Everyone who likes to decorate his photos with an engraving effect is adviced to purchase this plugin.


Installation
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Whoever is capable of reading does not have to expect any problems. During installatom the target folder can be selected as with most plugins. If you like to use the Engraver plugin in various applications, just copy the installed *.8bf file as well as the preset and help files into the desired plugin folder. In additon to Photoshop Engraver 2 works properly in Corel Photo Paint, Paint Shop as well as PhotoImpact.


Usage
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The plugin window is well structured and nice for testing the available effects. The offered presets are really a help. They are marvellously suited as a starting point for reaching the desired result through the variety of settings. Where there is light, there are also shadows. The content of the two preview boxes cannot be zoomed. This makes it sometimes difficult to judge the adjusted settings in detail. Nevertheless this is the only deficit, which I was able to discover with this plugin.

Engraver 2 basically offers two approaches: You can start with a black layer and a duplicate of the background layer. The engraved result is then stamped out and appears black thanks to the layer underneath. However, it is also possible to apply the filter directly at the image. The procedure is brilliantly described on the web site of Alpha Plugins at
http://www.alphaplugins.com/tutorials.php?tut_id=2


Results
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It is well known that an engraving effect can be represented by lines, points, curves or other line combinations. Engraver 2 offers all imaginable points, lines and curves. At http://www.alphaplugins.com/tutorials.php?tut_id=2 you can find a variety of example images which give a very good overview.

It makes little sense to show one or two examples. That?s why you can see a more complex work of mine above, in which the model as well as a part of the background were modified with Engraver 2. However, this is not a one-click result. Various layers, brushes and a other plugins were applied.

My recommendation is to download the demo version. It is worth a test at any rate. I wish you good luck.