BlackMagic
is a photo coloring software for PC Windows, released as shareware; it is used to
colorize Black & White,
Sepia, or IR (infrared)
photos, or to Color-correct ones with faded or inappropriate
colors. Being extremely simple to use, its a software that
transcends age and professional boundaries, providing an
immense sense of achievement, pride and satisfaction for kids
and adults alike. The resulting Colorized photos have
optimally saturated and consistent, correct hues - giving the
appearance as if the photo had originally been 'shot' in
color! BlackMagic delivers such professional grade results
with the minimum of fuss, and just a few minutes worth of
effort. BlackMagic
incorporates "TimeBrush™ RLC [RealLifeColour]™"
standard. The TimeBrush RLC technology was specifically
created for colorizing black & white motion pictures of
the Hollywood fame. This feature provides BlackMagic the
ability to render superb, rich, vibrant looking colors, that
are not under/ over saturated, yet look completely natural.
Colorizing
Photos - the ISSUES
Colorizing
black & white photos can get quite involving, depending
upon the quality and sophistication of the results desired.
The process involved can be very tedious and challenging,
taking a day [often several] to completely colorize a single
black & white photograph to professional grade quality.
The typical 'paint' computer programs usually require the
operator to select individual hue [color], opacity
[transparency], etc., for coloring a specific portion of the
photo. This is further compounded by the need to 'guess' the
right hue/ saturation values to color a certain object, which
can take several hit-and-trial iterations, with no guarantee
of a 'best' match.
The
whole process may need to be repeated hundreds of times over
to finish a single photograph...even then, the results often
leave much to be desired, and rarely resemble the 'real life
colors' that we are used to seeing in color photographs Even
with all the professional care and sophistication, it is
common to get results depicting improper color matches, over
saturated colors, dull/ faded colors, or over-emphasized/
blurred edges.
The
BlackMagic Difference
BlackMagic
resolves all of the above problems associated with colorizing
black & white photos, and more. The system uses
state-of-the-art Neural Net algorithms to provide dynamic parameterisation.
This means that the user is not required to pick specific
color hues or the associated values/ parameters - she/ he
works by simply identifying the 'type of object' to be colored. BlackMagic then automatically performs the needed
calculations to continuously vary all required parameters,
based on the content of the photograph/ region being
colorized - all done in the background transparent to the
user. This process ensures consistent as well as optimal
selection of hue, brightness, saturation, opacity, etc. for
colorizing any object/ region of the image, without the guess
work that would otherwise have been required.
BlackMagic
provides several tools, to most expeditiously apply
RealLifeColor palettes to a monochromatic image. It is
available in several versions, to suit every budget and need.
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DIFFERENT
BLACKMAGIC EDITIONS |
BlackMagic
is available in following flavors to suit different
requirement levels:
HE
- Home Edition
is a low priced consumer version suited for home PC users,
this edition of BlackMagic provides a fun way to colorize black &
white
photos from the family album, or to re-color the ones that
did not come out quite right. BlackMagic HE supports a maximum
processing resolution of one mega pixel, suited for
printing at approximately half of A4/ Letter sizes (similar in size to
6" X
4" photo prints) on most consumer-end Color printers (such as
Color photo ink-jet printers).
BE
- Business Edition
is primarily
aimed at small businesses that need to colorize photographs
and images for in-house use. This edition of BlackMagic allows for
processing at up to 4M-pixel image resolutions for higher resolution prints. The Business Edition
also offers additional functionality, tools, and palettes over
the HE version.
PE
- Professional Edition
is
the ultimate photo-Colorization tool, and offers a rich set
of tools and palettes for an unprecedented level of
productivity in colorization projects. The PE version
supports processing at any resolution (limited only
by the computer's resources). It offers additional
features
and functionality over Home or Business Editions, and will
suit artists, photography enthusiasts, or photo processing/
restoration studios.
Irrespective of the edition you choose, Blackmagic makes for a
unique gift on any occasion, or an invaluable addition to your
software tool set. Photos Colorized using BlackMagic are
indeed masterpieces that you create; the results are sure to
provide a tremendous sense of achievement, pride, and
satisfaction, besides delivering professionally restored
family heirlooms to be admired by generations to come.
BlackMagic
offers a vary attractive ROI,
considering that getting a single Black & White photo
Colorized from a photo-studio may cost between US$ 50 - 500.
All
BlackMagic Editions come with full on-line help/ tutorial, web/ e-mail
support, and free product updates within the same major
release.
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The
following table provides a detailed price/ feature comparison between different
BlackMagic Editions.
Supported OS versions:
Windows Vista,
XP, NT, Me, 2000, 98SE
BlackMagic
Version 2.85 Price/ Feature Comparison |
Home
Edition |
Business
Edition |
Professional
Edition |
Current
Price [ex local taxes] |
from US$49
BUYNOW
|
from
US$99
BUYNOW
|
from
US$199
BUYNOW
|
On-line
Help & Tutorial |
Full
+ Pop-up |
Full
+ Pop-up |
Full
+ Pop-up |
Common
Image Operations |
Load,
Scan, SaveAs, Print, LoadAsGray, Invert
(convert from neg)
1
MegaPixel Max Processing Resolution
|
Load,
Scan, SaveAs, Print, LoadAsGray, Invert
(convert from neg)
4
MegaPixel Max Processing Resolution
|
Load,
Scan, SaveAs, Print, LoadAsGray, Invert
(convert from neg)
Un-limited
Processing Resolution, Max Resolution Limit
selectable
|
Supported
Image Formats |
Windows
BMP (load & save), JPEG (load & save) |
Windows
BMP (load & save), JPEG (load & save) |
Windows
BMP (load & save), JPEG (load & save) |
Rendering
Tools |
Selector,
Eraser, Smart Paint-brush, Selection-paint, Magic
Touch-paint |
Selector,
Eraser, Smart Paint-brush, Selection-paint, Magic
Touch-paint |
Selector,
Eraser, Smart Paint-brush, Selection-paint, Magic
Touch-paint |
Rendering
Tools - Options |
Overwrite/
Layered Mode, Brush Size & Shape selector, Brush
Selectivity control, Quick Brush Size/ Shape
selections |
Overwrite/
Layered Mode, Brush Size & Shape selector, Brush
Selectivity control, Quick Brush Size/ Shape
selections, Magic Touch-paint
Integration control |
Overwrite/
Layered Mode, Brush Size & Shape selector, Brush
Selectivity control, Quick Brush Size/ Shape
selections, Magic Touch-paint
Integration control |
Current
Selection Display |
Tool
& Hue |
Tool
& Hue |
Tool
& Hue |
Image
Window Information Displays |
Image
width & height, X & Y coordinates, RGB
component values at cursor, Hue at cursor |
Image
width & height, X & Y coordinates, RGB
component values at cursor, Hue at cursor |
Image
width & height, X & Y coordinates, RGB
component values at cursor, Hue at cursor |
Image
Window Controls |
Un-do,
Pressure damper, Caption, Rendering
in Zoom in/ out state with auto-sync |
Un-do,
Pressure damper, Caption, Rendering
in Zoom in/ out state with auto-sync |
Un-do,
Pressure damper, Caption, Rendering
in Zoom in/ out state with auto-sync |
Colors &
Palettes Selection |
69
Neural Net pre-configured palettes w/ dynamic
parameterization based on TimeBrush RLC standard |
69
Neural Net pre-configured palettes w/ dynamic
parameterization based on TimeBrush RLC standard,
Free
Color Picker (RGB/ HSL) |
69
Neural Net pre-configured palettes w/ dynamic
parameterization based on TimeBrush RLC standard,
Free
Color Picker (RGB/ HSL),
'Clear'
palette mode for use with 'Tuning' controls [see
below] |
Custom
Palettes & RGB Tuning |
|
Load
& Use existing BlackMagic Custom Derivative Palettes [.bcp
files] |
Create,
Load
& Use existing BlackMagic Custom Derivative Palettes [.bcp
files]
Direct
modification of Neural Net palettes through Red,
Green, & Blue channel variation and saving the
results as ".bcp" [BlackMagic Custom
Palette] files |
Luminance |
|
|
Modify
gray-scale level for parts in the original image |
Saturation |
|
|
Modify
Dominant hue level in the final computed Color |
^^top^^
Minimum system requirements to run BlackMagic :
-
Windows
98SE, ME, 2000, XP, Vista (or later) equipped PC w/ Keyboard,
and hard-disk. Minimum 5 MB free space required by the
program
-
High
resolution pointing device such as a mouse, pen/ tablet,
etc
-
Color
Monitor + Graphics card capable of minimum 800 X 600
display at 16 bit, or for BE/ PE a fast Graphics sub-system
capable of 1024 x 768 upwards resolution at 32/24 bit
Color depth, and min. 32MB free video memory is suggested
-
Minimum
24MB free memory; 128MB+ free memory suggested for BE, or 500MB+ for PE.
Actual memory required will also depend upon the size of
the image
-
Hi
Resolution Scanner [OPTIONAL] to scan photographs or
negatives
-
Printer
(optional) capable of Color photographic quality output.
Basically,
any average Home PC or laptop computer should be
sufficient to run Blackmagic.
* Though BlackMagic is technically supported on PC Windows,
some users have reported using it on Mac OS using a bridging
software to emulate Windows. If you wish to use BlackMagic on
a Mac, the prudent thing to do is to try the free shareware
version and see if it works under your emulation environment;
if it does, then you can purchase a license.
^^top^^
free
trial-download / updates |
Please follow the steps below to download and try BlackMagic,
or to get the latest program update.
The
same program archive works for all BlackMagic Editions,
including the Trial mode. Specific program versions are
enabled based on the License KEY you purchase. The trial
[shareware version] lets you trial most of the Professional
Edition functionality. To compare features amongst different
BlackMagic Editions please Click Here.
Download
and installation instructions:
Step 1.
Download the installer by
following this link:
http://www.blackmagic-color.com/blkmagic.exe
Step 2.
Once the download completes, run the .exe file then follow
prompts to complete installation.
Step 3. Find and run the "Blackmagic Program" in the
program group you installed to.
BUY-NOW/
UPGRADE/ CROSS-GRADE |
Buy
with confidence - online or over the phone using a major
credit-card or PayPal -
following a
purchase link from the tables below will lead you to secure
payment page. We partner only with leading e-commerce
companies, so that your buying experience is safe and
hassle-free.
Please proceed by selecting an appropriate "BUY-NOW"
button link from the tables below.
Note:
If a particular purchase link does not work, it may be down
for maintenance - please use an alternate Point Of Sale from
the tables below, or try after a
while. If you continue experiencing difficulties, please
e-mail admin@neuraltek.com.
For urgent
purchase assistance, call +61 408
268762
POS
#1 |
|
SUPPORTED
CREDIT CARDS |
* may vary |
PAYMENT
METHODS |
On-line
using a major credit card or Paypal account |
DELIVERY
METHOD |
Key
delivered via e-mail, usually within 36 hours of
payment confirmation. |
SECURE ONLINE PURCHASE LINKS |
|
|
EULA:
BlackMagic use is subject to an End User License Agreement
[EULA] - you may review the terms of this EULA by Clicking
Here.
Privacy
Policy: NeuralTek does not store or even 'see' the
financial account information that you submit [such as credit
card numbers] - these are encrypted following the highest
encryption standards, then passed to the relevant banking
institution for processing. NeuralTek only receives your order
fulfilment details, and will only use this to contact you
regarding product support, informing you of new updates/
products, etc. Specifically, NeuralTek will never sell or share any of this
information with any third party; plus in all our mailings, you
will have the option to discontinue receiving further
communications.
Refund
Policy: Refunds are only provided under special
circumstances, and upon NeuralTek's sole discretion. As a matter of
general policy, we do not provide refunds once you have
received your permanent License KEY [due to the nature of
electronically delivered KEYs, we have no enforcement
mechanism to get the 'sold goods' back].
With shareware such as BlackMagic, you have the opportunity to
try
the software features before deciding to purchase - that's
perhaps the
best GUARANTEE you can get for your total
satisfaction.
^^top^^
For
BlackMagic technical support, please e-mail support@neuraltek.com
BlackMagic
FAQ
General
Why
is there only one trial version, while BlackMagic is available
in three flavors? Which program edition does the
trial download relate to?
The
BlackMagic free trial download is common to all the BlackMagic
editions. The trial lets a user test most of the Professional
Edition functionality - which automatically includes all
features and functions of the Business and Home editions of
the program. To compare features available in each of the
program editions, please consult the Feature
Comparison Table.
Do
I have to download something again after buying BlackMagic?
The same program archive you downloaded (trial shareware
version) will be enabled (un-locked) after you enter a valid
license key. The license key is sent to you via e-mail once
your payment has been authorized. This license key
"knows" which program edition you purchased, and
will 'un-lock' the corresponding functionality. You should
however check the BlackMagic web site for new versions/
updates, and if a version later than the one you downloaded
before is available, you could download the newer version and
install over your existing installation - effectively updating
your BlackMagic license.
If
I previously trial'ed BlackMagic and ran out the entire trial
period, can I re-trial a newer program version?
Most
newer program versions (updates) re-set the trial; so the
answer is yes - we would definitely like you to try any new
features/ improvements. The only exception is if an update
release does not introduce much over and above the previous
release.
How
do I un-install BlackMagic
Unlike
some other programs, BlackMagic does not install files all
over your computer, or in your system folders. Hence there is
no need for special un-installer. To un-install, simply delete
the folder where you installed BlackMagic (first making sure
to backup any personal files/ data you may have in there),
then delete the corresponding program group. Future releases
may include an un-install program that does this
automatically.
^^top
of faq^^
What
is your policy on Free Updates?
Effective
1 Dec 2003: Irrespective
of the date of your purchase, or the release/ version you buy,
you are entitled to free updates for a whole year from the
date of your purchase.
Can
I upgrade to a higher program edition, or a higher program
(major) version?
Absolutely.
For example, if you purchase the Home Edition, then later
realize that you require the functionality of the Business Edition, you can upgrade to the higher edition by paying the
price difference plus a small administration fee. Similarly,
if you purchased version 2.5 Home Edition, and wish to upgrade
to version 3.1 Home Edition or Business Edition, you can do
this by paying a reasonable 'cross-upgrade' license fee. For the
latest upgrade/ cross-grade options, please visit the BUY-NOW
section.
Technical
Is
there a tutorial or step-by-step guide to getting started
using BlackMagic.
Yes.
Please refer to the section
2.1 of the help docs which are included in each program
archive.
Where
can I find a complete reference of all the tools and functions
in BlackMagic?
Section
3 of the help docs provides a complete reference of tools,
palettes, and operations in BlackMagic.
Is Blackmagic compatible with Windows Vista?
Yes, release 2.85 onwards will work under Vista.
Do
you have a question not addressed above? Please contact support@neuraltek.com.
^^top
of faq^^
Earn
top commission re-selling BlackMagic as an Affiliate - or earn even more by
pre-purchasing licenses in bulk, then on-selling or bundling
with OEM products. All you need, is a web-site with a fair
volume of visitor traffic [or be willing to build and promote
one], or alternately have access to other retail/ distribution
means, basic understanding of e-commerce concepts, and be
willing to conform with our highest standards of Customer
Service.
Two ways for
you to resell Blackmagic:
1. Join the
BlackMagic Affiliate Sales Program at
ClixGalore - click here
- earn up to 20% per sale
2. Pre-purchase
BlackMagic licenses and get up to 70% discount/ commission
We will provide you with a stored value key generator which
will allow you to generate and issue license keys direct to
your customers, or retail Blackmagic as a package/ OEM bundle
- please refer to the discount table below:
Quantity
|
Price per Unit
|
10 - 19
|
20% |
20 - 39
|
25% |
40 - 59
|
30% |
60 - 99
|
35% |
100 - 199
|
40% |
200 - 499
|
45% |
500 - 999
|
50% |
1000 and above
|
60% |
5000 and above
|
70% |
Please contact
admin@neuraltek.com
or call +61 408 268762 for Bulk licensing.
Postal Mail
NeuralTek
26 Hepburn Rd, North Rocks,
NSW 2151 Australia
Telephone
+61 408
268762
9:00am till 9:00pm, Sydney time (GMT + 10)
E-mail
In relation to
Press reviews/ Editorial requests, or business related matters
including OEM, bundling, business alliance opportunities,
volume discounts, etc., please email
admin@neuraltek.com
For technical
support, or product license keys, etc., please email
support@neuraltek.com
^^top^^
NOT RECEIVING A
RESPONSE TO YOUR EMAILS?
Dear customers,
If you are
having problems contacting us or in getting a response to your
e-mails, please note the following:
We respond to most e-mails within 24 hours. If you have not
received a reply after 2 days, it is most likely because of
your spam filter - turn it off please, and write
back to us so we can get through. This is most common with
customers using Yahoo mail.
Please send all support requests to
support@neuraltek.com
and always put the program name about which you are
writing in the subject field.
For urgent matters please call +61 408 268762 between 10:00 am
till 8:00 pm Sydney time (GMT +10 hours). If you call after
hours or if the phone is unattended, please be sure to leave
contact details including best time to call you back and your
country/ area codes. You can also send an SMS to the above
number - we will call back.
^^top^^
|