A new image editing program seems overloaded at first glance. With DxO PhotoLab 3, you don't have to be put off by this, because the interface is clearly organized. Once you know the individual areas, you will find your way around quickly. In this tutorial, I will guide you through the menu bar, file browser, image strip, filters, palettes, and view options. By the end, you will know how to adapt the workspace to your workflow.
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Key Takeaways
- PhotoLab is based on the folder structure of your hard drive and does not create its own image database.
- The image strip, filters, and search help you keep track of even large image collections.
- Palettes can be shown and hidden, detached, and moved to a second monitor.
- With the F9, F11, and F12 keys, you control the view without searching for long with the mouse.
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Overview of the Menu Bar
At the very top you will find the menu bar with the categories File, Edit, View, Image, optical DxO Modules, and Help. Many functions, such as creating a new project, are accessible there just as they are via the interface itself. If you are looking for a function, it is worth taking a look at these menus first.
Step 2: Icon Bar and Switching Workspaces
Directly below it is the icon bar. With it, you switch between the PhotoLibrary and the Customize workspace. In the middle are additional tools that you can use during editing or in the image view. On the right side, you reset adjustments you have made or apply presets, meaning saved templates that you apply to an image with one click.
Step 3: Accessing the Folder Structure with the File Browser
On the left side you will find the file browser, the so-called folder view. Here you select the folder on your hard drive that contains the desired images. An import is not necessary because PhotoLab does not build its own database. The folders and subfolders you have created on your computer remain the basis. Note, however, that clicking on a parent folder currently does not automatically display all images from the subfolders. You have to click specifically on the folder containing the images.
Step 4: The Image Strip and Navigation
As soon as you open a folder, the first image appears in the preview. Below it is the image strip with all the files found, that is, RAW, JPEG, or TIFF images. You can click a thumbnail to display it. Alternatively, you can navigate with the keyboard: The right arrow key takes you to the next image, the left one to the previous one.
Step 5: Enlarging Thumbnails and Adjusting the Image Strip
Above the image strip there is a small slider. Toward the right, the thumbnails become larger, toward the left, smaller. If you want to give the image strip more space, grab the small bar with the three dots between the image display and the image strip and drag it upward. The images will then appear in several rows. For the default view, double-click the same handle.
Step 6: Sorting and Filtering Images
In the image strip, sorting and filtering methods are available to you. You can sort by name, size, camera, and other criteria. With the filter options, you determine which images should be visible, for example only RAW images or only images with three stars. If you uncheck a rating, those images disappear from the view. They are not deleted in the process. With the Reset button, you restore the default setting so that all images are displayed again.
Step 7: Searching Specifically with the Search Field
Above the folder list is the search field. There you can find images based on capture date, rating, file name, or shooting settings such as ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, and aperture. For the search to work, you must first select the relevant folder via the folder index and have it indexed. After that, PhotoLab also searches all subfolders. I only touch on indexing briefly in this video; there will be more on it later.
Step 8: Using projects as a virtual collection
Below the folder list is the project list. With Create project, you combine individual images from different folders into a single project. The files are neither moved nor copied. They are merely linked virtually into a project. This way you can edit related shots together without changing your folder structure.
Step 9: Switching to the Edit workspace
Select an image and click Edit at the top. This takes you to the workspace where you do the actual editing. If no palettes are visible on the left or right side, simply click the small arrows at the edge of the window. The controls will then be shown again.
Step 10: Metadata and Preset Editor on the left side
On the left side of the Edit area, you can navigate through the image, for example using the Move and Zoom tools. The area also shows you the metadata of the current image. This includes the camera name, lens, image resolution, file size, and the exposure data such as sensitivity, aperture, and shutter speed. The author and keywords can also be found here. Below that is the Preset Editor, which you can use to apply presets to an image with a single click.
Step 11: Histogram and palettes on the right side
On the right side you will find the histogram, which shows you the tonal distribution in the image. Below it are the palettes, for example Exposure, Color, Details, and Geometry. At the start they are collapsed. Clicking a palette opens its functions, such as exposure correction, selective tone adjustment, or contrast. The Essential Tools palette bundles the functions that DxO provides for the most common editing. However, the same filters are also distributed across the other categories. So if you want to work with the categories, you can leave the Essential Tools collapsed.
Step 12: Full screen, hiding, and keyboard shortcuts
For full-screen view, click the corresponding symbol in the icon bar or press F11. All menus disappear, and you only see the image. You can also assign ratings in this view. With F11 or Escape you exit full-screen mode again. With F12 you hide the menu bar and the filmstrip so that you can concentrate completely on the image. The F9 key controls the left and right sides. Pressing it again shows the hidden areas again.
Step 13: Detaching palettes and placing them on a second monitor
Individual palettes can be detached from the program window. To do this, click the title of the palette with the left mouse button, hold the button down, and drag the area out. The palette then floats freely and can be placed on a second monitor. If you want to put it back, drag it to the desired place in the program until it docks.
Step 14: Opening the image browser as a separate window
The filmstrip works a bit differently. To do this, click View at the top and select Detach image browser. The filmstrip then appears as a floating window. You can adjust the size of the preview and scale the window, for example for a second monitor. This way you keep all images in view while you edit on the main screen. To anchor the filmstrip at the bottom again, close the window using the X. The strip is then docked automatically.
Step 15: The File menu and the program settings
The File menu contains numerous functions that you can also reach via the interface, such as creating a new project. There you can also back up the database. It contains keywords and ratings, but not the images themselves. A backup copy is therefore advisable. You export settings files in order to import them again after a reinstallation. You export images via Export to disk or to an application. You will find the program settings in the Edit menu; there is a separate video on the preferences.
Step 16: Showing and hiding palettes and displaying new features
Via the Palettes menu you show or hide individual areas. A particularly handy palette is New features in PhotoLab 3. It shows you specifically which functions were improved or added in this version. This is helpful if you have just installed an update. Finally, you can save your own arrangement via Save workspace. I will go into this in more detail in the next video.
Summary ??? DxO PhotoLab 3 User Interface: Menus, Folders, and Palettes
The interface of DxO PhotoLab 3 follows a clear logic. At the top, you control the basic functions and switch between Photo Library and Customize via menus and the icon bar. On the left, you get to your images via the file browser, search field, and projects, and on the right you will find the histogram as well as palettes for editing. At the bottom, you keep an overview with the image strip, and with filters you sort your collection. With full screen, F9 and F12, and with detached palettes, you adapt the screen to your way of working.
FAQ
Do I have to import my images into PhotoLab before I can edit them?No. PhotoLab does not create its own database, but accesses the folder structure of your hard drive directly.
Why are images from subfolders not displayed automatically?Clicking on a parent folder currently does not display the images of all subfolders. You have to select the folder containing the images specifically.
Are images deleted when I activate a filter?No. Filters only hide images in the view. The files remain unchanged on your hard drive.
How do I enlarge the image strip?Drag the small bar with the three dots between the image display and the image strip upwards. Double-clicking the handle restores the default view.
What happens to keywords and ratings?They are stored in PhotoLab's database until you export an image. That is why a backup copy of the database makes sense.
