, or with
your favorite image editing software.
For a full list of learning resources, from the menu bar choose Help >
Learning Center.

Welcome

How is Corel AfterShot Pro different from other imageediting software?
There are a few things that set Corel AfterShot Pro apart from
traditional image-editing software. Let's take a look at these
differences.
Action

Traditional imageeditor

Open files
that you
want to edit

File > Open File,
open one or more
files.

As a workflow application,
you tend to work with folders,
so click the File System tab,
and click a folder. You can
then right-click to import the
folder to the Library or click a
thumbnail and start editing.

Edit files

Start editing each
open file, when
finished, the editing
information is saved
to the file.

Start editing, creating one or
more looks (versions) for each
photo. The edits are saved
automatically to a sidecar file
(XMP) so that your original file
is never affected. You can
really experiment, even
between editing sessions.

Corel AfterShot Pro

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Action

Traditional imageeditor

Save the files

File > Save, usually
for each file that you
want to output, save
to the file format you
want (such as JPEG).
You either overwrite
your existing file, or
create a new file.

Corel AfterShot Pro
Select as many thumbnails
(photos or looks) as you want,
and to export to a standard
JPEG, press F. Want TIFF? Press
T. New files are created, your
original file is never affected.
*Corel AfterShot Pro lets you
export multiple files at one
time, and offers a range of
settings that let you customize
your output. Choose File >
Export or right-click any of
the batch presets in the Batch
Output section of the
Output tab to access the
settings.

What is photo workflow?
Photo workflow refers to all the activities that occur between the initial
image capture and the final photo output. Photographers have very
different workflows, depending on the volume of photos they take and
what they do with the photos. Your workflow might be as simple as
downloading images from your camera's memory card and printing
them on a printer that is attached to your computer. A photo workflow
might also include any of the following:
• Organizational tasks, such as adding keywords and star ratings so
you can search and sort your images
• Editing and adjusting photos to correct, enhance, or creatively
manipulate photos
• Backing up and archiving photos
• Sharing photos through email or on the Web
Welcome

• Printing photos in-house, through online printing services, service
bureaus, or prepress facilities
Corel AfterShot Pro supports a wide range of workflow options and
working styles to ensure that you can get the best quality from your
photos in the least amount of time.

Photo workflow: 1. Transfer photos from your camera to your
computer, 2. Import the photos into Corel AfterShot Pro, 3.
Edit your photos, creating one or more versions, 4. Export a
version to a JPEG or TIFF file.

Corel AfterShot Pro is organized into three workflow areas: Asset
management, Image editing, and Output generation.
Asset management lets you catalog your original digital photos as
master files and view, add, browse and search photo metadata. As
your photo library grows from hundreds to thousands of photos,
maintaining a coherent, organized, searchable library becomes critical.
Corel AfterShot Pro provides all the tools needed to catalog your
current photographs, and makes it easy to add to your library.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Image editing lets you adjust and correct elements such as exposure,
white balance, detail, and distortions. You can get creative with a
variety of editing features that you can apply to an entire photo or a
selected area. For example, you can use selective editing to select one
color area in your photo and apply a color to that area without
affecting the rest of the photo.

Output generation lets you share the photos that you have worked on
in Corel AfterShot Pro. Your photos can be output in a wide range of
formats that you can print, email, or share on the Web. The powerful
Batch Conversion feature lets you take advantage of multi-image
processing.

Welcome

What’s new in Corel AfterShot Pro 3?
New! Comprehensive Watermarking
Protect and promote your work with versatile and quick-to-apply new
Watermarking features. Deter unauthorized copying, brand your
photos with your logo or contact info, or add any text and graphics.
Apply watermarks to individual photos or batches, and easily adjust
size, rotation, position, transparency and more. For more information,
see “Watermarks” on page 133.
Enhanced! Highlight Recovery
Regain more of the detail and tone from your overexposed photos with
enhanced Highlight Recovery in AfterShot Pro 3. Powered by a new
algorithm, this feature lets you access more of the data in your RAW
files for superior image quality. A Highlight Recovery Range slider gives
you finer control over specific areas to adjust within your image. For
more information, see “Tone tools” on page 63.
New! Blemish Remover
Save time and edit faster by doing more touchups and photo
corrections in AfterShot Pro 3, rather than jumping to Corel PaintShop
Pro or Adobe PhotoShop. The new Blemish Remover offers circle,
brush, polygon and freehand tools for detailed editing, making
portrait editing faster and easier than ever. Remove dust, spots,
smudges and a variety of imperfections on any photo. For more
information, see “Retouching with Heal, Clone, or Blemish Remover”
on page 84.
New! Image Preset Library
Now it’s easier to tap into the power of presets to automate more of
your repetitive processing jobs or quickly reproduce a look that would
otherwise be tedious to replicate. The new Image Preset Library in

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

AfterShot Pro 3 lets you browse, preview and download free and forpurchase presets. For more information, see “Finding and installing
downloadable content” on page 219.
New! Lens Corrections
Update to Corel AfterShot Pro 3 for new, sought-after lens corrections
that build on the hundreds of lenses already supported by Corel
AfterShot to quickly correct the different types of distortion introduced
by various lenses. Join the AfterShot Pro community on Facebook to
discover when new lens corrections are posted or to share your own.
For more information, see “Lens Correction” on page 67.
Enhanced! See what’s new with Plugins
The new Plugin Manager lets you find and install plugins in a flash
from within AfterShot Pro 3. Extend your software with free plugins
from the community, purchase plugins and get updates. Want to try
making your own plugins? Our unique plugin API and toolkit let you
make pro-quality plugins that tap into the full power of the AfterShot
Pro processing pipeline. A love of photography, a knowledge of C++
and the updated Plugin SDK are all you need. Share your plugins freely
with the AfterShot community, or work with Corel to sell them. Want
to learn more? Contact Corel via the Feedback Helper. For more
information, see “Updating and extending the application” on
page 219.
New! Camera profiles
Corel constantly delivers support for today's most popular, powerful
and creative cameras, including professional DSLRs, flexible and highquality mirrorless cameras, and many more. A new dynamic camera
profile updater notifies you when new cameras are added and a new
feedback mechanism captures and prioritizes your requests with Corel.

Welcome

For more information, see “Updating and extending the application”
on page 219.
Get involved!
Corel has built AfterShot Pro to give you, the photographer, control,
letting you make your own plugins, lens corrections and presets.
Similarly, a new feedback loop makes it easier for you to send your
ideas and requests to the Corel Photo team—better helping us to meet
your needs. Simply click ‘feedback’ and send us your comments.
“Providing feedback for downloadable content” on page 220.

Workspace tour
The Corel AfterShot Pro workspace includes the following elements:

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

1. Menu bar
The menu bar is used to access common functions and features. For
example, you can import folders, set your preferences, or access the
Help.
2. Top toolbar
This toolbar contains a variety of search, metadata, layer, and viewing
commands.
3. Preview panel
The Preview panel lets you view a large version of the photo that is
selected in the Thumbnail panel. When Multi-Image View is enabled,
the Preview panel displays previews of all the selected thumbnails. You
can view image adjustments and zoom into or out of the selected
images.
4. Tools panel
Like the Browse panel, the Tools panel has tabs for pages that contain
a number of sections. For example, the Standard page displays the
Histogram, Basic Adjustments, and Presets sections. Sections can be
pinned so they stay visible.
The Tools panel can be hidden so that more room is available for
viewing your images. Just click the arrow
at the top of the Tools
panel tabs to hide or show this panel.
Included in the Tools panel is the Get More page. It is home to a
collection of downloadable content that includes camera profile
updates, plugins, and image presets. For more information, see
5. Status bar
The Status bar lets you view information about the current image and
and Lock
access viewing controls such as Toggle Multi-Image View
Welcome

Position and Zoom. Soft-proofing and Clipping Warning controls
are also accessible here.
6. Thumb Zoom toolbar
This toolbar contains the Thumbnail Size control which lets you adjust
the size of the thumbnails in the Thumbnail panel.
7. Thumbnail panel
At the bottom of the main Corel AfterShot Pro window, this panel
shows thumbnails for the folder, container, search or browse category
selected with the Browse panel. All the images in the folder are initially
visible in the Thumbnail panel, but you can filter the images to show
only the thumbnails that match a specific set of criteria.
8. AfterShot Pro toolbar
This toolbar contains editing tools and viewing options for the Preview
panel.
9. Browse panel
The Browse panel is your main access point for your photos. The panel
has tabs for the Library, File System, and Output pages. Some pages
are further divided into sections. For example, the Library page consists
of a Catalogs section and a Metadata Browser section. The Browse
panel can be hidden so that more room is available for viewing your
at the top of the Browse panel tabs
images. Just click the left arrow
to hide or show the panel.
There are many ways to adjust and customize the Corel AfterShot Pro
workspace. “Adjusting the workspace” on page 159.

Understanding non-destructive editing
Corel AfterShot Pro is a non-destructive image editor, meaning that
adjustments you make to your images in Corel AfterShot Pro will never
18

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

alter the data in the original image. You are free to experiment as much
as you want, knowing that you can always revert to the original
version. As a non-destructive image editor, the adjustments you create
are stored either in a sidecar XMP file, within the Corel AfterShot Pro
catalog database, or both. This means that when you're ready to share
or export your work, you need to output the versions you want to a
standard file format.

All your edits are saved in a sidecar file (XMP)

When you edit a photo in Corel AfterShot Pro, a new version is created
that contains the adjustments you've made. Corel AfterShot Pro allows
more than one set of image adjustments to be made on a single photo,
allowing you to efficiently make many versions of a single image.
Creating a new version does not make a copy of the original master
file, but rather just allows you to apply different image adjustments
and metadata to the same Master file.

Welcome

Master version from original (left) and edited versions (center).
The changes are committed only when you output to JPEG or
TIFF.

XMP files
Corel AfterShot Pro stores its settings in an XMP file that is slightly
different from other popular image editors and photo management
applications. We do this to prevent Corel AfterShot Pro from
overwriting settings created by other applications and to circumvent
limitations inherent in the current XMP standard (such as only being
able to export the metadata from one version at a time, or the inability
to save different settings for a RAW file and a JPEG that were created
in camera as a RAW+JPEG pair).
Corel AfterShot Pro uses a similar, but slightly different filename to
store this enhanced XMP data. The XMP filename is created by simply
adding ".xmp" to the end of the complete filename of the image file it
describes (while many other applications build the XMP filename by
first dropping the image file extension (like "jpg", "nef" or "cr2") before
adding "xmp"). So a Corel AfterShot Pro XMP file would look like

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

img_0000.jpg.xmp while an XMP from other applications for the
same image would simply be img_0000.xmp.
Corel AfterShot Pro lets you create a standard XMP file that other
applications will read, but this limits the settings to those officially
supported by the XMP standard (one set of metadata per image file).
Shared XMP data
Other applications store image adjustments in sidecar XMP files, and
metadata added in other applications can be imported into Corel
AfterShot Pro. These include:
• Star ratings
• Color labels
• Flags (called 'Picks' or 'Selects' in other applications)
• Keywords and categories
• IPTC and EXIF data
Likewise, applying any of these settings to images in Corel AfterShot
Pro will write this data back to the XMP file for those images. Many
applications allow you sync settings from XMP files with the settings
they hold in their internal databases. After the sync process is
complete, adjustments made in Corel AfterShot Pro appear in those
applications as well.
For more information, see “Organizing images” on page 103.
XMP data exclusive to Corel AfterShot Pro
Settings from image editing tools within Corel AfterShot Pro and other
applications are also stored within XMP files; however, these settings
are not shared amongst applications from different manufacturers.
This is due to the technical differences in implementing various image
adjustment tools. These differences in how the various tools are
implemented give each application its own image quality
Welcome

characteristics, and prohibit image adjustment settings from being
shared between applications.
Using Corel AfterShot Pro in no way limits what you can do with your
images or which applications you can use to edit or manage your
digital photographic files.
How metadata is processed when you import files
Corel AfterShot Pro reads and collects metadata embedded in image
files, in Corel AfterShot Pro XMP files and standard XMP files. The
process and order of collecting metadata from these various sources is
shown below.
1.If a Corel AfterShot Pro XMP file exists, metadata is read from this file
and no other metadata is imported.
2.If no Corel AfterShot Pro XMP file is found, metadata is read from
Standard XMP files.
3.If XMP content is embedded in the image file, this is read next and is
added to any previously found XMP data, but common fields found in
any other source are ignored.

Understanding the Library
Your Library is where you store one or more catalogs of photos. It is a
key part of the asset management system. It lets you access the master
files (original photos) as well as all the versions that you create. You can
read photo metadata, and search and browse for photos based on the
associated metadata.
Review the information in this section, and when you're ready to start
importing, see Importing images.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

The Corel AfterShot Pro Library and catalogs
If you choose to use Corel AfterShot Pro's asset management features,
you will start by importing images into a catalog. This catalog is where
data and metadata for your photos will be stored. The Library consists
of one or more catalogs, which store data such as:
• Links to original master files (path information and file
information)
• Metadata for image searching and browsing
• Image adjustment settings, and a complete editing history
• Previews and thumbnails
• Catalog-specific settings
Asset management is optional
Although importing your photos to the Library is recommended, it is
not required. You can still view and edit photos and use the RAW file
conversion features without adding files to your Library. How? You
simply click the File System tab and navigate to the photos in the
Directory View.
When would I not want to import photos?
Here are some examples of cases where you may choose not to import
photos:
• If you simply want to see what photos are on a memory card or
other storage device. For example, if you want to grab a few RAW
files from your friend's memory card, you can use the File System
tab to find and view the photos. You can then copy only the
photos that you want to your computer and import those photos.
• If you already have an asset management application and don't
want to replace it. For example, perhaps you have third-party
software that copies and builds an image folder structure.

Welcome

• If you have many photos that you need to import and you simply
want to get started quickly.
Features available after importing photos to the Library
After you import your photos to a catalog in your Library, you have full
access to the following features:
• Browsing multiple folders — select multiple folders and view all
the thumbnails in the folders and subfolders in one flat view.
• Full editing history — an editing log is maintained for every
change that you make to photos and versions over time. If you do
not import your photos, the edit log is maintained only for the
current session (the log is cleared when you exit the application).
• Image search — find images by searching for filename, EXIF, IPTC
or other metadata.
• Metadata browsing — browse through your catalog using EXIF,
IPTC or other metadata.
• Image stacks — group versions from one or many master files
together into stacks.
• Offline image browsing — find and manage images that are
stored on offline media like CDs, DVDs or external hard drives.
• Initial image settings — Corel AfterShot Pro stores the first set of
adjustments found for every image when you import. This lets you
quickly revert to these settings at any time. The Initial Settings
might be the same as the Default Settings, or they might be
different because they include any edits or adjustments made in
Corel AfterShot Pro before importing.

Understanding the export process
Exporting takes the previews that you see in Corel AfterShot Pro and
creates new image files that you can print, share on the web, or use in
other applications. Since Corel AfterShot Pro is a non-destructive
24

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

image editor, the image adjustments and optimizations you create in
Corel AfterShot Pro are only accessible to other applications when
exported to standard file formats, such as JPEG and TIFF.
A batch lets you export one or more images and lets you customize the
output. For example, you can rename the files as they are processed
and change the file type. There are two main types of batch
operations:
• File Output batches — convert versions to a new image file that
can be accessed by any other application.
• Copy Output batches — lets you copy the master files. This
option lets you copy or move files from one location to another.
You can also perform many of the same actions as you can with
File Output batches.
For more information about exporting, see “Exporting images” on
page 139.
File Output batches
Corel AfterShot Pro comes with several batch output presets to convert
the versions you create to standard file formats. You can customize any
of these batches.
Examples of batch output presets:
• JPEG Full Size: JPEG Image type, 90% image quality Same Pixel
Dimensions as the master file
Converts to sRGB colorspace. Ideal for printing and general
output.
• JPEG Proof: JPEG Image type, 80% image quality. Half Height,
Half Width of the master file
Converts to sRGB colorspace, ideal for sharing on the Web
• 16-bit TIFF: TIFF Image type, with 16 bits-per-pixel color data.
Same Pixel Dimensions as the master file.
Welcome

Ideal when exporting images for editing in other applications
(must support 16-bit images)
• 8-bit TIFF: TIFF Image type, with 8 bits-per-pixel color data. Same
Pixel Dimensions as the master file.
Ideal for exporting images so you can use them in other
applications that do not support 16-bit images
Copy Output batches
A Copy batch does just that — it copies the master versions added to
the batch to a predefined location or locations, optionally renaming
the destination files. A Copy batch will copy all sidecar files that
accompany the images added to the batch, ensuring that XMP and
other sidecar files are kept together with the original files.
Copy batches are great for automating backups and for downloading
images from camera memory cards.

System requirements
*Corel AfterShot Pro 3 is 64-bit
Windows
• Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7 with latest
service pack (64-bit editions)
• 64-bit Intel or AMD processor (multi-core processor
recommended)
• 2 GB of RAM (4 GB recommended for HDR)
• 400 MB of available hard-disk space required
• 1024x768 resolution with 16-bit color display (1280 x 768
resolution with 24 bit or higher color display recommended)
• Internet connection required for online help and program updates

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Macintosh
• Mac OSX 10.9 or later (64-bit edition)
• All Intel Macs model are supported
• 2 GB of RAM
• 250 MB of available hard-disk space required
• 1024 x 768 resolution with 16-bit color display
• Internet connection required for online help and program updates
Linux
• Fedora19 or Ubuntu 14.04 or later (64-bit distributions)
• 64-bit Intel or AMD processor (multi-core processor
recommended)
• 2 GB of RAM
• 250 MB of available hard disk space required
• 1024 x 768 resolution with 16-bit color
• Internet connection required for online help and program updates
• Dependencies: Glib 2.4, KDE or GNOME recommended (full list of
dependencies in RPM & DEB packages)
• Enable desktop compositing and freedesktop.org-compliant
window manager (KDE, Gnome, and others) recommended
• 64-bit distributions require 32-bit compatibility libraries (ia32-libs)

Supported cameras and file formats
RAW files from a wide array of digital cameras are supported as well as
JPEG and TIFF files. Examples of RAW formats include 3FR, ARW, CR2,
CRW, DCR, DNG, ERF, K25, KDC, MEF, MOS, NEF, NRW, ORF, PEF, RAF,
RW2, SR2, SRF, X3F.
For a the latest list of supported cameras, visit www.aftershotpro.com.

Welcome

About image size
In film photography, understanding the size of an image was simple —
it was simply the size of the print. With digital photography, things are
a little more complicated. There are at least three different aspects to
the size of a digital photograph:
• File Size — typically measured in megabytes (MB), this measures
to the amount of disk or memory card space consumed by the
image file.
• Pixel Size — measured in pixels or megapixels, this is measures
the number of individual pixels or colored dots that comprise the
image.
• Print Size — measured inches, millimeters, or other physical units
of measure. Any time a measure of length, like inches or
centimeters, is used to describe a digital image, they are referring
to Print Size.
Every digital photograph from a given camera will start out with the
exact same Pixel Size, which will be something like 6000x4000 pixels,
or about 24 megapixels and corresponds to the number of photo sites
or pixels your camera's sensor has. However, the File Size for different
photos from the same camera will vary. This is based on image content
and is due to compression techniques used to make the file as small as
possible. Generally speaking, a higher megapixel camera will produce
larger files.
Print size is determined by two things: Pixel Size and how many pixels
to print in a given physical size, commonly called DPI or dots per inch
or PPI, pixels per inch. For example, the 6000x4000 pixel image from
the example above, when printed at 300 DPI will be approximately 20
inches by 13.3 inches (6000 pixels / 300 pixels per inch = 20 inches).
Changing only the DPI in no way affects the file size on the photo or

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

the pixel size, it only changes the Print Size. For example, changing that
same image to 600 DPI, which would yield a 10 inch by 6.6 inch print.
DPI and Print Size only matter when printing an photo; DPI is irrelevant
to images on screen, in email, or otherwise viewed, edited or used on
a computer. Pixel Size alone determines how much information or
"quality" in stored in the image file.
Cropping and resizing
Cropping an image is used to recompose the shot to include only
portions of the original image, or to change the Aspect Ratio — the
height relative to the width — of the photo. If you have several images
from the same camera that you want to print the same size, some after
cropping and some without cropping, then the DPI of those images
must be different.
Resizing allows you to make the Pixel Size larger or smaller than the
original image. To continue the example from above, suppose you
cropped a portion of the image from the center of the frame, say 1500
by 1200 pixels. A "Full Size" output image from this cropped image
would be 1500 by 1200 pixels — much smaller than your original
image. You could print this image at 10 inches by 8 inches — but that
would be at 150 DPI (passable, but lower print quality). If you wanted
to make an image in Corel AfterShot Pro that had the same pixel
dimensions as the original file, you would need to upscale — or stretch
the image. Upscaling does not add information or quality to the photo,
it is not generally recommended because it will not print significantly
better results than before the image was upscaled.
Note: For more information about cropping, see “Cropping” on
page 88.

Welcome

When DPI or Print Size matters
If you print from within Corel AfterShot Pro, then DPI and Print Size will
be handled for you automatically by our Print Output system. If your
images are only shown on computer screens, in email or in other
electronic forms, then DPI and Print Size are meaningless.
DPI and Print Size only matter when you output images from Corel
AfterShot Pro to be printed by someone else.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Learning how to use
Corel AfterShot Pro
You can learn how to use AfterShot Pro in various ways: by accessing
the Help or user guide PDF, by exploring videos, or by engaging with
the Corel AfterShot Pro community.
This section presents the following topics:
• Using the Help system
• Corel AfterShot Pro User Guide PDF
• Learning with video tutorials
• Using Web-based resources

Using the Help system
The Help that is available from within the program is the most
comprehensive source of information for Corel PaintShop Pro. The
Help system provides two ways to find information. You can choose a
topic from the Contents page, or use the Search page to search for
specific words and phrases. You can also print topics from the Help.

To use the Help system
1

Do one of the following:
• Click Help  Help topics.
• Press F1.

In the Help window, click one of the following tabs:
• Contents — lets you browse through topics in the Help
• Search — lets you search the full text of the Help for a particular
word or phrase (no quotation marks required). For example, if

Learning how to use Corel AfterShot Pro

you are looking for information about a specific tool or
command, you can type the name of the tool or command,
such as Backlighting, to display a list of relevant topics.

Corel AfterShot Pro User Guide PDF
You can download the Corel AfterShot Pro User Guide PDF to your
computer or tablet, or you can print the pages you want. You can find
the PDF on the Learning page.

Learning with video tutorials
The Corel Discovery Center (English only) lets you find and view a
range of videos that help you learn about the application and
photography.
You can also find video links within some topics in the online Help and
by visiting www.youtube.com/corelaftershotpro.

Using Web-based resources
You can access a number of Web pages dedicated to customer support
and communities. You can find resources such as downloads, tutorials,
tips, newsletters, newsgroups, and other online resources. For a full list
of Web-based learning resources, see Learning page for Corel
AfterShot Pro.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Here are a few resources to get you started:
• Corel Support — this link takes you to the Customer Support
Web page
• AfterShot Community forum
• Facebook page for Corel AfterShot Pro

Learning how to use Corel AfterShot Pro

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Library and catalogs
Your Library is where you store one or more catalogs of photos. It is a
key part of the asset management system. A catalog is a collection of
photos and their associated image data. In essence, a catalog is a
database that can be managed within Corel AfterShot Pro.
In this section, you’ll learn about
• About the Library
• About catalogs
• Importing images
• Managing your Library
• Portable catalogs

About the Library
Your Library is where you store one or more catalogs of photos. It is a
key part of the asset management system. It lets you access the master
files (original photos) as well as all the versions that you create.
A catalog is a collection of photos and their associated image data. In
essence, a catalog is a database that can be managed within Corel
AfterShot Pro. Catalogs contain master files, thumbnails and preview
images, image settings, image adjustments, and catalog-specific
preferences.
The Library can be accessed from the Browse panel. The Library page
contains the Catalogs section which lists all the folders and photos that

Library and catalogs

you have cataloged by importing. For more information about
importing to the Library, see “Importing images” on page 37.

The Library page in the Browse panel contains the Search box,
the Catalog section, and the Metadata Browser.

About catalogs
When images are first imported into a Corel AfterShot Pro catalog, the
initial settings used for that image are taken from a Corel AfterShot Pro
XMP file if one exists. If no Corel AfterShot Pro XMP file is found,
metadata settings (keywords, rating, labels, IPTC or XMP tags) are read
from standard XMP files, or the image file itself.
Catalog versus XMP
After images have been imported into a Corel AfterShot Pro catalog,
changes to any image or metadata settings are stored within the Corel
AfterShot Pro catalog. The changes can be written back to the
AfterShot Pro XMP files manually by selecting the thumbnails for the
images you want, right-clicking one of the thumbnails, and selecting
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Corel AfterShot Pro 3

XMP > Write AfterShot XMP files. Alternately, you may choose to
have Corel AfterShot Pro always keep the XMP files up to date. You can
do so in the General preferences by enabling the Allow automatic
AfterShot .xmp creation for photos in Catalogs check box.
Multiple catalogs
Most people can easily work with one catalog. All photos are imported
to the default catalog, and you can easily search and filter to find the
photos your want in the catalog. However, if you take photos for
different reasons, professional versus personal for example, you can
create separate catalogs. Corel AfterShot Pro lets you build, open, and
work with many catalogs from your Library simultaneously. This allows
you to group, backup, and manage sets of files as catalogs, while
preserving the ability to browse, search, and access any image in any
open catalog. For more information about creating catalogs, see
“Managing catalogs” on page 42.

Importing images
When you import images into Corel AfterShot Pro, they are added to
a catalog. You can choose to import an entire folder, a folder and all
the subfolders it contains, or you can selectively import one or more
files within a folder.
Importing is a process that you control. If you add a new folder or
subfolder to your computer, you must import the new folders if you
want to add them to your Library. If you have added several subfolders
or individual images to an existing folder structure, you can reimport
from the root folder to ensure that you catch all the new items —
duplicate catalog entries are not created if you import a photo from
the same source location more than once.

Library and catalogs

To import a folder
1

Do one of the following
• Click File > Import Photos from Folder. In the dialog box,
navigate to the folder you want and click the Select Folder
button.
• In the Browse panel, click the File System tab, and in the
Directory View, right-click the folder you want, and choose
Import Folder from the context menu.

In the Import Photos dialog box, confirm that the Source Folder
button displays the name of your folder.
To include subfolders, enable the Include images from
subfolders check box.

Confirm that the Import into Catalog button displays the name
of the catalog you want to use. If you want to create a new
catalog, click the button.

(Optional) Enable the Apply Import Settings check box and enter
any keywords that you want to apply to all the photos within the
folder. You can also apply presets in the same way.

Click Begin Import.
Note: All the photos in the folder are cataloged. To check your
catalog, click the Library tab, and navigate to your folders in the
Catalogs section. Note that the files are not copied when they
are cataloged — they are referenced from their original
location.
Tip: If you don't want to import all the photos in a folder, you
can open the folder, and in the Thumbnail panel, select the
thumbnails for the photos that you want to import. Click File >
Import Selected Files, and choose the import settings you
want in the Import Photos dialog box.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Managing your Library
Your Library consists of catalogs and the files and versions that each
catalog contains. You can move, copy, rename, and delete one or more
files or versions at a time to get organized. You can also manage your
Library by creating more than one catalog, and control which catalogs
are accessible by opening or closing catalogs.
For more information about versions, see “Versions” on page 103.
Moving and copying versions
You can move or copy versions to a new location.
Note: When you move or copy a version, the master file and all
related versions are copied or moved.

To move or copy versions
• Do one of the following:
• To move a version, drag the thumbnail from the Thumbnail
panel to the folder of your choice in the Browse panel.
• To copy a version, hold Ctrl or Command while dragging the
thumbnail from the Thumbnail panel to the folder of your
choice in the Browse panel.
Renaming versions
You can choose to rename your versions by using renaming formats if
you want to rename several versions at one time with a consistent
format.

Library and catalogs

The Rename Versions dialog box has the following controls and
features:
• Format — choose from a list of existing formats.
• New Name — lets you enter a renaming format. For example, if
you use [jobname] or [jobseq] in the New Name box, you can
enter a job name in the Job Name. The sequence [jobseq] format
remembers the last number used in any previous renaming for this
job name, and will continue numbering where it left off.
• Next [rseq] — if you include [rseq] in the New Name box, that
text will be replaced with a unique, incrementing sequence
number that will start over the next time you rename versions.
This control allows you to set the number.
• Reset [jobseq] — restart the numbering for the job name
sequence selected.
• Rename all Versions derived from Master Versions — enable
this check box to number the master versions sequentially and any
related versions with the same name (adds "_v1", "_v2" etc to each
version). If you do not check this option, each version is given a
unique name.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

For more information about how to use renaming formats, see
“Renaming formats” on page 193.

To rename one or more versions
1

Select the thumbnails for the versions that you want to rename.

Press F2 or right-click and select Version > Rename Version.

Edit the New Name field, using text or renaming formats like
[date]. Or, select an existing renaming format from the Format
drop-down list.
The Preview updates as you edit the New Name field to show you
the results of the renaming format.

Deleting versions
You can delete a master version (which represents the original photo,
or master file) at any time, but different things happen when you
delete a master version versus other types of versions.
• Deleting a master version: When you delete a master version, all
associated versions are also deleted. The original master files are
moved to your computer's Recycle Bin. Review any messages that
appear to confirm the action.
• Deleting non-master versions: When you delete versions which
are not master versions, there is no impact to the original master
file — the version thumbnail and associated data is removed from
the sidecar XMP file.
Note: When Multi-Image View is enabled, only the single active
version is removed, not the entire selection.

To delete a master file or version
• •Select the thumbnails of the master versions that you want to
delete and do one of the following:
• Press Delete.
Library and catalogs

• Right-click a thumbnail and choose Version > Remove Version.
If you have selected a master version, a message appears to warn
you that the original file for the master version will be moved to
the Recycle Bin.

Managing catalogs
You can create one or more catalogs in your Library. Although you may
choose to use one catalog for simplicity, using multiple catalogs lets
you create logical groups so you can search, browse, edit, store, and
backup specific groups of images at a time without needing to access
or open the rest of your Library.
You can create a new catalog at any time. You can open or close
catalogs. When you close a catalog, it does not display in the Library.
To access the Library, click the Library tab on the Browse panel.

To create a new catalog
1

Right-click inside the Catalogs section of the Library, and select
Catalog > New Catalog, or click File > New Catalog from the
menu.

In the Create and Choose New Catalog Folder dialog box,
choose an empty folder or create a folder.

Click Select Folder.
The new catalog appears in the Catalogs section.

To open an existing catalog
• Right-click inside the Catalogs section of the Library, and select
Catalog > Open Catalog, or choose File > Open Catalog from
the menu.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

To close a catalog
• In the Catalogs section of the Library, right-click the catalog that
you want to close, and choose Catalog > Close Catalog.

Portable catalogs
Individual catalogs for Corel AfterShot Pro can be used in only one
session at a time, but they can be accessed from a fast (local) network
from multiple Corel AfterShot Pro applications. If the master files are
accessed by two machines differently (mapped as different network
drives on Windows, or mounted differently on Linux or Mac) then you'll
need to edit the Catalog Preferences to select the proper root folder.
For example, assume that you access master files stored on a local hard
drive D: on your main desktop computer and store the AfterShot
Catalog on that drive also, but have a second computer that accesses
the same catalog and master files from the main desktop computer. On
this second machine, the D: drive is mapped as X:. If you imported
images into a Corel AfterShot Pro catalog on the main desktop
computer and then opened that same catalog on the second
computer, Corel AfterShot Pro would look for those master files on the
second computer's D: drive instead of on X:.
To solve this, you can create movable catalog paths inside the catalog
that is shared by the two machines, and set the location of the
movable catalog path differently to account for the different ways
these two machines access the same catalogs and master files.

To create a moveable path
1

On the main computer, click the Library tab and right-click the
catalog into which you have imported files from a shared location
(if your catalog is open, you'll see a letter that represents the
network drive your catalog is mapped to).

In the context menu, click Set Movable Paths.

Library and catalogs

In the Set Moveable Catalog Paths dialog box, click Add.

In the Select a Local Directory dialog box, choose the drive that
holds the imported images that you want to share across the
network. Try to stay as close to the root of the directory as possible

Click Select Folder to set this drive as a moveable catalog path.
This does not affect how Corel AfterShot Pro accesses master files
on this first machine, but it prepares the catalog for updating on
the second machine. Click the Add Note button to capture path
information related to where the folder is stored on the drive that
you selected.

Close Corel AfterShot Pro on the first machine. Now you can copy
your catalog to another computer.

Map the catalog drive of the main computer as a network drive.

On the second computer, open Corel AfterShot Pro.

Click File > Open Catalog, and import your catalog.

10 In the Library, right-click the catalog and choose Set Moveable

Paths from the context menu.
11 Click Set, and navigate to the drive where the cataloged files are

referenced.
12 Click Select Folder, verify the paths in the Set Moveable Paths

dialog box, and click OK.
Note: it is not necessary to set a movable catalog path before
importing images, nor before opening the catalog on a second
computer as long as you remember the original file locations.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

File System mode
File System mode lets you access and edit uncataloged photos. It is a
quick way to access any supported image file on your computer,
without needing to import images into a catalog. It's a good way to
access photos that you may not keep, but when you don't import
photos, you'll miss out on some features that are only possible when
working on images in a Corel AfterShot Pro catalog. If you start
working with photos in File System mode, you have the option of
importing the photos to a Library catalog later.
For more information about File System mode, see “Understanding
the Library” on page 22.
In this section, you’ll learn about
• Image settings in File System mode

Image settings in File System mode
Since the File System mode does not maintain a persistent catalog, the
image adjustment and metadata settings are written to a Corel
AfterShot Pro XMP file after each adjustment. Each time you browse to
a new folder, Corel AfterShot Pro will scan the folder, removing any files
from Corel AfterShot Pro that have been deleted from your computer,
adding any new images found, and refreshing the settings for all
existing files with the latest settings found in the XMP files. This
ensures that what you see in Corel AfterShot Pro in File System Mode
matches exactly what is saved on your computer. This also means that

File System mode

the edit history (as seen in the History palette) is reset between each
session.
Note: If you're editing in File System mode and Library mode,
it can cause issues — edits to photos may not be visible if you
edit the same file in both File System mode and Library mode
(the information is written to the file in a different way).
Therefore, it is recommended that after you import a file into a
Library catalog, you always access the file from the Library.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Editing photos
Editing photos in AfterShot Pro can be a as quick and simple or as
detailed and precise as you like. All your editing is completely nondestructive, so you can experiment with confidence.
In this section, you’ll learn about
• About non-destructive editing
• About adjustment tools
• Standard tools
• Histogram
• Basic Adjustments
• Presets
• Color tools
• Tone tools
• Detail tools
• Metadata tools
• Plugins
• Selective editing
• Retouching with Heal, Clone, or Blemish Remover
• Removing red eye
• Cropping
• Straightening
• Working with Presets
• Copying and pasting settings
• Undoing changes
Editing photos

• About default settings
• Using the History palette
• Editing photos in an external image editor

About non-destructive editing
The image editor in Corel AfterShot Pro is completely non-destructive,
so you are free to experiment and edit your images as much as you
want, knowing that you can always revert to the original version. All
the edits that you make and metadata that you add is stored either in
a sidecar XMP file, within a Corel AfterShot Pro catalog, or both.
To view or use your image adjustments in other applications, you need
to export the image. For more information about exporting your files,
see Exporting images.

The original file is always protected. The master version is
based on the original file, but you can create as many versions
as you like.

Because your original file is always protected (as a master file), when
you edit a photo, your edits are viewable within Corel AfterShot Pro on
a representation of the master file called a master version. You can
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create as many additional versions as you like. When you create a
version, the application does not need to make a copy of the master
file, the information is efficiently stored in the XMP file or catalog, so
you can create as many versions as you like without taking up much
storage space.
The application automatically saves each edit that you make to a
photo, so your editing workflow between photos is smooth. A
complete history is kept for all the photos that you have imported into
your Library, so you undo or redo changes at any time. Note, if you are
working on photos that have not been added to the Library, the edit
history is only retained for the current editing session. For more
information, see “Using the History palette” on page 97.

About adjustment tools
Most editing tools and controls can be found in the Tools panel. When
you click the Standard tab, you can access the Basic Adjustments
section, which contains the most common adjustment controls. Other
tabs, such as Color, Tone, Detail, and Metadata, let you access
additional tools and more advanced controls and options. For
example, the Basic Adjustments section includes Fill Light. Fill Light
also appears in the Exposure section of the Tone page. In the
Exposure section, there is an additional control, Fill Range, that lets
you fine-tune the Fill Light adjustment. Adjusting Fill Light in one
place will update the Fill Light setting in all sections — these are just
different views of the same control.
The image below shows , and some common controls. The Tools panel
can be resized, sections can be pinned, and you can choose to hide or
show the panel. There are different ways to adjust the controls in the
Tools panel. You can also reset controls to their original setting and
hide or show the results of a setting.

Editing photos

The Basic Adjustments section of the Tools panel

Why are some tools and controls not available?
Some tools and controls are not available under the following
conditions:

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

• The file that you are trying to edit is not available (for example, the
files are stored on an external drive that is not currently connected
to the computer)
• If you have a layer or selection and the tool or control can be
applied only to entire images
The tool is not compatible with the file format. For example, the
following tools can be applied only to RAW files:
• Custom White Balance (Temp and Tint sliders)
• White Balance Presets (Sunny, Cloudy, Incandescent, etc...)

To resize the Tools panel
• Position your pointer along the left edge of the panel, and drag
when your pointer changes to the resizing arrows.

To pin a section of a panel
• Display the section you want, and click the Pin icon pin in the
upper-right corner. To unpin the section, click the icon again.
A pinned section always displays, regardless of which page is
active.

To hide the Tools panel
• Click the Toggle Right Panel button

at the top of the panel.

To adjust a setting
•Do one of the following:
• Drag the slider
• Double-click the corresponding number for the setting and type
a new value

Editing photos

• Using a mouse with a wheel, position your pointer over the
control name or slider, and roll the mouse wheel to adjust the
setting

To reset a slider to its original setting
• Double-click the slider or control name.

To hide or show the results of a setting
• In the Tools panel, mark or unmark the check box to the left of the
adjustment tool.

Standard tools
When you click the Standard tab on the Tools panel, you can access
some of the most commonly used image editing tools. Grouping these
frequently used adjustments together in one place means that you can
perform basic edits quickly without switching between tabs. The
controls are divided into three sections: Histogram, Basic
Adjustments, and Presets.

Histogram
A histogram is a visual representation of the data that makes up your
image. The left side represents the darker areas in your image, the right
side represents the highlights, and the height of the colored curves
shows you how many pixels of a given value are found in your image.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Basic Adjustments
This section holds the most commonly used image adjustment
controls. Many photographers will likely find most of the controls they
need in this section.

AutoLevel
AutoLevel examines the tonal range of your image and sets the black
and white points to be at points such that a fixed percent of the image
will be pure black and pure white. There are two edit boxes in
AutoLevel: the left box sets the percentage of the image to be set to
pure black and the right box sets the percentage to be set to pure
white.

Perfectly Clear
Perfectly Clear, powered by Athentech Technologies Inc., is a simple
way to quickly optimize your images. Perfectly Clear is award-winning
technology that automatically optimizes the lighting for each and
every pixel while maintaining true color and zero clipping. Perfectly
Clear also removes abnormal tint and restores faded photos. It also
uses medical imaging technology to improve contrast and sharpen.
There are three settings within Perfectly Clear that control how much
tint adjustment is performed when Perfectly Clear is enabled:
• Tint Max — applies the full range of tint correction
• Tint Min — limits the tint correction, allowing some tint change
to occur, but preserving some of the original tint
• Tint Off — tint correction is turned off. All other aspects of
Perfectly Clear are still applied. Use this setting to preserve the
color of your original image.

Editing photos

White Balance
For RAW images, you can select among several preset white balance
settings, such as As Shot, Click White, and Custom Kelvin.
Different light sources have different characteristics or warmth that
affects how your camera captures images. White Balance lets you
adjust the overall color in the image, ensuring that colors are accurately
reproduced in your photos. You can select a White Balance preset,
such as Sunny, Shady, Tungsten, or Flash, or you can use the Click
White tool (on RAW, JPEG, or TIFF files) to select a neutral colored
object in your image (something that should appear as a neutral gray)
which will adjust all the colors in your image to make the point that
you clicked neutrally colored.
To set white balance with the Click White tool
1

In the White Balance section of the Basic Adjustments page,
click the Enable the Click White tool button

or press I.

In the Preview panel, experiment by clicking a neutral area of your
photo. The ideal place to click is on a neutral grey that is not
overexposed (pure white) or underexposed (pure black) on the
image you want to adjust. Clicking different spots will result in
different corrections.

To fine-tune the white balance, adjust this with the Temp slider.

Straighten
Straighten rotates your image to level a horizon or otherwise
straighten your image. For more information, see “Straightening” on
page 89.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Exposure
Exposure performs an overall exposure correction, either brightening
or darkening all portions of your image.

Highlights
Highlights recovers detail from apparently overexposed portions of the
image. For more information, see“Tone tools” on page 63.

Fill Light
Fill Light brightens shadows and the darker portions of the image
without overexposing highlights, and with minimal effect on
midtones.

Blacks
Blacks controls the black point in the image. Values lower than zero
remove black from the image; values higher than zero darken the
image. The Histogram section displays the changes in the image.

Saturation
Saturation adjusts the intensity of the colors in the image. High
saturation settings boost colors and provide rich, vivid color. Low
saturation settings produce pastel and more muted colors. Setting
Saturation to zero produces a pure monochrome, black-and-white
image.

Vibrance
Vibrance is a version of saturation that performs a more gentle
correction to skin and other image areas that are already richly
saturated.

Editing photos

Hue
Hue changes the colors in an image, rotating the "color circle" by the
amount indicated by the slider. For example, if the Hue slider is set to
60, then 60 is added to the original hues in your image, so greens
become cyan, blues become magenta, and reds become yellow.

Contrast
Increasing Contrast makes the dark areas in the image darker, and the
bright areas brighter.

Sharpening
Sharpening an image makes the high detail portions of the image
stand out more by making the edge details more pronounced.
Note: Fine detail control tools like Sharpening should be
applied and evaluated while looking at a 100% Zoom of the
image, either in the Preview panel or by using the Magnifier.

RAW Noise
RAW Noise reduces noise in RAW files only.

Keywords
The bottom of the Basic Adjustments section includes a Keywords
area that shows the keywords for all selected versions. When you have
multiple versions selected, the following color coding is used:
• red — the keywords apply only to some of the selected versions
56

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• green — the keywords apply only to the active version
• no color — the keywords apply to all selected versions

Presets
Presets are a great way to help speed up your workflow. You can save
your favorite adjustments to presets, create keyword presets, or
combine a wide range of photo editing in a preset that can be applied
with one click.
For more information, see “Working with Presets” on page 90.

Color tools
The Color tab in the Tools panel lets you access tools focused on color
control. The controls are organized into five sections: Curves, Color
Correction, Color Balance, White Balance, and Color Management.

Curves
The Curves section is an intelligent combination of standard Curves
and Levels tools found in many image editing programs.

Editing photos

The Curves section includes the following controls:
• Apply Curves — enables or disables Curves.
• RGB drop-down — allows selecting of individual color channels,
or the combined RGB mode.
• Before/After drop-down — switches the display from showing
the histogram before curve adjustments are applied and after
adjustments are applied
• Left White Arrow — sets the input 255 (white) point. Dragging
this arrow down shifts the histogram left, making the image
darker.
• Bottom White Arrow — sets the output 255 (white) point.
Dragging this arrow to the left brightens your image, but it can
clip highlight details.
• Left Black Arrow — sets the input 0 (black) point. Dragging this
arrow down shifts the histogram to the left, making the image
darker.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

• Bottom Black Arrow — sets the output 0 (black) point. Dragging
this arrow to the right deepens the shadows, and can clip shadow
detail.
• Bottom Grey Arrow — sets the output 128 (gray) point.
Dragging this arrow to the right shifts the midtones to higher
values, brightening the image; dragging the arrow to the left
darkens the image.
• Click inside the Curve tool — click inside the curve tool itself to
set or adjust the curve. You can set multiple points and drag to
fine-tune your tone control.
• AutoContrast — click this button to set the output white and
black points based on image content. It uses the AutoLevel values
(highlight and shadow) to perform a one-time adjustment to
increase contrast. The main difference between this tool and
AutoLevel is that the output white and black values can be more
easily adjusted than the AutoLevel values.
, Gray Point tool
, White Point tool
—
• Black Point tool
click a tool, then click the image in the Preview panel to set the
black, gray, or white point to the values of the pixel that you click.

and Reset Current
— Reset All restores the
• Reset All
curve values to a flat curve. Reset Current resets the current RGB
channel only.

Color Correction
The Color Correction section of the Color page in the Tools panel lets
you adjust your image selectively based on colors that you sample from
your image or colors that you set in the Color Picker. The colors you
select are stored in color wells. The first six color wells (top row) are
preset to the primary and secondary colors. The second set of color
wells (bottom row) can be set to any color you choose.

Editing photos

To pick a color as the starting point for a color correction
1

In the Tools panel, click the Color tab, and open the Color
Correction section.

Click any adjustable Color Well
(white wells in the second row).

Click the Color Picker
that appears next to the Hue slider and
click anywhere within your photo to select a color that will be
used for color adjustment.

that isn't assigned a color

After your starting color is selected, you can adjust the Hue,
Saturation, or Luminance of that color within your image.
4

Adjust Range to control the color tolerance. A small range adjusts
only colors very close to your selected color; a higher range adjusts
a larger color range in your image.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

In this example, Selective Color was used to sample the dress.
The Hue was adjusted to change the color of the dress.

Tip: You can also assign a new color to a color well by clicking
the color well
that displays to the left of the Color Picker
. This opens a color selector window where you can pick a
color as your adjustment color.

Color Balance
This section in the Tools panel lets you precisely balance the colors in
your image. You can use the following controls:
• Cyan/Red, Magenta/Green and Yellow/Blue — shifts the color
along the color axis.
• Saturation — adjusts the intensity of the colors in the image.
High saturation settings boost colors and provide rich, vivid color.
Low saturation settings produce pastel and more muted colors.
• Vibrance — applies a gentle version of Saturation that avoids the
oversaturation of skin colors and image areas that are already
richly saturated.
Editing photos

• Hue — changes the colors in an image, rotating the color wheel
by the amount indicated on the slider. For example, if the Hue
slider is set to 60, this value is added to the original hues in your
image, so greens become cyan, blues become magenta, and reds
become yellow.

•HSL/HSV — choose between correcting images in HSL (Hue /
Saturation / Luminance) and HSV (Hue / Saturation / Value) color
spaces.

White Balance
White Balance provides several preset white balance settings, such as
As Shot, Click White, and Custom Kelvin.
Different light sources have different characteristics or warmth that
effects how objects appear to you camera. White Balance lets you
adjust the overall color in the image, ensuring that colors are accurately
reproduced in your photos. You can select a White Balance preset,
such as Sunny, Shady, Tungsten, or Flash, or you can use Click White
to select a neutral colored object in your image (something that should
appear as a neutral gray) which adjusts all the colors in your image to
make the point that you clicked neutrally colored.
To set white balance with the Click White tool
1

In the White Balance section of the Basic Adjustments page,
click the Enable the Click-White tool button

or press I.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

To fine-tune the white balance, adjust the Temp slider.

Color Management
This tool controls the color management mode applied to the active
version.
• Color Mgmt — enables color management when set to an ICC
profile. Switching this to None-Linear still applies color
management, but leaves the image in a linear color space.
• Custom Input Profile — advanced users can choose to create an
input profile from the linear data associated with a camera profile.
For more information, see “About color management” on page 211.

Tone tools
The Tone tab on the Tools panel lets you access controls that let you
fine-tune image tone. All the tools are organized in the Exposure
section.

Exposure
The Exposure section combines all the tonal adjustments into a single
area. Many of the same controls can be accessed by clicking the
Standard tab.

Editing photos

• AutoLevel — examines the tonal range of your image and sets the
black and white points to be at points such that a fixed
percentage of the image will be pure black and pure white. There
are two edit boxes in AutoLevel: the left box sets the percentage
of the image to be set to pure black and the right box sets the
percentage to be set to pure white.
• Blacks — controls the black point in the image. Values lower than
zero remove black from the image; values higher than zero darken
the image.
• Exposure — adjusts the overall brightness or tone of the image
• Highlights — recovers highlight details and color from
overexposed portions of your image.
• HR Range — controls how much of the image is adjusted by
Highlights. Lower numbers recover detail and color from only the
lightest areas; higher numbers expand the recovery to a broader
range of light areas.
• Fill Light — recovers shadow details by selectively brightening
only the darkest portions of your image

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

• Fill Range — controls how much of the image is adjusted by Fill
Light. A small range adjusts only the darkest image areas; a large
number brightens more of the midtones.
• Contrast — controls the difference between the lightest and
darkest areas of an image. Increasing the contrast makes the dark
areas in the image darker and the bright areas brighter.
• Enable Local Contrast — enable the check box to control
regional contrast to improve overall image clarity or emphasize
texture. Tonal changes are applied according to the values set for
Strength (amount) and Radius (size of areas sampled).

Local Contast was applied (right) to emphasize texture in the
original image (left).

Detail tools
The Detail tab on the Tools panel lets you access controls that let you
sharpen, blur, adjust noise, apply lens corrections or distortions, and
add effects, such as vignette or color inversion.

Sharpening
The Sharpening section lets you adjust how sharp or how soft the
details are in your image. Amount adjusts the overall sharpness, while
Sensitivity limits what portions of your image are sharpened.

Editing photos

A high Sensitivity value results in less of your image being sharpened.
If sharpening your image makes noise or highly detailed areas too
distracting or too sharp, then try raising the Sensitivity value.
Note: Fine-detailed control tools, like Sharpening, should be
applied and evaluated while looking at the image at the 100%
zoom level, either in the Preview panel or with the Magnifier.

RAW Noise
RAW Noise is an image improvement process that you can use very
early in the image editing workflow to provide the highest quality final
images. The feature can be applied only to RAW files.
• Raw Impulse Noise Removal — enables the automatic detection
and removal of impulse noise (single black, white, or colored
pixels).
• Raw Noise — reduces noise. You can control the strength of the
noise reduction.
• Threshold — sets the level of sensitivity for noise detection in the
image.
Note: Applying RAW Noise enables RAW Impulse Noise
Removal, but you can apply RAW Impulse Noise Removal
without enabling RAW Noise.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Perfectly Clear Noise Removal
Perfectly Clear Noise Removal uses Athentec Imaging Noise Removal
to improve images by reducing noise, a graininess caused by color or
luminance-related artifacts, without losing image detail. Noise occurs
for a number of reasons, including low-lighting or limitations of the
camera's sensors. Perfectly Clear Noise Removal includes the
following controls:
• Enable Noise Removal — toggles noise removal on or off.
• Preset — lets you choose automatic noise reduction based on
some common noise-reduction options.
• Strength — lets you set how much noise reduction is applied (0100).
• Detail — lets you control how much detail is preserved (0-10).

Lens Correction
Lens correction fixes lens distortion. While zoom lenses with a large
range of focal lengths show the greatest lens distortion, even fixedfocal length, or "prime" lenses, can cause some types of distortion. The
following types of lens distortion can quickly and easily be corrected in
Corel AfterShot Pro: Barrel and Pin Cushion distortion, Chromatic
Aberration, and Vignetting.

Editing photos

Barrel and Pin Cushion distortion is commonly referred to simply as lens
distortion. This is caused from nonuniform magnification of the image
from the outside of the image (perimeter) to the center. Barrel
distortion refers to a rounded effect in an image caused by diminished
lens magnification towards the edges. Pin cushion distortion refers to
a pinched or narrowed appearance at the sides of an image. Each lens
has its own Barrel and Pin Cushion characteristics, and by analyzing a
set of images from a lens at all focal lengths, this distortion can be
removed. Corel AfterShot Pro includes profiles for several hundred lens
and camera combinations.
Chromatic Aberration distortion (known as CA distortion) is a result
of the nonuniform bending of light as it passes through a lens. The
result is a color fringe (often appears purple) and uneven colors around
edge details in high contrast scenes, such as branches of a tree
silhouetted against a bright sky. Zoom lenses, particularly at their
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Corel AfterShot Pro 3

widest and longest focal lengths, exhibit the most severe distortion. CA
distortion can be removed by adjusting the data for the colors that
show the most distortion.
Vignetting is the darkening of corners of an image due to light fall-off,
and can be caused by optics (the lens itself), the sensor (many sensors
are less sensitive to light that hits the sensor at an angle), or from other
causes like a filter or lens hood that shades the corners of an image.
Vignetting can be corrected by brightening the corners of an image. In
some cases, photographers chose to add a vignette effect to their
photos to draw focus to the central subject. You can use Corel
AfterShot Pro to remove an unwanted vignette or add a vignette.
When you add a vignette, it is always performed on the cropped
portion of the image, while correcting vignette is applied to the entire
original frame.

Add a vignette

The Lens Correction section contains the following common controls:
• Enable correction — toggles Lens Correction on or off.
• Resize image — enable to automatically scale the image to fill the
image frame. Do not enable if you want to fill the empty sections
of your image manually.
• Edit — lets you edit the currently selected lens correction profile
• Load — lets you open a saved lens correction profile (XML file)
Editing photos

• Save — lets you save your changes to the current profile and save
a copy as an XML file that can be shared with other users.
• Reset — removes all changes made to the profile during the
current session
The Database tab is used when you want to correct your images based
on camera and lens profiles built into Corel AfterShot Pro.
The top section controls Barrel and Pin Cushion distortion, and
contains two tabs: Database and Manual.
• Manufacturer, Model, Lens — these drop-down menus show
what camera and lens Corel AfterShot Pro assumes your image
was taken with. Some cameras and lenses include data in the
image file that allows the application to determine exactly what
camera and lens was used, but other times the application
"guesses" the closest option based on the data available. You can
change incorrect guesses by selecting the correct manufacturer,
camera model, and lens in the lists. These determine which Lens
Distortion profile to use when removing distortion.
• Focal Length — shows the focal length setting for the lens at the
time the image was taken. You can set the focal length manually
if the image file doesn't include this information.
• Reload EXIF — click this button to have Corel AfterShot Pro reread the EXIF data from the selected image, guess the camera and
lens type, and select the appropriate entries in the drop-downs.
The Manual tab lets you manually enter correction parameters instead
of using correction parameters from profiles built into the application.
This is useful for lenses that are not yet in the lens correction database.
You can save a lens correction that you create as an XML file and share
it with the AfterShot community. You can load saved lens corrections
and edit existing profiles in the Manual tab.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

If you want more information about lens correction parameters in
general, and how to determine them, you can visit the following thirdparty site: http://wiki.panotools.org/Lens_correction_model.
The Chromatic Aberration section contains the following controls:
• Chromatic Aberration Correction — toggles Chromatic
Aberration Correction on or off. This control is independent of
other types of lens correction.
• R / C — controls the shift of colors along the Red/Cyan color axis.
• B / Y — controls the shift of colors along the Blue/Yellow color
axis.
The Vignette Correction section contains the following:
• Enable vignette correction — toggles Vignette control on or off.
This control is independent of other types of lens correction.
• Strength — controls how light (positive or right) or dark (negative
or left) the correction will be.
• Radius — controls how far into the image the correction should
extend.

Mirror and Invert
This simple tool allows you to:
• Mirror your image (from left to right).
• Invert the colors (like a film negative). This option can be useful
when working with scanned negatives.

Metadata tools
The Metadata tab contains tools that let you view and edit the
metadata associated with your images. This metadata includes camera
data, EXIF and IPTC data, as well as information that you add to your
files, such as keywords, star ratings, and captions. The controls are

Editing photos

organized into three sections: Metadata, Keywords, and Keyword
Sets.

Metadata
This tool shows EXIF and IPTC metadata assigned to the Active Version,
and allows you to add, remove or edit the IPTC data from all selected
images.

You can select different metadata sets from the drop-down list at the
top of the Metadata section, which changes the type of metadata that
is shown. Some metadata is read-only, like Shutter Speed and ISO
Rating, while other metadata is editable, like Caption, Rating, and
Date.

Keywords
This section shows all keywords assigned to the active version and all
selected versions. You can add and remove keywords from all selected
images.
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Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Note: Adding or removing keywords from the Keywords
section affects all selected images, while the keywords
displayed in the section reflect only the active version.

Keyword Sets
This section provides a fast and easy way to assign multiple keywords
to you photos. You can group similar keywords together in a set and
show that set in the Keyword Sets section.

For more information about Metadata tools, see the following topics:
•Working with metadata
•Effective use of keywords
•Working with keywords and keyword sets
•Finding photos by using metadata

Plugins
The Plugin tab lets you access installed plugins, including plugins
developed by third-party developers. These unique image adjustment
tools are designed to work directly within Corel AfterShot Pro. The
plugins are totally non-destructive, like all of Corel AfterShot Pro's builtEditing photos

in image adjustment tools, and are compatible with Corel AfterShot
Pro's selective editing tools.
As you install other plugins, additional tools appear on the Plugins tab.
Additional tabs are created automatically as you install more plugins.
For more information about plugins available for Corel AfterShot Pro,
visit www.aftershotpro.com/plugins.

Before and after showing the original photo (left) and the
results from the Black-and-White plugin (right).

Installing and updating plugins
The easiest way for Windows and Mac OS users to install a plugin is
from the Plugin Manager available from the Get More tab. For Linux
users, and to get general information about plugins, visit
www.aftershotpro.com/plugins.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Plugins are distributed as Corel AfterShot Pro .bzplug files — a single
file that contains all the files and information necessary for the plugin
to run.

To install a plugin from the Plugin Manager
1

On the tools panel, click the Get More tab.

Open the Plugin Manager section

To the right of the content that you want to install, click the
download button.
By default, the download buttons display Install, Free, or a price.

Follow any instructions for downloading or purchasing the
content.
The content is installed. You might need to restart your application
to activate some types of content.

To manually install a plugin (outside the Plugin Manager)
• Do one of the following:
• Double-click a Corel AfterShot Pro plugin bundle (which ends
with the .bzplug file extension).
• Drag and drop a .bzplug bundle into the Browse panel.
• Click File > Install Plugin and choose the .bzplug bundle that
you want to install.
Note: Corel AfterShot Pro checks to make sure the plugin you
are trying to install supports your version of Corel AfterShot Pro
and your computer type. In some cases, an updated version of
the plugin will be installed. You must restart Corel AfterShot Pro
to complete the installation process. You can restart
immediately after installing or updating a plugin, or you can
restart later.

Editing photos

Corel AfterShot Pro Black & White Plugin
Corel AfterShot Pro includes the Black & White Plugin which lets you
choose from a variety of color mixing options and use an innovative
spot color tool that restores one or two colors to your black and white
image.

The original photo (left), black and white version (center), and
spot color version (right)

This plugin includes the following controls:
• Enable Black & White — turns the effect on or off.
• Channel Mixer drop-down list — lets you choose from several
color mixes used to determine the black and white value.
• First Spot Color and Second Spot Color tabs — sets the spot
color restoration options.
• Enable — turns the spot color effect on or off.
• Hue — specifies the hue to be restored. You can also click the
Color Well
to choose a color.
• Fuzziness — sets the range for the restoration based on how
close the colors are to the selected hue.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Selective editing
Selective Editing lets you isolate adjustments or edits to a specified
area of a photo. For example, you can select and lighten an area that
you want to highlight in a photo, or select an area that you want to
edit by using Heal, Clone, or Blemish Remover. For more information
about Heal, Clone, and Blemish Remover, see “Retouching with Heal,
Clone, or Blemish Remover” on page 84.
Selective Editing has three main steps:
1

Create a layer — See “To create an adjustment layer” on page 80.

Select one or more areas to edit by creating regions — See “To
create a region” on page 81.

Apply adjustments — See “To adjust a layer” on page 82.

Review the information below to learn about layers, regions, and
adjustments that can be used with selective editing.

Layers
Layers are collections of regions and adjustments. A layer can contain
a single region and adjustment, or it can contain many regions and
adjustments. All regions in a single layer will have the same
adjustments applied. For example, if you want to brighten several faces
in a photo, you can create circle regions over each face, and then
adjust the Fill Light setting for the layer, thereby brightening the
shadows for all the selected faces at one time. You can apply other
adjustments to the layer as well, but at the point where you don't want
the adjustments to apply to all the selected regions, or you want to
adjust a new region, you must create a new layer and select one or
more regions that you want to adjust.

Editing photos

The upper area of the Layers palette contains the main commands for
creating and managing layers, including the Region tools. You can add,
delete, duplicate, invert, and rename layers. You can also copy and
paste layers — the selected areas and layer settings are copied.
The Name list on the Layers palette shows all the layers associated with
the current version of the photo. You can choose a layer to view the
selected regions in the Preview panel. You can also choose which layers
and regions to show or hide.
The lower area of the Layers palette is context-sensitive. It displays
settings that you can use to control and fine-tune the active tool.

Regions
Regions are selected areas of a photo that you create by using one of
the Region tools:
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Corel AfterShot Pro 3

• Circle Region tool

— creates a circular region.

• Polygon Region tool
— creates a polygon region (triangle,
square, rectangle...). The enclosed shape is determined by clicking
the image to set points which are connected by straight lines.
— creates an irregular curvy shape. The
• Curve Region tool
enclosed shape is determined by clicking the image to set points
which are connected by curved lines.
— creates a freehand shape. Brushstrokes
• Brush Region tool
determine the selected region. You can create the entire region
with a brush, or use a brush to add to a region. For example, you
can use the Polygon Region tool to select a large area of a
background and then use the Brush Region tool to add small
brushstrokes around the borders of the background to ensure that
you have complete coverage.
Regions have two areas: the main area and the feather area. The main
area is the portion within the solid lines of a region, and this is where
the full effect of editing applies. Along the edge of the main area is the
feather area. This is the transition area where the selected area blends
with the background — from 100% at the inside edge, to 0% at the
outer edge of the dashed line.
To have a smooth, gentle fade between a region and the rest of the
image, use a large feather size. To make sharp, crisp regions that affect
only the selected area inside a region, use a very small feather size.

The main part of the region is enclosed by a solid black line.
The feather area is enclosed by a dashed white line.

Editing photos

Regions can also be inverted, so that the edits applied to the layer
containing a region will apply to the portion of the image that is
outside the selected area.

Adjusting regions
After you have created a layer with one or more regions that you want
to edit, you can use controls in the Tools panel to apply adjustments.
Some adjustments and editing tools are designed to work on the entire
image and cannot be applied to a layer. The following adjustments and
tools affect the entire image:
• Image Rotation
• Straightening
• Lens Distortion Correction
• Color Management
• AutoLevels
• All Metadata settings (keywords, ratings, labels, IPTC data, etc)
To create an adjustment layer
1

In the upper-right corner of the application window, click the
Open Layer Manager button

In the Layers palette, click +Adjust button.

A new layer appears in the Name list, below Main Layer.
To set layer opacity
• In the Layers palette, click a layer name, and adjust the Opacity
slider at the bottom of the palette.
To rename a layer
• In the Layers palette, double-click a layer name in the Name list,
and type a name.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Tip: You can name your layer according to the type of
adjustment you want to make. Later, if you want to make the
same adjustment to another region, it will be easy to choose
the existing layer and add a region.
To duplicate a layer
• In the Layers palette, click the layer that you want to duplicate
.
and click the Duplicate button
To hide or show a layer or region
• In the Layers palette, click the box to the left of a layer or region
name in Name list.
A check mark appears in the box when the layer or region is
visible. The box is empty when the layer or region is hidden.
To delete a layer or region
1

In the Layers palette, click the name of the layer or region that
you want to delete.

Click the Delete button

at the top of the Layers palette.

To create a region
1

In the Layers palette, create or select a layer to which you want to
add a region.

Click one of the following Region tools:
— In the Preview panel, click the image to set
• Circle Region
the position of the circle. At the bottom of the Layers palette,
adjust the Size and Feather settings.
• Polygon Region
— In the Preview panel, click the image to
set each point of your shape (the points are connected by
straight lines). Double-click to complete the polygon. At the
bottom of the Layers palette, adjust the Feather settings.

Editing photos

• Curve Region
— In the Preview panel, click the image to set
each point of your shape (the points are connected by curved
lines). Double-click to complete the shape. At the bottom of the
Layers palette, adjust the Feather settings.
• Brush Region
— In the Layers palette, enable the Show
Strokes check box. Adjust the Size and Intensity settings for
your brush, and drag in the Preview panel to apply your
brushstrokes. When you are finished, you can disable the Show
Strokes check box. To fine-tune your brushstrokes, toggle
between the Erase Brush
and Normal Brush
mode. If
you want to change the color of your brushstrokes, click the
Color well and select a color.
To invert a layer
• In the Layers palette, click a layer name in the Name list and click
the Invert button

The outline for the main area of a region changes from black to white
when you invert.
To adjust a layer
• In the Layers palette, click a layer name in the Name list, and in
the Tools panel, adjust the settings you want.
For information about which adjustments can be applied, see
“Adjusting regions” on page 80.

Editing regions
Editing regions is just as easy as creating regions. You can edit a region
by adding, deleting, or moving points on polygon and curved shapes.
You can also move a region, adjust the size, or adjust the feathering.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

To add a point to a polygon or curved region
1

In the Layers palette, click a region name in the Name list.

Hold down the Shift key down and in the Preview panel, position
your pointer over the region outline where you want to add a
point.

When a red circle appears at the correct position, click to add a
point.

To delete a point from a polygon or curved region
1

In the Layers palette, click a region name in the Name list.

Hold down the Alt key down (or Alt+Shift on some Linux
systems) and in the Preview panel, position your pointer over the
point that you want to remove.

When a red circle appears on the point, click to delete the point.

To move a point on a polygon or curved region
1

In the Layers palette, click a region name in the Name list.

In the Preview panel, position your pointer over the point that you
want to move.

When a red circle appears on the point, drag the point to a new
location.

To move a region
1

In the Layers palette, click a region name in the Name list.

In the Preview panel, position your pointer over the region.

Drag the region to a new location.

To resize a region
• In the Preview panel, position your pointer over a region and roll
your mouse wheel to make it larger or smaller.

Editing photos

Blending layers
Blending allows you to "cut out" sections of a region by creating new
regions below the initial region and setting Blending to Subtractive.
This will subtract the lower regions from any areas where they overlap
with higher regions. A Subtractive region that does not overlap with
Additive regions above it will have no effect. You can check layer order
by looking at the Name list in the Layers palette.
To use a Subtractive layer when blending layers
1

In the Layers palette, click the name of the layer that you want to
change to Subtractive or create a new layer.

Choose a Region tool, and from the Blending drop-down list,
choose Subtractive.

Create a region that protects lower regions from the Additive
layers above it.

Retouching with Heal, Clone, or Blemish Remover
Heal, Clone, and Blemish Remover let you remove small, distracting
elements from your photos. They use layers and Region tools in a
similar way to selective editing.
• Heal mode is best used for small blemishes in smooth, low detail
areas, such as a small blemish on skin, or a small bird in the sky. It
is limited only to circular regions created with the Circle tool, and
unlike cloning, it does not require that you to set a source.
• Clone mode is the process of copying a part of an image in order
to cover up a distracting or unwanted feature in the picture.
Cloning takes image content from a source region and places it in
the selected area.
• Blemish mode combines smart healing with cloning. Because you
can use the Circle, Polygon, or Curve Region tools and choose a
source, Blemish mode is more versatile than Heal. The source area
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Corel AfterShot Pro 3

you choose is analyzed along with the selected area to produce
more seamless coverage. You can activate Blemish mode by
choosing the Blemish Remover tool on the AfterShot toolbar.
Each version can have only one Heal/Clone/Blemish layer. Copying and
pasting a Heal/Clone/Blemish layer replaces any existing Heal/Clone/
Blemish layer.
Switch between Heal, Clone, and Blemish
You can use the Circle tool in Heal, Clone, or Blemish mode. To switch
between these modes, simply choose Heal, Clone, or Blemish from
the Mode drop-down list in the Layers palette. The control is visible
after you select an area, and only the modes available for the region
type created are available in the drop-list.
To remove a spot with Heal
1

Click the Open Layer Manager button

In the Layers palette, click the +Heal/Clone button.

Click the Circle Region tool, and in the Preview panel, click the
spot that you want to remove.

In the lower-left corner of the Layers palette, choose Heal from
the Mode drop-down menu.
If you want to adjust the size of the circle or how the edges of the
circle blend, drag the Size or Feather sliders at the bottom of the
Layers palette.

Editing photos

The Heal mode was used to remove a small white spot from
a flower

To cover or copy image areas by cloning
1

In the Layers palette, choose an existing Heal/Clone/Blemish layer
or click the +Heal/Clone button to create a Heal/Clone/Blemish
layer.

Click a Region tool.

Select the portion of your image that you want to clone out. This
is the destination area for the cloning.
For information about using regions tools, see “To create a
region” on page 81.

4
5

Ensure the Mode is set to Clone.
After you finish creating your destination region, a source region
is automatically created (outlined in red). Click and drag the
source region to position it over the image content that you want
to copy.
Tip: When cloning, you can click the Swap Source button at
the bottom of the Layers palette to swap the source region
with the destination region. This is useful when you want to

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

duplicate content in an image instead of using cloning to
remove image content.

To remove an unwanted area with the Blemish Remover
1

On the AfterShot toolbar, choose a Region tool from the drop-list.
The Brush Region tool is the only option that is not available for
the Blemish Remover.

Click the Blemish Remover tool

Select the portion of your image that you want to remove.

After you finish creating your destination region, a source region
is automatically created (outlined in red). Click and drag the
source region to position it over the image content that you want
to use as a source.

In the Layers palette, ensure the Mode is set to Blemish.

Adjust the Feather and Size slider to blend the edges of the
selection and cover the area.

Editing photos

Removing red eye
When light from the camera’s flash reflects off the retina of a person's
eye, a red-eye effect is captured in the photo. You can remove the red
eye effect with the Red Eye tool.

To remove red eye
1

In the AfterShot Pro toolbar, click the Red-eye Removal tool

A circle appears in the Preview panel.
2

Drag the circle to the eye area.

Adjust the size of the circle to match the size of the red eye by
using the Size slider in the popup.

Click the mouse button to remove the red from the eye.

Cropping
Cropping lets you recompose your photo, remove unwanted edge
areas, or change the aspect ratio to match a print output. For
information about preferences related to cropping, see “Crop
preferences” on page 189.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

To crop a photo
1

Click the Crop tool crop on the AfterShot Pro toolbar or press C.

In the Cropping palette, do one of the following:
• Choose a preset from the crop preset drop-down menu.
• Choose Aspect or Pixels from the Crop mode drop-down
menu, and type values in the Height and Width boxes.

Drag the edges of the cropping grid that appears in the Preview
panel to adjust the crop area.

Click inside the cropping grid to reposition the crop area.

In the Cropping palette, click Done.

You can also
Automatically maximize the
crop region to the edges of the
photo

Click the Fit button.

Display or hide the cropping
grid

Click the Enable Crop check
box.

Switch the orientation of the
cropping grid

Click the Switch height and

Lock the aspect ratio of the
cropping grid
Add a crop preset to the preset
drop-down list

width button

Click the Lock button

In the Cropping palette, enter the
Aspect or Pixel values you want,
and click the Add button
.

Tip: You can use the scroll wheel on a mouse to resize the
cropping grid.

Straightening
Straightening lets you correct tilted horizons or apply a creative tilt to
your photos.
Editing photos

To straighten a photo
1

Select the Straighten tool
press S.

Drag in the Preview panel to draw a horizontal or vertical line that
you want to use as a reference for straightening the photo.

Release the mouse button to apply the changes.

from the AfterShot Pro toolbar or

The Straighten tool lets you choose a reference point
(emphasized above by a red line) for straightening

Note: When you straighten a photo, the photo is not cropped
automatically, so you will see white areas along the edges of
the photo.

Working with Presets
Using presets is a great way to speed up your workflow. You can save
your favorite adjustments to presets, create keyword presets, or
combine a range of photo editing in a preset that can be applied with
one click.
Presets are saved as XMP files in the Corel AfterShot Pro user folder on
your computer:
C [a main drive]:\Users\[User name]\AppData\Local\Corel\AfterShot
Pro\Presets

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

This makes it easy to copy presets from one computer to another, or to
share presets with others.
You can also import Presets by clicking the Get More tab and installing
the presets you want. For more information, “Updating and extending
the application” on page 219.

Applying and managing presets
Applying a preset essentially applies all the commands and information
to the selected files. All the actions appear in the History palette,
making it easy to remove any settings that cause an undesired effect.
Many presets can be applied to an image, and each subsequent preset
replaces the settings of previous presets with the settings contained in
the last preset.
Corel AfterShot Pro includes quite a few presets, but you are
encouraged to create your own presets.
Managing presets
You can manage your presets. When you open the Manage mode, you
can create preset folders and move, rename, delete, and view preset
settings. Corel AfterShot Pro includes several default presets. You can
Editing photos

create as many additional folders as you need to categorize and
organize your photos. You can also choose which presets display in the
My Favorites list (the drop-down list on the Presets section title bar).

To apply a preset
1

In the Thumbnail panel, select the image or images that you want
to edit.

In the Tools panel, click the Standard tab.

In the Presets section, click a preset in the list. Presets are applied
to all selected images, except when in Multi-Image View mode.

To create a preset
1

Edit an image, using all the commands and settings that you want
to save to the preset.

In the Tools panel, click the Standard tab.

In the Presets section, click the Add Preset button

In the Save Presets dialog box, pick a name for the settings, and
choose which settings you want to save.

Click OK to save the preset. The preset name appears in the preset
list immediately.

To access the Manage mode for presets
1

In the Tools panel, click the Standard tab, and open the Presets
section.

Click the Manage button in the lower right corner of the section.

To add or remove a preset to the My Favorites list
• In the Show in Menu column, mark a check box to display the
corresponding preset in the My Favorites drop-down list; unmark
the check box to remove the preset from the list.
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Corel AfterShot Pro 3

To create folders for presets
1

In the Presets Manage mode, click the Add Folder button

Double-click the new folder that appears at the bottom of the
preset list and type a name for the folder.

To move presets
• In the Presets Manage mode, drag a preset from one folder to
another folder.

To rename presets or preset folders
• In the Manage mode, double-click a preset or folder in the list,
and type a new name.

To delete presets or preset folders
• In the Manage mode, click the preset or folder that you want to
delete, and click the Delete button
keyboard.

or press Delete on your

Tip: You can undelete a preset by clicking Edit > Undo or by
pressing Ctrl + Z.

To view the settings for a preset
• In the Manage mode, click the preset and click the View preset
settings button

Copying and pasting settings
You can copy some or all the settings from one photo and paste the
settings to other photos. For example, you can adjust the exposure,
color, noise, and sharpness of a photo and apply metadata and
keywords. After the photo is perfect, you can copy the settings and

Editing photos

paste them to as many similar photos as you want. This is a great way
to edit and optimize many images very quickly.
The general process is:
1

Make adjustments to one image.

Copy all image settings or selectively copy only some of the
settings.

Select one or more photos to which you want to apply the
settings.

Paste the settings to the selected photos.

Copying selective settings lets you filter out settings you don't want to
apply, such as crop, GPS, or layer settings. If you selectively copy
settings regularly, you can create copy sets, which save the information
about which settings you want to copy. For more information, see
“Copy Sets preferences” on page 188.

To copy all settings
1

In the Thumbnail panel, click the file that has the settings that you
want to copy.

Click Edit > Copy Image Settings. All settings and layers are
copied from the active version.

To copy selective settings
1

In the Thumbnail panel, click the file that has the settings that you
want to copy.

Click Edit > Copy Selective Image Settings.

In the Select Settings dialog box, enable the check boxes for the
settings that you want to copy.

Click OK to copy the settings.

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Note: The Basic page lists the settings. The check boxes beside
each setting indicate if the setting is selected or not. Checked
groups are those whose settings on the active version differ
from the default image settings for that version. When some
settings differ from the default settings, the check boxes are
partially checked.
Note: You can enable (check) or disable (uncheck) additional
groups — only the checked and partially checked settings are
copied. To see details about the settings, click the Advanced
tab.

To paste settings
1.In the Thumbnail panel, select the thumbnails to which you want to
apply the settings.
2.Click Edit > Paste Image Settings.

Undoing changes
There are some handy ways to undo one or more actions.

To undo an action
• Select a thumbnail, and do one of the following:
• Press Ctrl + Z or Command-Z.
• To reset a Tools panel slider to its original setting, double-click
the slider name.

To undo multiple actions
• Select a thumbnail, and do one of the following:
• At the bottom of the Tools panel, click the Reset All button.
• Right-click the thumbnail, and choose Settings > Apply
Default Settings or choose Apply Initial Settings from the

Editing photos

context menu. For more information, see “About default
settings” on page 96.

About default settings
When Corel AfterShot Pro first opens or imports an image, it looks for
a Corel AfterShot Pro settings file for that image. If it finds one, it
applies the settings in that file as the initial settings. If a Corel AfterShot
Pro settings file cannot be found, Corel AfterShot Pro applies default
image settings to the image.
Note: If you have imported your photos into a catalog, the
initial settings are stored and you can quickly revert to these
settings at any time.
You can customize the default settings so that you can apply your
favorite adjustments to every image that Corel AfterShot Pro opens.
You can also apply image adjustments with presets, so it is
recommended that you keep your default settings basic and use
presets for more specific settings.
Corel AfterShot Pro comes with two different defaults, one for RAW
image formats, and another for rendered images like JPEG and TIFF
files. Since rendered files are likely to have been adjusted by the camera
or other editing software, the defaults for rendered images applies no
additional sharpening or other adjustments. You can replace these
defaults with customized default settings, or create defaults specific to
the make and model of camera that you use.

To change the default settings
1

Select an image of the same type as the defaults you want to save.
This should be either a JPEG or TIFF if you want to save new
rendered default settings, a RAW file if you want to save default
settings for all RAW formats, or the image should be from the

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camera make and model if you want to save camera default
settings.
2

Make the adjustments to the current image, applying only the
settings you want to save as the default settings.

Right-click or Control-click the thumbnail, and choose Settings
from the context menu.

In the submenu, select the type of default you want to save
Any new images that Corel AfterShot Pro opens will use the new
default settings as that image's initial settings.

To view or remove custom defaults
1

Click File > Preferences, and choose Default Settings from the
preferences list.

In the Default Settings Files list, make the changes you want.

To apply default settings
• Right-click a thumbnail in the Thumbnail panel, and click Settings
> Apply Default Settings. This applies the current default
settings for that image type, camera make, and model.

To apply initial settings
• Right-click a thumbnail in the Thumbnail panel, and click Settings
> Apply Initial Settings.This reverts to the image settings that
were used when the image was first imported into the Library. If
working in File System mode, the initial settings are those that
Corel AfterShot Pro started with at the beginning of the current
editing session.

Using the History palette
Corel AfterShot Pro keeps a list of all the edits and adjustments you
make to every image in your catalogs. At any time, you can open the

Editing photos

History palette to see what changes have been made to the active
version.
If you are working in File System mode, then the History palette
contains only the edits from the current session — previous edits are
not retained.

History palette

To open the History palette
• From the View menu, click History.

To review edits with the History palette
• In the History palette, click an editing action in the list. The photo
will temporarily display the state of the photo up to the selected
editing action — hiding all the edits you've performed between
the action you selected and the most recent edit.
To return to the last edit step, simply click the last step in the list.

Editing photos in an external image editor
You can open an external image editor, such as Corel PaintShop Pro,
Adobe Photoshop, or Adobe Lightroom, from within Corel AfterShot
Pro. You can choose a default external image editor and set the format,
color space, and dpi settings that apply when you export images to the
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external editor. At any time, you can change your external editor
settings in the Preferences. For more information, see “External Editor
preferences” on page 190.

To assign an external editor to a toolbar button
1

On the top toolbar, click the Edit in External Editor button

A configuration dialog box opens.
2

In the Editor drop-list, choose an image editing application from
the list or click Choose and navigate to the application .exe.
The application icon and application name appear in the Editor
box after you select the .exe.

Specify the File Format, Color Space, and dpi settings you want,
and click OK.
The icon for the application you chose displays in the top toolbar.

To open a photo in the external image editor
• In the Thumbnail panel, select one or more thumbnails, and do
one of the following:
• On the top toolbar click the Edit in External Editor button
(button displays the icon of the assigned image editor)
• Right-click or Control-click a thumbnail, and choose Edit with
[external editor].
• On the menu bar, click Edit > Edit with [external editor].

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Corel AfterShot HDR
In photography, HDR refers to “high dynamic range”. Dynamic range
is the range of luminance that can be captured in a photo, from the
darkest shadows to the brightest highlights. HDR processing lets you
combine two or more RAW photos of the same scene that have been
taken with different exposure settings. Best results are achieved when
the photos are taken with a tripod or very steady hand. An autobracketing feature on your camera makes it easy to capture sets of
photos at different exposures. For high contrast scenes, such as sunsets
or a photo of a room interior with a large bright window, HDR
processing merges photos and creates a more even exposure that lets
you resolve details in the darkest areas without losing definition in the
bright areas.
In this section, you’ll learn about
• Working with Corel AfterShot HDR

Working with Corel AfterShot HDR
Corel AfterShot HDR has three components that let you achieve HDR
results:
• Exposure Merge — lets you merge one or more photos to
achieve an HDR effect. You have access to presets and custom
controls to get the results you want.
• Single RAW Photo — lets you simulate an HDR effect from one
RAW photo by using HDR tools.
• Batch Merge — lets you merge one or more sets of photos,
normally captured on a camera that uses an auto-bracketing
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setting. This feature offers a fast way of merging multiple sets of
photos. There are very few controls. It's a great way to identify sets
of photos that you might want to fine-tune in Exposure Merge.
For more details about Corel AfterShot HDR, see the Help that is
available from the Corel AfterShot HDR application window.

To open Corel AfterShot HDR
1.In Aftershot Pro, select the thumbnails you want to use for HDR.
2.Right-click a selected thumbnail and choose Edit with AfterShot
HDR from the context menu.

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Organizing images
Corel AfterShot Pro offers many ways for you to organize and sort your
images.
In this section, you’ll learn about
• Versions
• Stacks
• Thumbnail indicators
• Sorting
• Filtering
• Labels
• Ratings
• Flags

Versions
Versions are used in Corel AfterShot Pro to represent your master files
and any variations derived from your master files. When you make edits
and image adjustments in Corel AfterShot Pro, you are creating and
editing versions, not the original master file. This means you can make
as many different versions from a single master file as you like, without
ever affecting the original image.
Versions created from the same master file share the same content and
are shown in a stack — a set of thumbnails that can be grouped
together so that only the top thumbnail shows in the Thumbnail panel.
All settings and options can be different, allowing you to make
different interpretations, crops or other image adjustments to each
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version. Versions maintain their own edit history, and can each be
assigned unique metadata. The settings for all versions from a single
master file are stored inside a single Corel AfterShot Pro XMP file.

Many operations are possible with versions, and many of these are
available on the context menu, found by right-clicking on a thumbnail
and selecting the Version menu option.
Creating versions
Corel AfterShot Pro automatically creates a master version for each
master file in the folder you are viewing. There are several ways to
create another version of a photo.

In the example above, the thumbnail on the left is the master
version. To the right are two additional versions that have
been edited. The number 3 appears on the lower left corner

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of the master version thumbnail to indicate the total number
of versions.

To create a version
• In the Thumbnail panel, right-click an existing version, click
Version in the context menu, and choose one of the following
options:
• New Version from Current — creates a new version with the
same settings as the selected. version's current settings
• New Version from Master — creates a new version with the
same settings as the master version's current settings.
• New Version from Import — creates a new version with the
same settings that the selected version had when it was
imported.
• New Version from Defaults — creates a new version with the
default image settings for this type of image. For more
information, see “About default settings” on page 96.
Note: When Multi-Image View is enabled, only the active
version is the source for the new version.

What happens when a version is deleted?
Deleting a version removes the settings and adjustments made to that
version, and removes that version from Corel AfterShot Pro. If the
version you are deleting is a master version, then the master file is
moved to the Recycle Bin. For more information about deleting
versions, see “Deleting versions” on page 41.

Stacks
Stacks are a visual means of grouping similar images together. Stacks
are either Open — with all images in the stack visible, or Closed — with
only the topmost image in the stack exposed. Stacks are groupings of
versions, and each stack is contained in one catalog.
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At the top is a closed stack. You can open and close stacks by
clicking the icon in the upper-left corner of the master
version.

Using stacks
In File System mode, stacks are used only to group multiple versions
from one master file.
In the Library, stacks can serve many purposes and you can use them
for a variety of organizational tasks. For example, you can use stacks to
group shots from a burst of images (continuous shooting) or made
from exposure bracketing. You can select the best shot from the group
to display as the top image. You can also stack a set of images that you
will use to build a multi-image panorama or that you will otherwise
combine into a single image in another application. Or, you can use
stacks to group similar images together so it's easier to browse through
your images.
When you create a new version from an existing version, the versions
are placed in the same stack. You can remove these versions from the
stack if you want.

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Sorting stacks
When sorting the thumbnails in the Thumbnail panel, versions within
stacks are not sorted. This is to maintain the manual sort order that you
can specify for a stack and ensures the top version stays on top.
The entire stack is sorted in the Thumbnail panel in the location
specified by the top image.
You can change the sorting order within a stack by dragging-anddropping the versions, or by using the commands in the context menu.
Editing images in a closed stack
When editing the top image in a closed stack, only the top version is
modified. This includes changes to metadata and ratings.

To create a stack
1

Select the versions that you want to stack.

Right-click and choose Stacking > Stack or from the menu bar,
click Edit > Stacking > Stack.
Note: You can make new stacks only when viewing a single
folder and not when viewing catalog folders recursively.

To add versions to a stack
1

Select the versions you want to add to a stack.

Do one of the following:
• Drag and drop that version onto a stack.
• Right-click a stack and select Stacking > Stack.
• From the menu bar, select Edit > Stacking > Stack.

To remove versions from a stack
1

Select the versions that you want to remove from the stack.

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Do one of the following:
• Drag and drop the version outside the stack.
• Right-click and select Stacking >Unstack.
• From the menu bar, select Edit > Stacking > Unstack.

To merge two or more stacks
1

Select the versions in the stacks that you want to merge.

Right-click and select Stacking > Stack.

Thumbnail indicators
The Thumbnail panel and the thumbnails themselves show a great deal
of information about your images and the metadata applied to them.

Thumbnail showing some of the thumbnail badges.

The table below explains the thumbnail indicators:
Indicator

Function
Indicates the image is a version (not master
version).
Indicates that Corel AfterShot Pro cannot find the
master file associated with this image, and is thus
"offline". You can view a preview of the image, if
one exists, and can still edit metadata, but you
cannot make other types of edits.
Indicates the version has Flag as Pick applied.

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Indicator

Function
Indicates the version has Flag as Reject applied.
Indicated the version has been cropped.
Indicates the version has had image adjustments
applied.
The number of stars indicates the Rating that has
been set for this version.
Indicates the Color Label that's been applied.
Indicates the version is the top image in a stack of
three images

Sorting
You can sort thumbnails by a wide range of attributes.
• Name of the Version
• Date the image was taken
• Rating
• Label
• Flag
• Shutter Speed
• Focal Length
• F-Number
• ISO
• Custom - used when dragging thumbs to set a custom ordering
Note: Stacks appear in the list of thumbnails in order of the top
item in the stack. The images within the stack are ordered
manually, so they may not appear in the same order as the rest
of the thumbnails.
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Custom sort order
Besides the sort orders based on metadata (like name or rating), you
can also specify a manual sort order to put your images in any order
you want.
Custom sorting is only possible when:
• viewing a single folder (not recursive)
• filtering is disabled

To apply a custom sort order to your images
1

Select a single folder, disable filtering, and turn off recursive folder
browsing.

Then, switch the Select Sorting to Custom.

Drag the thumbnails into the order you want.

Filtering
Filtering thumbnails temporarily removes them from the Thumbnail
panel, allowing you to focus on a smaller set of images. You can use
simple filtering rules, like "Rating–More than or equals–3 stars" or you
can use more complex filtering.

To filter images
1

110

Ensure that the images you want to filter are displayed in the
Thumbnail panel.

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On the AfterShot Pro toolbar, click the Show Filter Tool
button

Modify any of the following settings:
• Rating, Label, and Flag check boxes enable or disable the
filtering for those items, while the drop-down menus and
buttons on the right let you select the conditions and what to
show
• Always show selected versions — lets you add the filter results
to the currently selected images. If you unmark this check box,
only the filter results display in the Thumbnail panel.
• Require all of the conditions above — requires that all Rating,
Label, and Flag conditions match in order for those images to
appear in the Thumbnail panel. This is equivalent to an AND
search. If this option is unchecked, then versions meeting ANY
of the conditions show in the Thumbnail panel.
Note: Filtering remains on until you unmark the Rating, Label,
and Flag check boxes.

Labels
“Labels” are actually Color labels that let you categorize your images
visually. There are five colors and the unlabeled state. Color labels are
often used to categorize images by purpose or edit status. For
example, you can assign a red label to images that need postprocessing or heavy retouching. You can assign a blue label to images
that are part of a panorama or another series.
You can also use color labels to indicate the status of your images. For
example, you can assign a yellow label to images that you have posted
to your photo-sharing website, green labels to images that you have
sold to a client or stock agency, and red labels to images in your catalog
that have restricted copyright usage.

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It is best to be consistent and complete when you use a color label
system.
Each version can have only one color label, so try to avoid using labels
for status or indicators that are not mutually exclusive. For example, an
image could have both restrictive copyright usage and could be posted
to a photo-sharing website. It is better to use keyword hierarchies for
status indicators that are not mutually exclusive.

To assign a color label
1

In the Thumbnail panel, select the images that you want to label.

On the Top toolbar, click the Label drop-down menu and choose a
color.
The color labels appear in the upper-right corner of the
thumbnails.

Tip: You can also assign a color label to a thumbnail by
positioning your pointer over the bottom right corner of a
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thumbnail and clicking the color label icon to display and
choose a color.

Ratings
Star ratings are a great way to help you to find your best images
quickly. You can assign ratings to images in your catalog to quickly
select or filter images.

To assign star ratings
1

In the Thumbnail panel, select the images that you want to rate.

Do one of the following:
• Click one of the stars

on the Top toolbar.

• Press Ctrl + [1,2,3,4, or 5].

Flags
You can use flags to pick (Flag as Pick) or reject (Flag as Reject)
images. You can also clear flags that you assign (Clear Flag). Flagging
is a great way to quickly assess images. You can also use flags to mark
images that you are in the process of editing or you can flag several
images with similar content so you can quickly select and compare
them when trying to select the best version.
You can flag a file or version as reject to help you keep your catalog free
of out of focus or otherwise poor quality images. One workflow would
be to scan through new images, flagging the poor quality images as
Reject. After all images have been reviewed, use the filter to show only
the rejected images to verify that you marked only the poor quality
images, then permanently delete the Reject images. You can also keep
images that you flag as Reject — after they are flagged as Reject, they
do not show up in the standard view of your Catalog, while leaving
them on your computer just in case you do need that image later.
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To flag images
1

In the Thumbnail panel, select the images that you want to flag.

Do one of the following:
• Click the Flag as Pick
Top toolbar.

or Flag as Reject

buttons on the

• Press . (period key) to pick or press , (comma key) to reject
images.
If you want to clear a flag, click the Clear Flag button

Tip: You can also mark a version as rejected, Alt+Click
(Option+Click on Mac, Alt+Shift+Click on Linux) on the flag
indicator.

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Keywords
Keywords are words that you associate with your image files. They are
used to help you and others search through many images to find what
you are looking for. You can use standard keywords or custom
keywords. For example, you can add keywords to identify image
content, client or job, or the location where images were taken.
In this section, you’ll learn about
• Effective use of keywords
• Working with keywords and keyword sets

Effective use of keywords
Searching for the keyword "family vacation" is a lot easier than
remembering where you stored your photos, but for keywording and
searching to be effective, you need to add keywords to your photos in
a way that you can easily remember. For example, if you search for
"family trip" but assigned the keyword "family vacation" to your images,
your search will return nothing and you won't find what you are
looking for.
Before adding many keywords to your images, it is a good idea to think
through and plan how you want to use keywords. Corel AfterShot Pro
has a couple of features that help you create and organize keywords
effectively: keyword hierarchies and keyword sets.

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115

Keyword hierarchies
Corel AfterShot Pro supports keyword hierarchies, so you can create
subcategories of keywords. For example, you can organize the
keywords "dog" and "cat" (child keywords) under "pets" (parent
keyword) or "Mom" and "Dad" under "Family". A keyword hierarchy
helps you keep your keywords organized and makes it easier to find
categories of images. You can create keyword hierarchies in the
Keyword Manager or by typing a semi-colon between keywords in the
Keywords section.
Hierarchy example
You could create three top level keyword groups: "Clients", "Subject
Matter", and "Genre". Then add new sub-keywords to the "Clients"
group for each job you work on and add entries under "Subject Matter"
for things like "Urban", "Landscapes", "Portrait", "Head-shot" and so
forth. Under "Genre" you could have "Sepia", "High Key", "Black &
White", "Bleach Bypass", "High Contrast" and any number of other
image treatments or photographic genres. As you import images from
a new shoot, you can assign the keyword "Clients;Smith Wedding". As
you edit and optimize your images, add "Subject Matter" keywords. As
you make multiple versions of your images, some in Sepia, some in
Black & White, tag these versions with "Genre" keywords.
Now, you can quickly search for any image shot as part of "Smith
Wedding", or you can find all of your "High Key" images. Or search for
High Key images shot during the Smith Wedding that are Portrait.
All the keywords at a specific level in a hierarchy must be unique, but
you can have the same keyword in different hierarchies. So you can
have "John Doe" under "Clients", and "John Doe" under "Subjects". This
allows you to distinguish between images shot of John Doe, and
images shot for John Doe. You can perform a search for "John Doe" and
find both.
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Keyword Sets
Keyword sets let you quickly display a group of keywords that are
meaningful to the set of images you are working with. You can group
similar keywords together in a set and show that set in the Keyword
Sets section. This means that you can assign keywords quickly by
clicking them in the Keyword Sets section rather than retyping them
each time in the Keywords section. Keywords within a keyword set can
come from anywhere in a keyword hierarchy. For example, you can
make a keyword set that includes all the family members that went on
vacation together, destination names, and any other subject matter
relating to that shoot.
You can switch between keyword sets. For example, if you took photos
at a family wedding, you can use a Family set that lets you name people
quickly and then switch to a Wedding set that lets you apply the
keywords you typically assign to wedding shots: Bride, Groom, Cake,
Reception, Flowers, etc...
You can create keyword sets in the Keyword Manager.

Working with keywords and keyword sets
There are two ways to assign keywords in Corel AfterShot Pro: type
keywords in the Keywords section or assign keywords that you've
added to the Keyword Manager and then apply them by choosing
them in the Keyword Sets section. You can delete keywords from your
images and delete keywords or keyword sets from the Keyword
Manager at any time. You can also assign shortcut keys to your
keywords and keyword sets.

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117

The Keyword Manager helps you organize your keywords

To assign a keyword by typing it in the Keywords section
1

In the Thumbnail panel, select the images to which you want to
add keywords.

In the Tools panel, click the Metadata tab.

In the Keywords section, type the keywords that you want to
assign. Use the following syntax:
• Use commas (,) to separate keywords (for example: Mom, Paris,
vacation)
• Use semi-colons (;) to create keyword subcategories (hierarchy)
(for example: Travel; France; Paris)

Press Enter.

To assign a keyword by choosing it from a keyword set
1

In the Thumbnail panel, select the images to which you want to
add keywords.

In the Tools panel, click the Metadata tab.

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In the Keyword Sets section, choose a keyword set from the dropdown menu in the title bar.

Click a keyword in the main area of the Keywords Sets section to
apply it to the selected images.

To create a keyword set
1

In the Tools panel, click the Metadata tab.

In the Keyword Sets section, click the Manage button.

In the left pane of the Keyword Manager, do one of the
following:
• Find existing keywords that you want to add to your set.
• Add keywords as a subcategory of an existing hierarchy. For
example, to add the names of family members, you could click
Subject > People > Family, and click the Add Child Keyword
button

. Type a name to add it as a subcategory of Family.

• Create a new hierarchy by clicking the Add Keyword button
and typing a keyword. To create subcategories, select a keyword
and click the Add Child Keyword button

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119

When you know that you have all the keywords for your set, click
the Add Set button
below the right pane and type a name for
your keyword set. You can type any name, it does not need to
match any existing keywords.

From the keyword list in the left pane, drag the keywords to the
set name in the right pane. The keywords that you drag are what
you will see in the set list, regardless of their place in the hierarchy
(does not affect hierarchy in any way).

Click the Close button at the top of the Keyword Manager
window.
Your set now appears in the Keyword Sets drop-down menu.

To remove a keyword from an image
1

In the Tools panel, click the Metadata tab.

In the Thumbnail panel, select an image.

In the Keywords section, select the keywords that you want to
remove and press Delete.
Note: When you delete a keyword, look at any remaining
hierarchy references to see if you need to delete the entire
hierarchy associated with the keyword.

To delete a keyword or keyword set from the Keyword
Manager
1
2

In the Keyword Sets section, click the Manage button.
In the Keyword Manager, do one of the following:
• Click a keyword in the left pane and click the Delete Keyword
button

• Click a keyword set name in the right pane and click the
Remove Set button

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To assign a shortcut to a keyword or keyword set
1

In the Keyword Sets section, click the Manage button.

In the Shortcut column, double-click the cell that aligns with the
keyword or keyword set you want.
An entry box appears

On your keyboard, press the key or key combination that you want
to use as a shortcut.
If the shortcut has already been assigned, a message appears and
lets you accept or cancel the keyword change.

Click the Accept icon

to apply the shortcut.

Tip: You can remove a shortcut from a keyword or keyword set
by clicking the Remove icon

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Metadata
Photo metadata, or information about your pictures, can make
searching and finding your images much faster and easier. Metadata
simply refers to the information about your images, including data
recorded by your camera, such as the time, date, exposure, shutter
speed, and aperture. You can also add your own metadata to photos
to record what the subject is, where you took the photos, and
professional photographers can include client information.
In this section, you’ll learn about
• Types of metadata
• Storing and sharing metadata
• Working with metadata
• Viewing metadata
• Editing metadata
• Managing metadata sets
• Finding photos by using metadata
• Metadata in images that you output
• Adding metadata in other applications

Types of metadata
Some metadata is standardized so it can be accessed by a wide range
of devices and software. EXIF and IPTC are the most common
metadata standards:

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EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format): Data typically recorded by the
camera about the settings used for a photo. Most EXIF metadata is not
editable. The EXIF data from the original photo (master file) is used for
all versions that are derived from the master file (same source). Some
examples of EXIF metadata are shutter speed, aperture, ISO, date, and
time.
IPTC (International Press Telecommunications Council): Data added by
the photographer such as image description, photographer
information, copyright, and caption.
Corel AfterShot Pro also supports other metadata, some of which can
be shared between different applications. This metadata includes:
• Keywords
• Ratings
• Color Labels
• Flags

Storing and sharing metadata
Not everything in Corel AfterShot Pro can be shared with other
applications that support XMP files. Different applications have
different methods of storing metadata, so some incompatibilities may
exist. Corel AfterShot Pro saves all your image adjustments in XMP files;
however, these changes cannot be seen in other applications. For
example, if you adjust the exposure and saturation on a RAW file in
Corel AfterShot Pro, these changes will be saved to the sidecar XMP file
for that image. Opening the RAW file in Corel AfterShot Pro at a later
date (with both the RAW file and XMP file in same folder) will show
the image with the adjustments you've made: exposure and saturation.
However, opening that same RAW file in other image editors will show
the original RAW file, not the RAW file with your edits intact. In order
to make the adjustments you've made in Corel AfterShot Pro visible to

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other applications, you must export the RAW file to a editable format
like JPEG or TIFF, then open that exported file in the other application.
Corel AfterShot Pro stores its settings in an XMP file that is slightly
different than other popular image editors. For more information, see
XMP files.

Working with metadata
Corel AfterShot Pro includes all the tools to you need to add, edit and
view IPTC 4 XMP metadata as well as EXIF and other metadata.
Much of this metadata is also available in the Browse panel so you can
quickly find any image shot at a specific location, annotated by a
specific person, or otherwise labeled with metadata.

Corel AfterShot Pro divides the metadata into several groups to make
it easier to view and work with the metadata. You can create as many
additional groups of metadata as you like so you can display or edit the
information more easily.

Viewing metadata
Select the Metadata tab from the Tools panel, then choose which
metadata group you want to view from the drop-down list at the top
of the Metadata section.

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Editing metadata
All of the metadata fields shown in the Metadata section are editable
by clicking to the right of the heading that you want to edit. Some
metadata is read-only, such as EXIF information related to shutter
speed and aperture.
Editing metadata affects only the active version.

Managing metadata sets
Creating and editing metadata sets lets you view and edit the
metadata you want quickly. Click the Manage button in the lowerright corner of the Metadata section to open the Metadata Manager.
The left column lists all metadata entries available in Corel AfterShot
Pro. The right column lists metadata sets and their current content.

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Metadata Set Manager

The Metadata Set Manager allows you to pick what metadata is
shown in each metadata set, and to create new sets.

To add a new metadata set
• Click the Add a new Set button

A new set with the default name "New Set" is created at the end of
the Metadata Sets list.

To remove a metadata set
• Select the set you want to remove and click the Remove Set
button

To rename a metadata set
• Double-click the metadata set that you want to rename, and type
the new name.

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To add metadata to a metadata set
• Select the metadata entry in the left column, and drag it to the
metadata set in the right column.

Finding photos by using metadata
Assigning metadata to your images makes them much easier to find
when you use the Search or the Metadata Browser. Both features only
find images that have been imported into the Library. The catalogs
must be open in the Library to use these features.

Searching for images
If you know exactly what keywords you are looking for, you can search
your catalog for that content. Simply type the term you want to search
for into the Search box at the top of the Catalogs section in the
Browse panel, and press Enter to perform the search. The results are
shown in the Thumbnail panel.

Browsing for images
You can use the Metadata Browser section to quickly find images shot
on a specific date, with a particular camera, or any combination of the
most common shooting information that is captured in the metadata
fields or keywords. The number in parentheses beside the metadata
category name indicates how many versions meet the criteria. The
Metadata Browser is more precise than Search.

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Link to catalogs
The contents and counts in the Metadata Browser are determined by
the status of the Link to Catalogs check box at the top of the
Metadata Browser:
• unchecked — the Metadata Browser shows contents and counts
for all catalogs currently open in your Library.
• checked — the Metadata Browser shows only contents and
counts for versions in the catalogs and folders that are selected in
the Catalogs section. This can provide a very concise view of the
metadata for the images in one or more folders.
With this control, you can filter out the metadata for portions of your
Library. For example, if you have your Library organized by clients, you
can select a specific client's folder in the Library. Then, by enabling Link
to Folders, you can show only the keywords, cameras, dates, and other
metadata for images shot for that client.

Refine
You can use Refine to limit what is shown in the Metadata Browser.
Refining works by selecting an entry in the Metadata Browser, then
clicking the Refine button to limit the search results that match the
entry.
You can add entries as you refine in any order you want. For example,
you can select three, four, and five stars from the Ratings metadata
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entry, then click Refine. The results show only your best images — the
images that you have tagged with three or more stars. Then, you can
select a year or month entry from the Date/Time area, and click Refine
again to display your best images from a specific time frame. To
remove an entry when refining, click the X button next to the entry.
The items you refine are highlighted in the Metadata Browser to
remind you that only a portion of your Library is listed in the counts
and contents of the Metadata Browser.

Metadata in images that you output
Metadata assigned in Corel AfterShot Pro can be passed along to the
images that are output. By default, all EXIF and IPTC metadata is
passed along to output images. Flags are not part of the EXIF or IPTC
standards, so they are not output.
Keywords are included in the IPTC Standard, but have restrictions on
the length and structure of the keywords.
• IPTC Keywords must be 64 characters or less in length. Keywords
longer than this will be truncated.
• IPTC Keywords have a flat structure. Corel AfterShot Pro keyword
hierarchies are flattened in the IPTC standard.
Corel AfterShot Pro also writes out keyword hierarchy information into
XMP sections in a manner that can be understood by a growing
number of applications that also use keyword hierarchies.

Corel AfterShot Pro metadata in other applications
If you use Corel AfterShot Pro's Asset Management and metadata
editing features and want that metadata to be shared with external
applications, you will need to export your metadata changes to a
standard XMP file. Then tell the other applications to read the

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metadata from those XMP files, updating their internal databases
accordingly.

Disabling metadata output
When you output your files, you can choose whether to include or omit
metadata in output files. By default, Corel AfterShot Pro will include
EXIF, IPTC, and Corel AfterShot Pro metadata when you output.

Adding metadata in other applications
Corel AfterShot Pro will automatically import metadata that has been
applied to images in other applications as long as the other
applications support the EXIF, IPTC and XMP standards, and save their
metadata in a proper and supported form. If you have applied or
edited metadata to your images before importing the images into
Corel AfterShot Pro, the metadata will automatically appear within
Corel AfterShot Pro.
If you import images into Corel AfterShot Pro, and then edit and apply
metadata using other applications, then you will need to Merge
External Metadata to make Corel AfterShot Pro aware of the changes.
This process includes:
1

Import images into Corel AfterShot Pro, and subsequently edit
metadata using an XMP-compatible application.

Have the other application save the metadata to an XMP file for
each image you have edited, or embed the metadata in the
master file as XMP. If Corel AfterShot Pro has already created an
XMP file for these images, then the other application should edit
those XMP files instead of overwriting them.

Within Corel AfterShot Pro, select images you want to sync, and
select Edit > Setting > Merge External Metadata from the main
Corel AfterShot Pro Menu or the Context Menu.

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The metadata syncing process will overwrite any data that Corel
AfterShot Pro and the other application shared. So, if you had rated an
image with 2-Stars in Corel AfterShot Pro, then rated that same image
as 1-Star in another application before Syncing this file in Corel
AfterShot Pro, the final rating in Corel AfterShot Pro will be 1-Star.
Corel AfterShot Pro will merge changes made in both applications, but
it will treat the data added by the external application (the data written
to the XMP file) as authoritative and will update the Corel AfterShot
Pro Catalog to match the contents of the XMP file.

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Watermarks
Protect and promote your work with watermarks—visible text or logos
that you add to your images. Deter unauthorized copying, brand your
photos with your logo or contact info, or use the Watermark feature
for its text capabilities—to add captions or a title to your images.
You can apply watermarks to individual photos or batches, and easily
adjust size, rotation, position, transparency and more.

You can use text or an image (above) as your
watermark.

In this section, you’ll learn about

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• Watermark settings
• Saving watermarks as presets

Watermark settings
AfterShot Pro offers watermark settings that let you customize your
watermark, while ensuring that you can control how the watermark is
placed and sized on a variety on image sizes and orientations.
You can create an image-based watermark or a text-based watermark.
Adding titles and captions
The text capabilities in the Watermark section can also be used to add
a title or caption to your photos.

The Watermark section offers many controls that let
you customize your watermark

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Basic settings
The Basic tab in the Watermark section lets you adjust the following
settings:
• Alignment — determines where the watermark will be placed on
the image
• Base size — the reference point for the Size of the watermark. For
example, if you save the watermark and apply it to a batch of
images that are different dimensions and orientations (portrait
and landscape), the base size is used to ensure the watermark is
the same relative size on each image.
• Rotation — rotates the watermark by up to 90 degrees clockwise
or counterclockwise.
• Size — the size of the watermark as a percentage of the reference
point set in Base size (maximum is 80% of full image)
• H-Pos — distance of watermark from the left or right edge, as a
percentage of the total width
• V-Pos — distance of watermark from the top or bottom edge as a
percentage of the total height
• Opacity — transparency level of watermark (percentage)
Transformation settings
The Transformation tab in the Watermark section lets you adjust the
following settings:
• H-Skew — skews the watermark horizontally
• V-Skew — skews the watermark vertically
• H-Project — horizontal 3D style transformation (result appears as
though watermark is spinning towards you or away from you)
• V-Project — vertical 3D style transformation (result appears as
though the watermark is leaning forward or back)
• H-Stretch — stretches the watermark horizontally

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• V-Stretch — stretches the watermark vertically
Text settings
When you add text to your image using the Watermark feature, you
can adjust the following settings:
• Font — Click the arrow to the right of the font drop-list to choose
a font
• Italic, Underline, Bold, Strike out formatting — Enable the check
boxes to choose one or more of these text formatting options
• Color — Click the swatch to open the Select Color dialog box and
choose a color for your text

To add a watermark to an image
1

In the Tools panel on the right, click the Watermark tab to open
the Watermark section.

Mark the Enable Watermark check box.

Choose one of the following:
• To use an image, click Image, and click the Browse button to
choose a PNG or SVG file (usually the file will be a logo with a
transparent background). Adjust the settings you want on the
Basic tab.
• To add text, click Text, and choose the settings you want on the
Basic tab.
If you want to customize your watermark further, click the
Transformation tab to skew, project, or stretch the watermark.

To save your watermark for future use, click the Save watermark
button (plus sign) near the top of the Watermark section.
Tip: You can also use a JPEG for a watermark if you don’t have
any transparent areas in your source image.

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Saving watermarks as presets
You can save your watermarks as presets. As a preset, the watermark
can be applied to one or more images. You can apply watermark
presets as part of any batch operation that lets you apply presets
(import, export, and printing, for example).

To save a watermark as a preset
1

After you create a watermark in the Watermark section, click
Create Preset and type a name for your watermark in the Save
Preset dialog box.
You can now click the Standard tab on the Tools panel to find
your watermark in the Presets section.

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Exporting images
Because Corel AfterShot Pro is non-destructive, the adjustments made
to images within Corel AfterShot Pro must be written out to a new
image file before these adjustments can be seen in any other
application. The process of exporting images is quick, while at the
same time powerful and very configurable.
In this section, you’ll learn about
• About exporting
• Exporting without a batch preset
• Exporting with a batch preset
• Using batches with folders
• Pausing, resuming, and stopping batches
• Managing batches
• Understanding export settings
• Web Galleries
• Copying images

About exporting
There are two main ways to export photos:
• Export — you can use the Export command to export one or
more selected photos (versions). This method does not use
predefined batch settings, so each time you export, you choose
the settings that you want.
• Export with Batch Preset — a batch preset uses a set of
predefined settings to export one or more photos (versions). You
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can configure batches with your favorite settings so you can
process many images very quickly without having to choose a
folder, image format, rename format, and other settings each
time you export. This is often easier and faster to use than Export,
even when you are exporting a single file.
Output types
There are three types of output that you can choose from when you
export: File, Copy, and Gallery.
• File output is the most commonly used output type. For example,
if you simply want to output your RAW file as a JPEG file, this is
the file type to use. This output type creates a new image file in
the format that you select. You can apply adjustments and resize
the image. You can save to a predefined folder or specify new file
names and folders by using renaming formats.
• Copy output is ideal for transferring images from a memory card
to a specific location on your computer and importing files to your
Library, all in one step. This output type copies source files (master
file and sidecar file) to the folder of your choice. You can also
automatically import the files after they are copied so that your
catalogs and Library is up-to-date.
• Gallery output creates image and HTML files that let you create a
Web gallery for your photos. Just upload all the files to your
website.

Exporting without a batch preset
You can use the Export command to output one or more photos
(versions) without using a batch preset (a set of predefined output
settings). The dialog box displays the settings applicable to the export
type you choose.

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The Export Files dialog box.

To output by using Export
1

In the Thumbnail panel, select one or more photos that you want
to output.

On the menu bar, click File > Export, and choose Export Files,
Make a Copy, or Create a Web Gallery. For more information
about these output types, see “About exporting” on page 139.

In the Export To box, choose one of the following options:
• Source Folder — save files in the same location as the original
fileset
• Choose Folder — click the Browse button to navigate to the
folder you want to save in.

Specify any other settings you want. For more information about
the settings, see “Understanding export settings” on page 146.

For JPEG files, you can type a value in the Quality box.

Select the file type (TIFF, JPG, etc) that you want to save to, any
options associated with that file type, and any other options that
you want to apply to the exported file.

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Click OK when you're ready, and all selected files will be written to
the folder you've chosen, with the settings you selected.

Exporting with a batch preset
You can output one or more photos (versions) to standard file formats
by using a batch preset. Batches save you time by letting you output
with your favorite settings by simply clicking a batch name. For
example, Corel AfterShot Pro includes the following batches: 16-bit
TIFF, 8-bit TIFF, Download, Gallery, JPEG Full Size, and JPEG Proof.
What can I do with Download?
Download is a unique type of batch that lets you copy images from a
camera memory card to your computer. You can also copy to a new
folder structure and rename files.

To output by using a batch
1

Select one or more thumbnails in the Thumbnail panel.

Do one of the following:
• Click the Output tab, and in the Batch Output section, drag the
thumbnails over a batch name.
• In the Batch Output section, press the shortcut key associated
with a batch.
The shortcut key for each batch is shown to the right of each
batch name in the Batch Output section. For example, press F to
send the selected versions to the JPEG Full Size batch.

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Using batches with folders
You can output an entire folder of images by using a batch.

To output a folder of images by using a batch
1

In the Browse panel, click the Library tab or the File System tab,
and navigate to a folder.

Right-click the folder and choose Send to batch (include
subfolders), and choose a batch name.
If the Select a destination dialog box appears, navigate to a
folder, and click Select Folder.

Pausing, resuming, and stopping batches
Pausing a batch temporarily stops the processing of the batch. It will
stop after the current versions finish processing.
You can toggle the pause state of any batch by simply clicking the
Pause button on the progress bar next to the batch you'd like to pause.
Corel AfterShot Pro processes several images at a time, so pausing will

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not stop the images that are currently in progress, so a couple more
images will complete before the batch is fully paused.
Stopping a batch halts the process of converting files. Corel AfterShot
Pro processes several images at a time, so the batch stops when it
completes the versions that it is working on.

To pause and resume batch processing
• In the lower-left corner of the application window, click the Pause
button

. Click the button again to resume processing.

To stop a batch
• In the lower-left corner of the application window, click the Stop
button

to the right of the Pause button.

Managing batches
Corel AfterShot Pro comes with several pre-defined batches that
perform many common operations. You can edit or adjust these any
way you want and you can create your own batches that perform
custom operations that match your workflow. For the steps in this
section, you will click the Output tab on the Browse panel.
Many operations on batches, like those listed below, can be accessed
from the context menu that is available when you right-click in the
Batch Output list.
You can create a new batch or duplicate a batch. Sometimes it is easier
to duplicate an existing batch, and make modifications to this new
copy, instead of making a new batch from scratch. You can also
rename an existing batch.
You can also assign a shortcut key to a batch. Assigning a shortcut key
to a batch lets you add the currently selected versions to that batch by
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simply pressing the shortcut key associated with that batch. For
example, by default the F key is assigned to the JPEG Full Size batch,
so at any time in Corel AfterShot Pro, you can simply press F to add the
currently selected images to the JPEG Full Size batch and output JPEG
files.

To create a batch
1

Click the Output tab.

Right-click a blank area of the Batch Output section, and choose
New from the context menu.

In the Batch Export Settings dialog box, type a name in the Batch
Name box.

Choose the settings that you want to use for the batch.

To duplicate a batch
1

Click the Output tab.

Right-click a name in the Batch Output section, and choose
Duplicate from the context menu.

To delete a batch
1

Click the Output tab.

Right-click a name in the Batch Output section, and choose
Delete from the context menu.

To rename a batch
1

Click the Output tab.

Right-click a name in the Batch Output section, choose Rename,
and type a new name for the batch.

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Tip: You can also double-click (slowly) a batch name in the
Batch Output section, type a new name, and press Enter when
finished.

To assign a shortcut key to a batch
1

Click the Output tab.

Right-click a batch name in the Batch Output section, and choose
Set shortcut from the context menu.

Press the key or key combination that you want to use for a
shortcut. The shortcut appears in the Set shortcut dialog box.

Understanding export settings
When you export your files, whether you use a batch preset or not, you
can specify the settings. The settings available depend on the type of
output. For example, if you choose to output a JPEG Full Size batch,
the settings are very different from the settings you choose for a
Gallery.
By having multiple tabs in the Batch Export Settings dialog box, you
can create multiple output types within a single batch. For example,
you can create small thumbnail images, large Web-viewable images,
and full size TIFF images with a single click.

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Batch Export Settings dialog box

The Export dialog box and the Batch Export Settings dialog box
contain the following settings categories, depending on the type of
output: Image Type and Size, Output Name and Location,
Additional Image Settings, Metadata, and Post Processing. For
more detailed information about the settings in these categories and
general settings, see the descriptions in the topics below.

Batch Name
The Batch Export Settings dialog box includes the following controls:
• Batch Name — identifies the batch that you are using. This is also
an entry field when you create a new batch.
• Output tabs— let you add more than one output when you run a
batch. You can choose from three output types: File, Copy,
Gallery. A tab appears for each output type.

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Click the plus sign on the tab to add another output to your
batch preset.

Export To
Export To determines where the files will be saved. You can choose
from the following options:
• Ask Before Export — prompts you for a location (Select a
Destination dialog box) each time you export.
• Ask Once Per Session — prompts you for a location the first time
you export and uses the same location each time you export until
you close the application.
• Choose Folder — saves the exported files to the same folder every
time you run the batch. Use the Browse button to set the fixed
destination. For example, if you automatically sync a folder on
your computer with an online photo sharing service, you can
create a batch preset that saves the photos you want to share to
this folder.
• Source Folder — saves the exported files in the folder specified in
the text box relative to the folder that contains the master files
that you are exporting. For example, entering "Converted" in the
text box would tell this batch to create a subfolder called
"Converted" in each of the folders where the original master files
are stored. The output files are saved within the "Converted"
folders.

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Image Type and Size settings
Image Type lets you choose a file format type. If you choose JPEG, you
can set a value in the Quality box.
• Image Size allows you to alter the size of your output images and
choose scaling quality.
• Normal / Proof — select the quality for scaling the image. Proof
Quality produces images that are half-height and half-width of
the original image.
• Do Not Resize — maintains the same pixel dimensions as the
original image file.
• Resize Width/Height — resizes the output image to fit within the
specified dimensions. Enter a maximum pixel Width and pixel
Height in the boxes to the right.
• Resize Long/Short — resizes the output image to fit within the
specified dimensions. Enter a maximum value in pixels for the long
and short edge of the output image in the boxes to the right.
Long/Short resizing lets you specify a non-square bounding box
that the output image will be fit into, regardless of the landscape/
portrait formatting of the image.
• Do not enlarge — similar to Resize to Fit except that small
images will not be expanded to fit the specified dimensions.
Note: For more information about resizing, see About image
size.

Output Name and Location settings
This section controls how Corel AfterShot Pro names the files that
you're outputting.
You can choose a preset renaming format from the drop-down list, or
you can type the formatting codes in the box below the drop-down

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list. For more information about renaming formats, see “Renaming
formats” on page 193.
• Save in subfolder — lets you specify a subfolder so that images
from different output tabs in the same batch are output to
different folders. For example, you can create thumbnails on one
tab and save them in a subfolder named "thumbs" and save full
size JPEG images into a separate folder using a single batch. This
folder is specified relative to the overall batch destination.
• Overwrite existing output files — replaces existing files that have
the same name with those being created with the latest batch.
• Ask for job name each time — if you use the [jobname]
renaming variable as part of the renaming format, it ensures that
you are prompted to choose a job name each time images are
sent to this batch. If this option is not checked, the last job name
for the batch is used.

Additional Image Settings
This section lets you apply presets or metadata to your images before
creating output images. Multiple presets can be added to a single
batch. The presets are applied in the order in which they appear. You
can drag presets to reorder them in the list.
• Add Preset button
your output images.

— lets you to add a preset to apply to

• Remove Selected Preset button

— lets you remove a preset.

• Output Color Space — lets you convert the color space. Note
that this can affect the color, contrast, and overall look of your
output images, so we recommend that you soft proof to preview
the effect on specific images.

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Metadata settings
This section provides control over the metadata included in the files
that you are outputting. You can also set the DPI.
• Embed EXIF — writes EXIF data to the output file, including
shutter speed, aperture, and other shooting data.
• Embed XMP — writes metadata to the output file in XMP.
• Embed IPTC — writes metadata to the output file in IPTC format
as well as legacy IPTC formats.
• Embed color profile — includes the color profile in the output
file.
• Embed Copyright — includes copyright information regardless of
the EXIF or XMP embedding options.
• DPI — lets you enter a DPI value for the files. This does not affect
the pixel size or file size of the resulting image. For more
information about resizing, see About image size.

Post Processing settings
This section lets you perform additional adjustments after each image
has been converted.
• Output Sharpening — applies additional sharpening to images.
Output sharpening is a standard USM process or unsharp mask
sharpening.
• Open with [application] — lets you launch an external application
at the end of the output process.

Web Galleries
Corel AfterShot Pro helps you share your images with Web galleries.
Some of the settings on the Gallery tab are shared with other batch
settings. For more information, see “Understanding export settings”
on page 146.
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The Gallery Settings area includes the following settings:
• Gallery Type — lets you choose a layout.
• Gallery Heading — sets the label at the top of each gallery
webpage.
• Gallery Title — set the gallery title in the title bar of the Web
browser.
• Display Metadata — lets you choose the metadata set that you
want to include on the details page for each image.
• Thumbnail image size — sets the height and width for thumbnail
images.
• Preview image size — sets the height and width for preview
images.
Gallery types
There are three gallery types available and a view of the Full Image
page included with all three types. The types are:
Columns — Thumbnails are presented in multiple columns. Multiple
pages are created as required.
• Selecting a thumbnail shows a preview image on the right.
• Clicking the preview shows the image in a separate page.

Single Row — Thumbnails are presented as a single scrollable row on
a single page of images.
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• Selecting a thumbnail shows a preview image above the
thumbnails.
• Clicking the preview shows the image in a separate page.

Grid — Thumbnails are presented in a grid that fills the screen.
Multiple pages are created as required.
• Selecting a thumbnail shows the image in a separate page. There
is no preview image.

Full Image — Included in each of the other gallery types, Full Image is
a single image view with links to the previous and next images.
• Basic shooting information displays below the image if your
preferences are set to export EXIF information (default).
• Displays an IPTC caption below the image and the IPTC Image
Name displays as the heading, if your preferences are set to export
IPTC information (default).
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Keyboard navigation
The galleries created by Corel AfterShot Pro offer mouse and keyboard
navigation. When viewing your gallery using a Web browser, you can
use the following keys:
• Arrow keys — use to select a thumbnail that you want to
preview. The Grid Gallery style does not include preview images.
• HOME — selects the first image in your gallery.
• END — selects the last image in your gallery.
• Page Up — goes to the previous page of thumbnails (not
available with Row Style galleries).
• Page Down — goes to the next page of thumbnails (not available
with Row Style galleries).
On pages that show a single image, you can use the following keys:
• Left / Right Arrow Keys — goes to the previous or next page.
• Home — returns to the Gallery Index.

Metadata Information
The image name under thumbnail images displays the IPTC Image
Name if this has been defined, and if not the filename will be displayed.

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The image caption under preview images will show the IPTC Caption if
this has been defined, and if not the filename will be displayed.
On the Full Image Page, the Title is set to IPTC Image Name if it is
defined, and filename otherwise. The IPTC Caption is shown with basic
EXIF shooting information at the bottom of the page.

Advanced Gallery Editing
The pages that make up the web gallery are standard HTML, CSS, and
Javascript files. After a Web Gallery has been created by a Web Gallery
Batch, you may customize these pages using a Text Editor (like
Wordpad or TextEdit). Changes to the CSS file will allow you to
customize the fonts, colors, and layout of the various pages and items
within your web gallery, and the changes you make will not be
overwritten if you add more images to this gallery in a later Batch
conversion. There is a brief description of the CSS selectors
documented within the style .css file. Changes to index.html will,
however, be overwritten during subsequent Batch Conversions.
The style of the gallery is determined by the "style" javascript variable in
the index.html file, found towards the bottom of the file, that appears
as:
var style = 1;
You can change this to 1 for Columns, 2 for Single Row, or 3 for Grid
styles. Editing other javascript items is discouraged and not supported.

Copying images
You can use the Copy settings in the Make a Copy or Batch Export
Settings dialog box to make copies of the master files and associated
sidecar files. You can save the files to the destination of your choice.
Why copy files? You can do any of the following:
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• transfer photos from a memory card or other storage device
• archive
• back up files
You can also choose to import at the same time as you copy, saving you
a step.
When you copy with a batch, all the master files that you select are
copied as well as the sidecar files that contain data about any versions,
edits, and metadata.
Some of settings for copying are the same as other batch settings. For
more information, see “Understanding export settings” on page 146.
The following settings are only in the page for the Copy tab.
Output Name and Location — same as the controls described in
Output Name and Location settings, with the addition of:
• Delete Original files — deletes the image that you are copying
after it has been copied successfully to the new location. All image
files and associated sidecar files are copied to the location
specified in the Destination section at the top of the dialog box.
Import into Catalog — enable this check box to import the images
into a Corel AfterShot Pro catalog after the images are copied. The
following importing options are available:
• Import Location — choose a catalog location
• Prompt — enable the check box if you want to see a dialog that
asks for a catalog location when you first send images to this
batch. It imports all images to the location you choose.
• Select a folder button
— if you did not enable Prompt, you
can click this button to choose a folder.
• Keywords — lets you add keywords that will be added to all the
images as you import.

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• Apply Presets — lets you apply presets to the images as you
import them. For more information about presets, see “Working
with Presets” on page 90.

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Adjusting the workspace
This section explains how to optimize and control the main Corel
AfterShot Pro window and the other visual aspects of Corel AfterShot
Pro.

In this section, you’ll learn about
• Showing and hiding panels
• Viewing options
• Multi-Image View
• Resizing panels
• Magnifier
• Metadata viewer
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Showing and hiding panels
The workspace and layout of the panels and screens in Corel AfterShot
Pro let you adjust and configure your screen layout in many different
ways. The following menu options and keyboard shortcuts will help
you create a screen layout that is perfect for you.
Menu Option

Default
shortcut key

Action

View > Image
View

Switch to Image View, hiding the
Thumbnail panel

View >
Standard View

Switch to Standard View,
revealing the Thumbnail panel and
Preview panel

View
>Thumbnail
View

Switch to Thumbnail View,
hiding the Preview panel

View > Toggle
Left Panel

Hide or show the Browse panel
(left)

View > Toggle
Right Panel

Hide or show the Tools panel
(right)

View >Toggle
Orientation

CTRL+L

Toggle from landscape mode
(Preview panel above Thumbnail
panel) to portrait mode (Preview
panel right of Thumbnail panel)

View > Full
Screen

F11 (Win /

Toggle Full Screen mode

Linux)

Command
+ F (Mac)

These modes and layout options are also available from the Top
toolbar:

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Viewing options
The Top toolbar lets you to switch between different window layouts
and viewing modes. You can access the following viewing and layout
options:
• Slideshow slideshow — lets you view a slideshow of the selected
thumbnails.
— hides the Preview panel to allow quick
• Thumbnail View
browsing through many thumbnails.
• Standard View
— reveals both the Preview panel and the
Thumbnail panel.
• Image View
— hides the Thumbnail panel to make the
Preview panel as large as possible.
— lets you position your pointer over the
• Magnifier magnifier
preview window and magnify that image area.
• Full Screen
the title bar.

— maximizes the application window and hides

Multi-Image View
The Preview panel in Corel AfterShot Pro can show one or more
selected versions. When Multi-Image View is enabled, up to six
versions can be shown in the Preview panel. Multi-Image View is a
great mode for comparing several versions from the same master
versions, or you can compare multiple master versions that have similar
content.

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Note: When Multi-Image View is enabled, many operations
that normally operate on all selected versions operate only on
the active version, including functions like adding, deleting, and
renaming versions, applying ratings, labels, and flags with the
toolbar buttons or shortcut keys, and pasting of image settings.

To toggle Multi-Image View
• In the lower-right corner of the application window, click the
Multi-Image View button

Note: When using Multi-Image View, you can click the Lock
Position and Zoom button
(located beside the MultiImage View button) to toggle the locking of the Pan position
and Image Zoom level of multiple preview images.

Resizing panels
You can resize any of the panels. Resizing the Thumbnail panel to fit
only one thumbnail in height (when in landscape mode) or one
thumbnail in width (when in portrait mode) switches the Thumbnail
panel from Thumbnail View to Standard View.

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To resize a panel
• Position your pointer over the edge of the panel and drag when
the resizing cursor appears.

Magnifier
The Magnifier displays a circular window that shows a 100% zoom
view (default magnification) of any image or thumbnail under your
mouse cursor. This is a great way to judge detail when adjusting
sharpness or noise reduction or when you are viewing an image at less
than 100% zoom.

The Magnifier was used to zoom in on the bee.

To zoom into an area by using the Magnifier
1

Do one of the following
• Click the Magnifier button magnifier.
• Press ` (located in the upper-left corner of the many keyboards).

Position your pointer over the area that you want to zoom into.

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163

When finished, click the button or shortcut key again to hide the
Magnifier.

To adjust the size and zoom level of the Magnifier
• In the menu bar, click View > Magnifier Sizing and choose an
option from the submenu.
Tip: You can also adjust the Magnifier by using any of the
shortcut keys listed in the menu next to the sizing or zoom level
command.

Metadata viewer
You can view key metadata in the Metadata pop-up window.

To open the Metadata pop-up window
• Press E and position your pointer over any thumbnail.

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Slideshows
You can use Corel AfterShot Pro to create slideshows of your images.
In this section, you’ll learn about
• About slideshows
• Slideshow settings
• Playing a slideshow

About slideshows
You can view slideshows of your images in Corel AfterShot Pro that can
include metadata information about the images. The image can be
viewed full screen.

To open the Slideshow window
• In the upper-right corner of the application window, click the
Slideshow button

Slideshows

slideshow.

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Slideshow settings
When you open the Slideshow window, you'll see the following
options.
Playback
• Auto Advance — progress to the next image after the selected
duration.
Layout
• Frame — set the size and color of the frame shown around each
image.
• Background — set the background color and set where the
image is placed.
• Show Guides — show or hide guides in the Preview Slideshow.
Full Screen slideshows always hide the guides.
Title
• Title — enable to show the Title; disable to hide the Title.
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• Position — choose where the Title is shown.
• Inset — display the Title relative to the full Slideshow window
(off) or relative to the image (on).
• Font — choose the font, size, and color for the Title.
• Slideshow — enter the text for the slideshow Title.
EXIF
• EXIF — enable to show the Title; disable to hide the Title.
• Position — choose where the Title is shown.
• Inset — display the Title relative to the full Slideshow window
(off) or relative to the image (on).
• Font — choose the font, size, and color for the Title.
• Metadata Chooser — select which metadata to show for each
image.

Playing a slideshow
You can preview a slideshow by auto-advances the preview image in
the Slideshow Setup window, and lets you make adjustments to the
slideshow settings. Playing a slideshow starts a full screen slideshow.

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Full Screen slideshow

To preview a slideshow in the Slideshow window
• Click the image in the Slideshow window or uncheck the Full
Screen check box at the bottom of the window and click Play.
The slideshow plays, but all settings are accessible.

To play a full screen slideshow
• Double-click the image Slideshow window or enable the Full
Screen check box at the bottom of the window and click Play.
If you want to pause the slideshow, click the image. To exit the
slideshow, press Esc.

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Printing
Corel AfterShot Pro allows you to print one or more images to any
locally attached printer or a PDF file, and allows flexible layout control.
In this section, you’ll learn about
• Printing with Corel AfterShot Pro
• Printing a folder of images
• Print settings
• Controlling print jobs and page breaks
• Managing print batches
• Print layouts

Printing with Corel AfterShot Pro
Printing in Corel AfterShot Pro is handled with print batches. Each print
batch is set to a specific layout type and includes other printing
options. This allows you to setup printing once and quickly access
those same settings later. This makes printing multiple images quick
and easy.
Double-clicking a print batch in the Print section of the Output page
in the Browse panel opens the Print Settings window.

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To print selected images
1

Select one or more thumbnails in the Thumbnail panel

Click the Output tab and do one of the following:
• Drag the thumbnails to a batch name in the Printing section.
• Double-click a batch name in the Printing section, set the
options you want in Print Settings dialog box, and then drag
the selected thumbnails to the dialog box.
• If there is a shortcut key assigned to the batch you want to use
(if set, shortcut keys appear to the left of the batch name), press
the shortcut key.

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Printing a folder of images
You can also print all the images in a folder that you select in the
Browse panel (from the File System or Library).

To send a folder of images to a printing batch
1

In the Browse panel, right-click the folder you want to batch.

Select Send to print from the context menu, then the select name
of the batch you want to use.

Print settings
Corel AfterShot Pro comes with several pre-defined print batches
designed with several different layout options. You can edit or adjust
these any way you want and you can create your own print batches.
Common Print Settings
Print batches in Corel AfterShot Pro share some controls, shown below.

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• Continuous Printing — With this check box enabled, Corel
AfterShot Pro will send each page to the printer as soon as
enough images have been added to the batch to fill at least one
page. For more information, see “Controlling print jobs and page
breaks” on page 172.
• Page Settings — lets you choose your paper size, layout, and
margins.
• Printer Selection — sets the printer to use for this print batch.
• Output DPI — specifies the DPI to use when sending images to
the printer. A setting of 300 will produce high quality images, but
some printers might benefit from settings as high as 600. Larger
DPI will take longer to print, while smaller DPI will be faster, and
will produce smaller files (if you are printing to a PDF).
• Print to File — enable if you want to bypass your printer and print
to a PDF file instead. Use the "..." box to specify a file name.

Controlling print jobs and page breaks
When a print layout contains more than one image on a page, such as
a contact sheet, it is important to understand when printing will begin
and how to control the page breaks. These operations are controlled
by the Continuous Printing check box on the Print Settings panel.

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Continuous Printing On
When Continuous Printing is enabled, Corel AfterShot Pro begins to
process a print job as soon as enough images have been added to the
print batch to fill a single page. As additional images are added to the
batch, more pages are processed and sent to the printer (as pages fill
up). If the page layout contains only one image, the images are sent to
the printer immediately. If the print layout has multiple images on a
single page, then the last page may not be auto-sent to the printer —
it waits for the page to be filled. In order to print a partial page, you
must open the Print Settings window and click Print in the lower right
corner.
In Continuous Printing mode, to avoid wasting paper and ink, it is
important to configure and confirm the following settings: Printer,
Page Settings, Additional Image Settings, DPI, and Layout. This
mode allows you to process a continuous stream of images as soon as
they are added to a print batch. This is very useful for high-volume
printing situations.
Continuous Printing Off
When Continuous Printing is not enabled, Corel AfterShot Pro queues
all the images you send to the batch and does begin printing until you
open the Print Settings window and click Print in the lower-right
corner. This allows you to slowly choose all the images you want to
print, review the pages to be printed, remove images or add additional
images until you are satisfied with the image selection and print layout.
When you are ready to send the images to the printer, click Print in the
lower-right corner of the Print Settings window. This opens a dialog
box with Printer Settings specific to the selected printer. This is where
you set options like paper type, print quality, and printer color
management options.

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173

When you click Print and accept the settings in the Printer Driver
window, all the images that are listed in the Print Settings window are
processed and printed, including partial pages. If you add more images
to the print batch, the new images do no print automatically; they
remain queued until you click Print again.
This mode allows you to process batches of images together and
includes a page break at the end of each batch with more than one
image on a page.

Managing print batches
You can create new printing batches, duplicate a print batch, and
delete a printing batch. You can also rename a print batch. Sometimes
it is easier to duplicate an existing batch, and make modifications to
this new copy, instead of making a new batch from scratch.
You can also assign a shortcut key to a printing batch. For example, P
can be assigned to the 5x7 Qty. 2 batch, so at any time, you can simply
press P to add the currently selected images to the 5x7 Qty. 2 printing
batch in order to print the images quickly.

To create a new print batch
1

Click the Output tab.

Right-click a blank area of the Printing section, and choose New
from the context menu.

In the Print Settings dialog box, choose the settings that you
want to use for the batch.
After you create the batch, it appears in the Printing section list
and the Send selected files to print context menu. You can
rename the batch in the Printing section list.

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To duplicate a print batch
1

Click the Output tab.

In the Printing section, right-click a batch name and choose
Duplicate from the context menu.

To delete a print batch
1

Click the Output tab.

In the Printing section, right-click a batch name and choose
Delete from the context menu.

To rename a print batch
1

Click the Output tab.

Right-click a name in the Printing section, and choose Rename
from the context menu.

Type a new name for the print batch.
Tip: You can also double-click (slowly) a batch name in the
Printing section, type a new name, and press Enter when
finished.

To assign a shortcut key to a batch
1

Click the Output tab.

Right-click a batch name in the Printing section, and choose Set
shortcut from the context menu.

Press the key or key combination that you want to use for a
shortcut. The shortcut appears in the Set shortcut dialog box.

Print layouts
Each Print Batch has one Print Layout, that defines where the images
and optional image captions are placed on the page. These places
where the images will appear on paper are called Cells. There are four
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Print Layout options, which control where the cells will appear, how
large each cell is, spacing between cells, and other layout options.
Many of these Layouts include the following options:
4

Best fit — enable to automatically rotate images 90 degrees if the
rotation results in a larger image. When this not enabled, images
are printed in the normal orientation set for each image.

Scale crop — crops the image to fill the cell with as much of the
image as possible. This results in no white space inside each cell.

Scale reduce — shrinks the image so that no part of the image is
cropped, ensuring that your whole picture is printed.

Contact Sheet
A Contact Sheet layout fills a page with a configurable number of
columns and rows of images. The Spacing setting controls the gap
that is placed between adjacent cells.
A caption appears next to each cell. By default, the caption will be the
full, original filename of the image being printed, and will be located
below the image cell. The Size control sets the size of the Caption cell,
and the Font Size control sets the point size of the font used to print
the caption. Use any renaming formats as part of the caption text.

The contact sheet shown above would look like this:

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Fixed Size
Fixed Size layouts place cells of a specific size — chosen with the dropdown menu or entered into the two text boxes below the drop-down
menu. Corel AfterShot Pro will automatically configure the page layout
to fix as many cells on a page as possible. One image per page tells
Corel AfterShot Pro to fill each page with a single image; with this
unchecked, Corel AfterShot Pro will place one image in each cell.
'Pictures per page' can be set to limit Corel AfterShot Pro to only put a
specific number of images on a page; 'Max' tells Corel AfterShot Pro to
fill the page with as many cells of the specified size as possible.

After you change the paper size, the number of images that fit on a
page and their placement on the page also changes. It is possible to

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177

select a cell size larger than your paper size, in which case the image
will not print.
The Fixed Size layout shown above would look like this:

N-Up
The N-Up layout allows you to specify how many images to print on a
page, in rows and columns, with the designated amount of spacing
between cells.

For example:

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Custom Layouts
The Custom layout style is the most complicated, but also the most
flexible. The layout is controlled by text files that reside in the layout
folder inside your Corel AfterShot Pro Settings folder. For more
information, see “Custom print layouts” on page 209.
There are two custom layouts that are provided with Corel AfterShot
Pro, which result in layouts like these:

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Application preferences
You can set a range of application preferences, some are very general
and others apply to specific tools or controls. For example, you can set
display, color management, and cache preferences. You can also set
keyboard shortcuts, and determine how some tools work, such as the
Crop tool.
In this section, you’ll learn about
• Accessing preferences
• General preferences
• Display preferences
• Color Management preferences
• Import and Cache preferences
• Renaming preferences
• Sequence preferences
• Keyboard preferences
• Soft Proofing preferences
• Copy Sets preferences
• Defaults preferences
• Crop preferences
• External Editor preferences
• Performance preferences
• Hardware Acceleration preferences

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181

Accessing preferences
The Preferences dialog box lets you access the preference settings. A
list on the left side of the dialog box lets you choose a category and
display a page with the corresponding settings.

To access application preferences
• Click File > Preferences.

General preferences
This Preferences page allows you to view and edit general preferences
for Corel AfterShot Pro.
• Language — choose the language for display in Corel AfterShot
Pro. You must restart the application for this to take full effect.
• User Folder Location — set your user folder to a different
location. Changing this location does not move your current user
folder to the new location. If you would like to change user folder
locations while preserving your current settings, cache, and other
preferences, then you should:
1

Run Corel AfterShot Pro, and change the User Folder
Location in the preferences.

Close Corel AfterShot Pro.

Manually move your current user folder to the location that
you set in the preferences.

Restart Corel AfterShot Pro and verify that your previous
preferences, settings, and cache are intact and found by Corel
AfterShot Pro.
• Default Catalog Location — choose what folders new catalogs
should be created in. Changing this does not move current
catalogs.

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• Default sample size for tools — set the number of pixels the
White Balance tool uses when sampling from your image.
• Allow automatic AfterShot .xmp creation for photos in
Catalogs — when checked, all adjustments to images imported
into a Corel AfterShot Pro catalog will be written both to a Corel
AfterShot Pro catalog and to Corel AfterShot Pro .xmp sidecar
files.
• Allow AfterShot to check for program updates on startup —
lets Corel AfterShot Pro access the Internet to look for an updated
version of Corel AfterShot Pro. No personal information is
transmitted to Corel during the update notification process.
• Open collapsed panels by positioning the pointer over them —
reveals the Browse panel or Tools panel when you position your
pointer over the panel area. Disable this option to require a click
to reveal these panels.
• Delay pointer action — wait this amount of time before revealing
the panels
• Re-enable all warning dialogs — all warning dialogs in Corel
AfterShot Pro offer the option to prevent that same warning
dialog from appearing. This button resets all the warnings so that
all future warning dialogs will be shown again.
• Reset default files — many settings such as output batches, print
layouts, presets, and other settings are stored as files in your Corel
AfterShot Pro Settings home folder. Press this button to re-copy
the default settings files to your home folder. New batches,
presets and other settings stored as files will not be edited or
removed.

Display preferences
This Preferences page allows you to view and edit display preferences.

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183

• Background Preview Panel — sets the color for the background
of the Preview panel. Requires restart to take effect.
• Shadow Warning — sets the shadow and highlight warning
level. Values below the Shadow Warning level and above the
Highlight Warning level will be highlighted when Clipping
Warning is enabled.
• Maximum number of images in Multi-Image View — controls
how many images will be shown at any one time in Multi-Image
View.
• EXIF Viewer uses Metadata Set — lets you choose which
metadata set you want to show in the metadata pop-up window.
• Display formats for dates — sets a default date format for the
application.
• Metadata viewer updates on mouse over — resets the viewer
each time you position your pointer over another image.
• Use round shape for Magnifier (uncheck for rectangle) — use a
round (enabled) or rectangular (disabled) magnifier. Switch to a
rectangle for a slightly larger magnifier, and to prevent display
issues on Linux systems when desktop compositing is disabled.
• Highlight Alternating Rows — in list views, like the Catalog
section and Metadata Browser section of the Browse panel,
highlight alternating rows. Disable for uniform row colors.
Requires restart to take effect.
• Use smaller fonts and icons — Enable this on notebooks and
netbooks to make workspace elements smaller. Requires restart to
take effect.
• Maintain zoom when switching images — lets you pan and
zoom into a single image, and then keep that zoom and pan
position when switching images. This only affects Single Image
view.

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• Use animation for image zoom — enables animation when
zooming in or out on images. Disable this on slower computers
for quicker viewing.
• Show only high quality previews — enabling this preference will
prevent Corel AfterShot Pro from showing lower quality previews
when making image adjustments — which can make the
previewing process take slightly longer.

Color Management preferences
This Preferences page allows you to view and edit color management
preferences.
• Monitor Profile — select your monitor's profile. Click Reset if you
re-calibrate your monitor and Corel AfterShot Pro does not autodetect the change. (Corel AfterShot Pro should auto-detect the
correct profile on Windows and Mac computers).
• Default JPEG Profile — when importing JPEG images that do not
contain a color profile, use this profile as the input profile.
• Default TIFF Profile — when importing TIFF images that do not
contain a color profile, use this profile as the input profile.

Import and Cache preferences
This Preferences page allows you to view and edit Importing and Cache
preferences.
When working in File System mode and other operations, Corel
AfterShot Pro creates cached thumbnails and previews and stores
cached copies of image settings for folders that you have browsed to.
These files allow faster browsing and operations within File System
mode, but can grow to be quite large over time. Corel AfterShot Pro
allows you to control how much data to cache, and when to reduce
the cache.

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185

Reducing cache size only happens when Corel AfterShot Pro first
launches, so the cache can grow beyond the specified size during
normal usage.
• Create Previews during Importing and File System Browsing —
create thumbnail and preview images for all images imported or
that are being browsed in File System mode. Previews allow a
quicker display of your images and allow viewing images in
Catalogs that are off-line. Some image files do not contain
embedded thumbnails or previews (which are used in place of
Corel AfterShot Pro-generated thumbnails and previews) and with
this option disabled, no thumbnail image can be displayed until a
Preview is created for that image.
• Check Cache Size every — controls how often Corel AfterShot
Pro should examine the cache size to determine if it should be
reduced.
• Remove cached items not viewed in the last — controls how
long to preserve image data in the cache. Set this to zero to
disable removing items based on age. Items will only be removed
when the cache size grows larger than the Target Cache Size.
• Target Cache Size — remove items (oldest first) until the cache
fits within this specified size.

Renaming preferences
This Preferences page allows you to view and edit Renaming Formats.
Renaming formats are a simple way to apply flexible renaming
schemes. You can create new formats using any of the renaming
formats that Corel AfterShot Pro supports. These renaming formats are
used in the Export and Batch Export Settings dialog box and when
renaming versions (Version > Rename Version).
• New format — opens a dialog where you can create new
renaming formats.
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• Remove Current — removed the current, highlighted format
from the list.

To edit existing renaming formats
• Double-click the right column in the list and adjust the renaming
format.

Sequence preferences
This Preferences page allows you to view and edit Renaming Sequence
parameters.
Rename Sequence parameters allows Corel AfterShot Pro to
sequentially number your images while remembering the last number
used for specific sequences. Each Jobname can use a unique sequence,
or you can use overall sequences like the [seq] renaming variable. The
Value column on this preferences panel shows what number the next
use of each sequence will use. You can double-click the Value cell to
change the next sequence number.
• Remove Current — removes the current, highlighted sequence
from the list.

Keyboard preferences
This Preferences page allows you to view and edit any of the keyboard
shortcuts.

To set or change a shortcut
1

Click in the Shortcut column next to the Action you want to edit.

Press the key or key combinations you want to assign to that
action.

Click anywhere outside the row to apply your new keyboard
shortcut.

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187

Note: Corel AfterShot Pro will warn you if you try to assign a
shortcut that is currently being used by another Action. You
may choose to Replace the shortcut, which will remove the
shortcut from the previous action and will set the shortcut
you've chosen, or you may cancel, keeping the previous
settings.

Soft Proofing preferences
This Preferences page allows you to view and edit the list of color
profiles that can be selected in the Soft Proofing menu option and
toolbar controls.
This page contains the following controls:
• Add Profile — opens a file selection dialog to allow to you select
additional icc or icm color profiles.
• Remove Current — removes the current, highlighted profile from
the list.

Copy Sets preferences
This Preferences page allows you to view, create and edit copy sets.
Copy Sets lets you assign shortcut keys that copy specific settings from
the selected image. For example, pressing Ctrl+1 copies all metadata,
and IPTC information from the selected image. Then you can select
several other images and press Ctrl+V to paste these settings. This
page contains the following controls:
• Add New — opens the Selective Copy dialog box so you can
choose the settings you want to copy
• Edit Current — opens the Selective Copy dialog box so you can
edit the settings.
• Remove Current — removes the current, highlighted copy set
from the list.

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Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Defaults preferences
This Preferences page allows you to view or remove custom default
settings used when new images are imported or browsed to in Corel
AfterShot Pro.
Custom Default Settings allow you to adjust the initial settings Corel
AfterShot Pro applies to new images that it encounters. See the section
on creating custom defaults for additional information. This page
contains the following controls:
• View Current — opens the Selective Copy dialog box.
• Reset Current — resets the standard DefaultRAW or
DefaultRendered settings to their original default settings. This is
visible only when the RAW or Rendered default is selected.

Crop preferences
This Preferences page allows you to view, add or remove custom crop
settings.
• Opacity of cropped-out area — sets how dark the removed
portion of the image will be shown when the cropping tool is
enabled.
• Grid sections — sets the number of lines or sections to show in
the crop window. Setting this to 3 will create "rule-of-thirds" lines
to help visualize your crop, and setting it to 2 will show grid lines
through the center of the crop frame.
• Show frame — lets you set when to show the crop frame:
Always, Never, or only when Dragging the crop window.
• Show grid — lets you set when to show the grid: Always, Never,
or only when Dragging the crop window.
• Show Crop dimensions — lets you hide or display the size and
location of the crop in pixels within the crop window.

Application preferences

189

• Add New — opens the Crop Size dialog box so you can create
new settings for a crop preset.
• Edit Current — opens the Crop Size dialog box so you can edit or
rename crop preset settings.
• Remove Current — removes the current, highlighted crop preset
from the list.

External Editor preferences
You can choose an external editor that you want to access from Corel
AfterShot Pro. For more information about accessing the external
editor, see “Editing photos in an external image editor” on page 98.

To change the external editor settings
1

Click File > Preferences, and click External Editor.

Set the Editor, File Format, dpi, and Color Space settings you
want.
Tip: You can remove external editors from the Editor list by
clicking the Remove Editor button
. If you remove all
editors in the list, the Edit in the External Editor button on the
top toolbar resets to its default state.

Performance preferences
The Performance preferences let you adjust various performancerelated settings for Corel AfterShot Pro. The default values should be
optimal for the vast majority of users—changing these settings can
very easily degrade performance or cause instability. Only the default
parameters are tested. Use these settings at your own risk.

Hardware Acceleration preferences
The Hardware Acceleration page lets you access OpenCL settings.
OpenCL lets you use graphics card computing resources (GPU) to help
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Corel AfterShot Pro 3

boost the overall processing speed of the application. To use OpenCL,
you must have a compatible graphics card running the latest driver
from the manufacturer's website. The benefit is most noticeable when
you output your images. The results depend on your graphics card,
your system, and the OpenCL Utilization setting that you choose.
The Hardware Acceleration preferences page contains the following
controls:
• Use OpenCL — lets you activate OpenCL. Select the check box to
use OpenCL; clear the check box to turn off OpenCL.
• Platform — lists the graphics card software. Choose the software
you want to use.
• Graphics Cards — lets you choose which graphics card you want
to use if you have more than one installed
• OpenCL Utilization — provides four settings: Minimum, for
systems with lower-end GPUs but higher-end CPU processing
capabilities; Low, for systems with lower processing capabilities;
Standard, for average systems; and High, for high-performance
systems
Testing OpenCL performance on your system
There are many factors that determine the processing speed when you
use OpenCL, including which OpenCL Utilization setting you use. To
find out which setting is best for your system, you can run a speed test.
Basic test instructions are outlined on the Hardware Acceleration
preferences page.

Application preferences

191

To gauge speed, you can view total processing time and average time
per image after the processing is complete.

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Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Additional information
This reference section provides you with some detailed information
about the following topics:
• Renaming formats
• Metadata tags
• File locations
• Command line options
• Custom print layouts
• About color management
• Terminology

Renaming formats
Corel AfterShot Pro includes powerful renaming formats for photos.
You can use renaming formats, also called renaming variables, to
generate descriptive names for your photos. The photo name can
include dates, times, image data, job sequence data, and other
information.
There are four categories of renaming formats:
• Date/Time — specifies variables that use the date and time data
from your camera.
• EXIF — specifies tags that use shooting data applied to the raw
image from the camera.
• Original File — specifies tags that use the original image naming
data applied to the image by the camera.

Additional information

193

• Special/Sequences — specifies custom job naming and image
numbering tags that can be based on user input at the time the
image is processed.
Basic Naming Formats
A basic renaming format might include the original name that was
applied to the photos by the camera. For example, one default
renaming formats looks like this:
[oname][ext]
• [oname]— represents the original file name (from the camera)
• [ext] — applies the file extension for the file type you want to
output to. For example, if you are outputting JPEGs, this variable
applies a .jpg extension to the file name.
In addition, you can use constants to add information to the name. For
example, a renaming format that uses constants might look like this:
MyPics[oname][ext]
In this case, the prefix "MyPics" is added to the beginning of each image
name. While adding information to a renaming format in this way can
be helpful, Corel AfterShot Pro provides more powerful ways to apply
specific names to processed images.
Job Name and Numbering Sequences
The job sequence renaming variables let you specify a job name and a
counting sequence associated with a particular job. Since the value of
the job name variable is input by you as you process images, it is
possible to use one Output Batch to process images for several jobs
simultaneously. For example, suppose you are processing images for
the following two jobs: SmithWedding and JonesWedding. You can
use these renaming variables to process images for both jobs:

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Corel AfterShot Pro 3

[jobname]-[jobseq][ext]
In this case, the [jobname] variable prompts you for a job name. If you
are processing images from the Smith wedding, when Corel AfterShot
Pro prompts you for a job name, you can enter SmithWedding, and the
image processes using that name. The [jobseq] number is a counter
that counts the processed images associated with the job name. The
counter starts at 0. So, the name of the first image processed for the
Smith wedding job will look like this:
SmithWedding-0.jpb
The name of the second processed image for the Smith wedding will
look like this:
SmithWedding-1.jpg
Using the same batch queue, you can also process images from the
Jones wedding. When Corel AfterShot Pro prompts you for a job name,
you can enter JonesWedding, and the image processes using that job
name. The [jobseq] variable checks the number of images processed
under this job name and starts the counting sequence accordingly. The
name of the first image processed for this job name looks like this:
JonesWedding-0.jpg
Corel AfterShot Pro lets you specify a padding constant when using
renaming formats. For example, if you wanted the sequence number
to be a certain length, you can add a constant to the rename variable
to specify the amount of padding needed. For example, suppose you
want the numbering for the Smith and Jones wedding images to be 4
places long. When you add a padding value to a renaming variable, the
renaming format looks like this:
[jobname-][4jobseq][ext]

Additional information

195

In this case, the [4jobseq] variable will generate sequence numbers
that are four characters long. For example, using this job sequence
definition, the name of the next images processed for the Jones
wedding look like this:
JonesWedding-0001.jpg, JonesWedding-0002.jpg, JonesWedding0003.jpg ...
Note: The placement of the padding value determines where
the extra characters are placed. When the padding value is
placed before the variable, the additional characters are placed
before the rename value. If the padding value is placed after the
variable name, the additional characters are placed after the
rename value.
Rename Case Conversion
You can instruct Corel AfterShot Pro to force rename variables to be
either all lower case, all upper case, or leave the case in it's original
form. Use "<" before the variable name to force lower case, and ">"
before the variable name to force upper case. For example, the
[model] variable for Canon's 20D digital SLR is "Canon EOS 20D"; using
[model] in the formats below:
[model]

results in:

Canon EOS 7D

[>model]

results in:

CANON EOS 7D

[5model]

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results in:
results in:

7D
CANON

Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Persistent Sequence Numbering
Corel AfterShot Pro's renaming formats include a persistent sequence
variable that enables you to track the number of images processed by
Corel AfterShot Pro. This variable counts all processed images in order,
and saves the number when you quit Corel AfterShot Pro. This variable
ensures that a unique sequence number is applied to each processed
image. For example, the following renaming format uses the persistent
sequence variable to append a unique sequence number to the
processed image:
[jobname][seq][ext]
In this case, the [seq] variable looks up the saved persistent sequence
number saved by Corel AfterShot Pro and adds to it when processing
the image.
Renaming variables
You can include the rename variables below as part of a batch
destination folder. For example, selecting 'Relative' as the destination
type and entering "[queuename]" as the path will create a new folder
under the RAW file's location with the name of the queue used to
create the output images.
Reference tables of renaming variables

Sequence
Rename Item

Variable

Description

Job name

[jobname]

The job name entered
by the user

Job sequence

[jobseq]

The number of items
processed under the
job name

Additional information

197

Rename Item

Variable

Description

Batch Queue name

[queuename]

The name of the
batch queue

Batch Queue
sequence

[queseq]

The number of items
processed by the
batch queue

Persistent sequence

[seq]

The total number of
files processed by
Corel AfterShot Pro

Rename sequence

[rseq]

The number for
images being
renamed using the
Context Menu
Rename function
(Right-click >
Rename)

Suggested extension

[ext]

The suggested file
extension for the file
output type

Rename Item

Variable

Description

Full filename

[ofullname]

The full name of the
original file

Filename

[oname]

The name of the
original file with the
extension removed

Original File Items

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Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Rename Item

Variable

Description

Version Name

[vname]

The name of the
version within Corel
AfterShot Pro. This
defaults to the
master file name plus
the revision number.
For example, a
second version of the
master file
IMG_1234.CR2
would have an
[vname] of
IMG_1234-2

Extension

[oext]

The extension of the
original file

File Number

[onum]

The file number of
the original file. For
example, the RAW
file IMG_1234.CR2
would have an
[onum] of 1234

Master File Path

[opath]

Full original folder
path for the master
file

Additional information

199

Rename Item

Variable

Description

Single Folder from
the Master File
location

[opath-N]

Single folder found at
N folders deep from
the master file. For
Example, if a master
file is at
C:\Users\Jeff\Pictures\
My Photos
Then [opath-1]
would be "My Photos"
and
[opath-2] would be
"Pictures"

Rename Item

Variable

Description

Rating

[rating]

The number of stars
assigned to the
selected Version

Label

[label]

The Color Label
assigned to the
selected Version

Flag

[flag]

The Flag state of the
selected Version

Rename Item

Variable

Description

Date

[date]

The year, month, and
day the image was
exposed.
Format: yyyy_mm_dd

Metadata Items

Date & Time Items

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Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Rename Item

Variable

Description

Year

[year]

The year during
which the image was
exposed

Month

[month]

The month during
which the image was
exposed

Day

[day]

The day on which the
image was exposed

Time

[time]

The hour, minute,
and second the
image was exposed.
Format: hh_mm_ss

Hour

[hour]

The hour during
which the image was
exposed

Minute

[minute]

The minute during
which the image was
exposed

Second

[second]

The second during
which the image was
exposed

Subsecond

[subsec]

The sub-second
during which the
image was exposed

Day name

[dayname]

Example: Monday,
Tuesday

Short Day name

[dayshort]

Example: Mon, Tue

Month name

[monthname]

Example: January,
February

Short Month name

[monthshort]

Example: Jan, Feb

Additional information

201

Rename Item

Variable

Description

Full Text display of
date & time

[datetext]

Example: Sun Sep 13
03:40:13 2016

ISO Format Date &
Time

[dateiso]

Example: 2016-0913T03:40:13

Date & Time

[datetime]

Example 2016-09-13
03-40-13.700

Time AM/PM

[timeap]

AM or PM

Rename Item

Variable

Description

ISO

[iso]

ISO setting

Lens

[lens]

Lens

Camera Make

[make]

Camera Make

Camera Model

[model]

Camera Model

Width

[width]

Width (in pixels) of
original image

Length

[length]

Length (in pixels) of
original image

F-number

[fnumber]

Aperture

Software

[software]

Software used to
convert image

Exposure

[exposure]

Exposure (shutter
speed) expressed as a
decimal

[copyright]

Usage Terms

[usageterms]

Usage Terms

EXIF Data Items

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Corel AfterShot Pro 3

Rename Item

Variable

Description

Max Aperture

[maxaperture]

Max aperture for the
lens used

Focal Length

[focallength]

Focal Length

Exposure Bias

[exposurebias]

Exposure Bias

Metering Mode

[meteringmode]

Metering Mode

Description

[description]

Image Description

Exposure Program

[exposureprogram]

Exposure Program

Rename Item

Variable

Description

Image Name

[imagename]

IPTC image name

Priority

[priority]

IPTC image priority

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