DxO has officially released Nik Collection 8, the latest version of its renowned suite of plugins for Photoshop, Lightroom Classic, and DxO’s own PhotoLab. This update introduces a completely redesigned Photoshop panel, enhanced masking tools, and significant improvements to both Silver Efex and Color Efex, offering what DxO claims is a more “dynamic editing experience.”
Boris Oliviero, Product Director at DxO, explained that the goal with Nik Collection 8 was to boost both creativity and workflow efficiency. The new release reimagines how users interact with Photoshop, making it easier to apply powerful effects, fine-tune local adjustments, and transition smoothly between different plugins.
One of the standout features in this version is the enhanced masking functionality. Photographers can now import masks from Photoshop directly into any Nik Collection plugin, tying into Photoshop’s selection tools more efficiently. DxO updated the Local Adjustments panel so that you can more easily transfer masks between plugins, and once edits are complete, you can send the masks back to Photoshop for further refinement. The idea is that masks remain accessible throughout the editing process — regardless of whether you created them in Photoshop or within a Nik plugin.
DxO says this process is smoother because returning to Photoshop after using Nik Collection 8 is more intuitive and flexible. For example, you can convert and edit into a Smart Object for non-destructive editing, apply changes to the current layer or a new one, or create a new layer with a mask for greater control. Additionally, photographers can now send their Nik edits straight back to Photoshop as a new layer while continuing to work within the Nik interface. This way, you can experiment without interrupting the creative flow and ensure all changes are ready and available in Photoshop.
The traditional Nik Palette is replaced with a new, fully customizable Photoshop panel. This dockable interface lets you save screen space by selecting which plugins to display and provides quick access to any plugin with a single click. That also means you can access the key layer and mask controls you want to streamline the overall workflow.
For black and white photos, DxO made some changes to Nik Silver Efex, including a new feature where you can view the original color image while working in black and white. That should help apply adjustments like color filters or sensitivity tweaks within the film types filter.
DxO says it chose to match the design philosophy of Nik Color Efex and Analog Efex to streamline processes, keeping filters on the left side until they’re applied. When you select a preset, only the relevant filters now appear on the right, providing a more focused editing environment. Expanded local adjustments include ClearView and Selective Tones, and new pre-defined Filter Looks are now in there for quick application.
Nik Color Efex gets its own changes with Color Masks, enabling photographers to make more precise adjustments by selecting specific color ranges. Choose a color, and you can fine-tune the mask using intuitive handles before applying edits.
An improved Quick Export function is also part of the mix. Switching to TIFF format is now faster, and users can immediately access and adjust export settings without having to dig through menus.
Pricing and Availability
Nik Collection 8 is available now for both macOS and Windows at shop.dxo.com. DxO offers a 30-day trial to try it out before committing. A new license is $159.99, while those upgrading from Nik Collection 6 or 7 pay $89.99.
Image credits: DxO
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