No matches. Try another search.
01. PURPOSE OF THE PANEL
VENDAX DNB PRO is a portrait retouching panel inside Adobe Photoshop. It combines skin masking, pore cleanup, automatic smoothing, frequency separation, skin color correction, light and shadow work, and retouching of eye whites, irises and teeth. Processing operations create editable results on Photoshop layers. Masks limit their coverage; sliders reduce their strength. Opening a submenu, switching brushes or changing strength does not itself create a new pass. Processing commands such as APPLY or NEW PASS create passes. Processing uses the currently visible image, including previous effects. Do not repeatedly run the same operation just to increase its strength: first adjust the existing result.
↑ Back to top02. INSTALLATION ON WINDOWS
Requirements: Windows x64, Adobe Photoshop 27.10 or later, Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop and an Adobe account signed in. 1. Download the VENDAX DNB PRO installation ZIP from the website. 2. Right-click the archive in File Explorer and select Extract All. 3. Open the fully extracted folder. Do not run the installer inside the ZIP. 4. Run INSTALL.cmd and wait for the components to install. 5. When Adobe Creative Cloud opens, click Install and approve the requested permissions. 6. Wait for installation to complete. 7. Open Photoshop → Plugins → Vendax DNB PRO. 8. Restart Photoshop if the panel is not yet listed. If Creative Cloud does not open automatically, double-click DNB-PRO-1.0.3_PS.ccx in the extracted package and confirm installation. CCX installs through Creative Cloud, not Photoshop's Open command. Customers do not need developer mode. The Windows package includes the required local analysis components. A separate Python installation is not required. After successful installation, the components start automatically when you sign in to Windows. Open the panel itself through Photoshop's Plugins menu. Once installation is complete, open a photo and start with FACE MASK.
↑ Back to top03. INSTALLING THE PANEL ON macOS — MACBOOK AND MAC
Prepare Adobe Photoshop 27.10 or later and Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop. Open Creative Cloud and sign in to your Adobe account. 1. Download the panel file from the website. If it is in a ZIP, double-click the archive in Finder to extract it. 2. Locate the .ccx panel file. 3. Double-click it to open installation in Adobe Creative Cloud. 4. Click Install and approve the requested permissions. 5. Wait for installation to finish. 6. Open Photoshop → Plugins → Vendax DNB PRO. 7. Restart Photoshop if the panel does not appear. INSTALL.cmd is for Windows. On Mac, install the panel itself using .ccx. Do not open CCX as a photograph or manually copy it into Photoshop's filters folder. Adobe's official CCX installation guide: Adobe ↗
↑ Back to top04. OPENING AND PREPARING A PHOTO
1. In Photoshop, choose File → Open: Ctrl+O on Windows, Command+O on Mac. 2. If Camera Raw opens, adjust basic exposure, white balance and cropping, then click Open. 3. Work in RGB, 8 or 16 bits per channel. 4. Preferably finish cropping and resizing before creating masks. 5. Clear any unwanted active selection before automatic processing. 6. Use File → Save As to save a working PSD copy with layers. 7. Open Vendax DNB PRO through Plugins. Do not overwrite the original photo. The panel does not replace saving the document: APPLY, RUN PROCESSING and other processing commands do not automatically save the PSD to disk.
↑ Back to top05. RECOMMENDED RETOUCHING ORDER
This is a suggested route. Use only the stages your photo needs. 1. Prepare the photo and save a working PSD copy. 2. FACE MASK: create the mask and refine it with the brushes. 3. CLEANUP: remove distracting small defects while preserving individual skin features. 4. AUTO DODGE & BURN: run an automatic pass and adjust its strength. 5. FREQUENCY SEPARATION: refine the required band if needed. Use it instead of or alongside the automatic pass, with moderate strength. 6. SKIN TONE: reduce unwanted skin color variation. 7. LIGHTEN & DARKEN: refine light and shadow manually. 8. EYES & TEETH: check the eye-white, iris and teeth masks, then apply corrections. 9. CHECK: inspect light, color and texture, then return to Clean view. 10. Compare the overall retouch with BEFORE and AFTER. 11. If needed, finish color work with CAMERA RAW. 12. Save a layered PSD and export the finished photo separately. Check for a natural result after every stage. Use 100% for texture, 200% for mask edges and the overall view for light and color. If you change an earlier stage after calculating later ones, do not assume the later results have automatically recalculated from the updated image.
↑ Back to top06. MAIN SCREEN AND GENERAL SETTINGS
The eight main tools: FACE MASK | CLEANUP AUTO DODGE & BURN | FREQUENCY SEPARATION SKIN TONE | LIGHTEN & DARKEN EYES & TEETH | ADVANCED FACE MASK creates or opens the shared editable skin mask. CLEANUP opens pore cleanup and manual cleanup tools. AUTO DODGE & BURN calculates an independent automatic pass. FREQUENCY SEPARATION opens maps and settings for three frequency bands. SKIN TONE starts automatic skin color correction. LIGHTEN & DARKEN opens lightening and darkening painting. EYES & TEETH opens separate eye and teeth tools. ADVANCED opens additional sections and detailed settings. BEFORE temporarily hides recognized DNB retouching results while remembering their settings. This compares against the image without DNB retouching, not necessarily the original file on disk: other Photoshop changes may remain. AFTER restores visibility and strength after BEFORE. Do not paint or manually change layers during the overall BEFORE view. CAMERA RAW opens processing of the currently visible result in Camera Raw; see section 20 for its nested commands. Adjust result selects an existing result to adjust: AUTO DODGE & BURN, CLEANUP, MICRO D&B, MACRO D&B, SKIN TONE or FACE SHAPING. Selecting an item does not start processing. FACE SHAPING names a light/shadow group in this list. MICRO and MACRO are additional sections, not main buttons. To select a specific pass, also use its group or a layer in Photoshop Layers. The current target appears below the slider. Strength, 0–100%, controls the selected result's overall strength. 0% removes its contribution; 100% shows its full strength. It may be unavailable if no result exists. It does not run another calculation. For CLEANUP, the general manual-cleanup adjustment differs from PORE STRENGTH, which specifically controls pore removal. HIGH strength, MID strength and LOW strength independently control AUTO DODGE & BURN bands, 0–100%, initially 50% each. They appear when that result is selected. HEAL / CLONE with CLEANUP selected switches between the manual healing brush and clone stamp on the cleanup layer. Check view: Clean view shows the normal photo; Luminosity checks lighting in black and white; Color checks color patches with equalized brightness; Texture checks texture in high-contrast black and white. CHECK displays the selected diagnostic view of the current visible result. The bottom status line reports progress, the selected target or an error. Wait for a calculation to finish before starting another tool.
↑ Back to top07. FACE MASK — SKIN MASK
Purpose: isolate skin for retouching and protect eyes, lips, hair, background and other areas that should remain unchanged. 1. Click FACE MASK. CREATE MASK in the mask section performs the same task. 2. Wait for the mask to be created or opened. 3. Zoom in and check all faces, eyelids, eyes, lips, hair, eyebrows, glasses and skin edges. 4. Use BLACK BRUSH to paint areas to protect. 5. Use WHITE BRUSH to restore skin mistakenly excluded. 6. Return to processing with BACK TO MAIN. CREATE MASK creates a mask or opens the existing one while preserving edits. WHITE BRUSH removes red protection and enables processing. BLACK BRUSH adds red protection and excludes processing. Red means PROTECTION, not retouching strength. Always inspect and refine masks with both brushes as needed. Automatic recognition does not replace checking, especially for small, turned or partly obscured faces and glasses. Check each face in a group photo. Protect unwanted faces with black. Preserve moles, freckles and other features as required. Reopening the shared mask preserves manual edits. Do not rename FINAL SKIN FINAL 0.3: other tools use this service layer. Set brush size, hardness, Opacity and Flow in Photoshop. The working mask controls the next calculation; a result mask limits an already-created effect. Existing results do not recalculate automatically after changes to the shared mask. Use MASK SYNC (section 18) for new black restrictions.
↑ Back to top08. CLEANUP — SKIN AND PORE CLEANUP
CLEANUP opens PORE CLEANUP, CLONE and HEALING BRUSH. PORE CLEANUP opens detection and correction of small dark pores. CLONE selects a clone stamp on a separate manual-cleanup layer; HEALING BRUSH selects the healing brush there. ← BACK TO CLEANUP returns to tool selection. 1. Check FACE MASK and protect features you want to retain. 2. Open CLEANUP → PORE CLEANUP. 3. Set Max size for the defects in the photo. 4. Click FIND PORES. 5. Inspect yellow marks at 100–200%: they show correction pixels. 6. If you change protection or search size, run FIND PORES again. 7. Click AUTO PORE CLEANUP. 8. Adjust PORE STRENGTH and compare PORE BEFORE / AFTER. FIND PORES detects small dark candidates at full image resolution with protection applied; detection is not final removal. AUTO PORE CLEANUP corrects detected areas on a separate masked layer, using nearby clean texture matched in color and lighting, or an estimate of surrounding skin when no suitable sample exists. Max size, 2–16 px, initially 12 px, is the maximum detected detail size in image pixels, not viewing zoom. Search again after changing it. It does not strengthen an existing correction. PORE STRENGTH, 0–100%, initially 40%, controls pore cleanup. PORE BEFORE / AFTER compares the selected or latest pore result. HEAL is manual healing on the cleanup layer; CLONE manually copies texture with the stamp. For HEAL or CLONE, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) clean skin to sample, then paint carefully on the defect. Choose similar texture and lighting. After changing the photo, protection or search parameters, create a new FIND PORES map. Do not reuse a map for a different image state. Do not remove all natural skin texture. To restore a detail, select the result's layer mask in Layers and protect the area with black.
↑ Back to top09. AUTO DODGE & BURN — AUTOMATIC PROCESSING
The main button starts independent three-band processing. In version 1.0.3 the algorithm uses frequency smoothing through the skin mask. For manual lightening/darkening painting, use LIGHTEN & DARKEN. 1. Check FACE MASK and complete the necessary cleanup. 2. Click AUTO DODGE & BURN and wait. 3. Select AUTO DODGE & BURN in Adjust result if needed. 4. Adjust HIGH strength, MID strength and LOW strength independently. 5. Adjust overall Strength. 6. Inspect texture at 100% and compare BEFORE / AFTER. LOW strength controls broad light/color transitions; MID strength controls medium details and unevenness; HIGH strength controls fine texture. Each ranges from 0–100%, initially 50%. Strength controls the overall current automatic pass. Initial automatic-module radii are 8 and 24 px. This module has independent settings and results: changing FREQUENCY SEPARATION radii does not change AUTO DODGE & BURN. If no suitable HIGH defects are found, HIGH remains uncorrected while LOW and MID may finish. Pressing the main button again creates another pass from the current visible image. To weaken an existing effect, use sliders rather than running it again.
↑ Back to top10. FREQUENCY SEPARATION
Purpose: separately process broad transitions, medium details and fine texture. Independent of AUTO DODGE & BURN. LOW MAP is a blurred color map of broad light/color transitions. MID MAP shows medium details on neutral gray. HIGH MAP shows fine texture and pores on neutral gray. Maps help choose settings; they are not finished retouching. Selected band chooses LOW, MID or HIGH for application, mask editing and comparison. High / Mid radius, 1–100 px, initially 8 px, separates fine and medium details. Mid / Low radius, 2–300 px, initially 24 px, separates medium and broad details. The second radius must exceed the first. Maps update on slider release. Choose radii for image resolution and face size. LOW strength, MID strength and HIGH strength are independent, 0–100%, initially 50%. Before processing they set parameters; afterwards they adjust the corresponding result. APPLY creates a new separation pass and processes the selected band. The photo appears afterwards and previous passes remain. EDIT MASK opens or prepares the selected band's mask. WHITE BRUSH removes red protection; BLACK BRUSH adds it. BEFORE / AFTER compares only the selected band correction. 1. Open FREQUENCY SEPARATION. 2. Choose LOW MAP, MID MAP or HIGH MAP. 3. At 100%, adjust both radii. For LOW, fine texture should disappear while facial volume remains recognizable. 4. Check Selected band and set strength. 5. Refine EDIT MASK with white/black brushes if needed. 6. Click APPLY and wait. 7. Adjust strength on the photo and compare local BEFORE / AFTER. 8. Repeat for another band if needed. 9. Use BACK TO MAIN to return. Each APPLY is a new pass. Top BEFORE / AFTER controls all DNB retouching; local comparison controls the selected band. If HIGH has no suitable defects, frequency separation may report no suitable processing. Do not repeatedly press APPLY: check the mask, detail scale and whether correction is needed.
↑ Back to top11. SKIN TONE — SKIN COLOR
Reduces unwanted skin color variation while respecting its own hue and brightness. Preserve natural blush and makeup. 1. Check FACE MASK. 2. Click SKIN TONE. Starting from the main button sets strength to 35%. 3. Judge color in Clean view. 4. Adjust the selected result's Strength or the section's AUTO STRENGTH. 5. Compare BEFORE / AFTER. ADVANCED → 06 SKIN TONE: AUTO STRENGTH, 0–100%, adjusts the automatic result; upper BEFORE / AFTER compares only that pass. Scale, 50–200%, initially 100%, is analysis scale for the next calculation, not opacity or viewing zoom. SECOND PASS — MASKED is an additional pass with its own working mask. CREATE MASK creates/opens it. WHITE BRUSH enables skin areas; BLACK BRUSH protects makeup, lips, blush and other retained areas. RUN PROCESSING calculates the extra pass through the refined mask. MASKED STRENGTH, 0–100%, initial field 75%, controls this pass. Lower BEFORE / AFTER compares only the extra pass. The automatic result remains separate. New masked passes preserve previous masked versions, but may hide them: check Layers. Existing results' fields can differ from defaults because the panel displays current settings.
↑ Back to top12. LIGHTEN & DARKEN — PAINTING LIGHT AND SHADOW
1. Click LIGHTEN & DARKEN; the white brush activates. 2. Paint areas to lighten; the effect appears immediately. 3. Adjust White effect. 4. Click BLACK BRUSH and paint darkening. 5. Adjust Black effect. 6. Compare with local BEFORE / AFTER. WHITE BRUSH selects an independent lightening layer and white brush. BLACK BRUSH selects an independent darkening layer and black brush. White effect and Black effect, 0–100%, control their painted effects. Both fields initially show 100%; existing results show their actual strength. Painting displays the selected brush's slider. Changing one strength preserves the other. NEW PASS creates a new editable pass and selects the white brush. BEFORE / AFTER compares the current light/shadow result group. Additional sections may call this tool FACE SHAPING. Overall, 0–100%, initial field 75%, controls the group in the corresponding FACE SHAPING mode; this row is hidden in the current live brush mode. Here the black brush paints DARKENING. In mask mode, BLACK BRUSH instead adds protection. Set size, hardness, Opacity and Flow in Photoshop. The initial brush is soft with Flow 5%. Repeated strokes build the effect. Brush settings are remembered separately while the panel is open. Use WHITE BRUSH and BLACK BRUSH to switch independent effects. X changes color but does not select the other effect layer.
↑ Back to top13. EYES & TEETH
EYES & TEETH opens EYES (eye whites and irises) and TEETH (teeth masking/processing). Each correction has its own mask, strength and comparison. 13.1. EYES → EYE WHITES 1. Click EDIT EYE WHITES MASK. 2. Inspect both eyes and refine the mask with brushes. 3. Click APPLY EYE WHITES MASK. 4. Adjust Eye whites and compare BEFORE / AFTER. EDIT EYE WHITES MASK creates a result if necessary and opens its mask. WHITE BRUSH includes eye whites. BLACK BRUSH excludes irises, pupils, lashes, eyelids and retained shadows. APPLY EYE WHITES MASK finishes mask editing and shows the result. Eye whites, 0–100%, initially 35%, controls correction. BEFORE / AFTER compares only eye whites. Do not turn the whites solid white: preserve volume and natural shadows. Red areas in mask editing are protected. 13.2. EYES → IRIS 1 · CREATE / OPEN IRIS MASK creates or opens the iris mask. WHITE BRUSH includes the iris area. BLACK BRUSH protects pupils, eyelids and unwanted areas. 2 · APPLY IRIS LIGHT applies correction through the checked mask. Iris light, 0–100%, initially 45%, controls iris lightening. Iris saturation, 0–100%, initially 35%, controls color enhancement. 3 · BEFORE / AFTER compares iris correction. Order: create mask → refine white/black → apply → adjust light and saturation → compare. Preserve pupils, catchlights and the natural light direction. Apply mask edits before comparing. 13.3. TEETH CREATE MASK creates/opens the working teeth mask. WHITE BRUSH includes enamel. BLACK BRUSH protects lips, gums and gaps between teeth. RUN PROCESSING applies processing through the edited mask. Strength, 0–100%, initially 35%, controls teeth correction. BEFORE / AFTER compares only teeth. Order: CREATE MASK → brush inspection → RUN PROCESSING → Strength → BEFORE / AFTER. Do not completely remove natural shadows between teeth.
↑ Back to top14. ADVANCED — NAVIGATION AND ADDITIONAL SECTIONS
ADVANCED opens detailed settings; select a section in the Advanced list. Selecting a section is navigation and does not itself guarantee processing. BACK TO MAIN returns to the eight main tools. UNDO undoes the last Photoshop history step, including a stroke or strength adjustment. REDO restores an undone step; a new action may clear redo history. Sections: 01 FACE ANALYSIS — shared skin mask: CREATE MASK and two brushes. 02 CLEANUP — pores, clone stamp and healing brush. 03 MICRO D&B — small tonal unevenness. 05 MACRO D&B — broader tonal unevenness. 06 SKIN TONE — automatic and extra masked color passes. 07 FACE SHAPING — light/shadow work and independent strengths. 08 FINISH — final inspection, zoom and layer report. FREQUENCY SEPARATION — maps, radii, masks and band processing. AUTOMATIC D&B — extra menu for automatic FACE SHAPING. LUMINOSITY — selection of extra automatic/manual modes. MANUAL D&B — manual correction on separate light/shadow masks. EYES & TEETH — eye whites, irises and teeth. CHECK — color, luminosity and texture diagnostics. MASK SYNC — transfer new shared-mask restrictions to existing results. MASK TEST 0.5 — separate mask test tools. ALL SECTIONS — show sections in a single scrolling list. Numbering matches the interface; gaps do not indicate a missing mandatory stage. Normal retouching does not require every section.
↑ Back to top15. MICRO D&B AND MACRO D&B
These additional sections handle tonal work and existing results. They are not the LOW/MID/HIGH bands of main AUTO DODGE & BURN. Opening them through Advanced does not create an automatic result. 03 MICRO D&B: AUTO STRENGTH, 0–100%, initial field 20%, controls the existing automatic MICRO result. AUTO BEFORE / AFTER compares that result. Scale, 50–200%, initially 100%, sets analysis scale for the next masked pass. CREATE MASK creates/opens its working mask. WHITE BRUSH includes skin; BLACK BRUSH protects moles, freckles, hair and other details. RUN PROCESSING calculates a masked pass for small tonal variation. MASKED STRENGTH, 0–100%, initially 20%, controls it. MASKED BEFORE / AFTER compares only the masked pass. BACK TO AUTOMATIC D&B opens the extra AUTOMATIC D&B menu. 05 MACRO D&B: AUTO STRENGTH, 0–100%, initial field 75%, controls the existing automatic MACRO result. Upper BEFORE / AFTER compares the automatic pass. Scale, 50–200%, initially 100%, sets analysis scale for the next pass. CREATE MASK creates/opens its working mask. WHITE BRUSH enables processing; BLACK BRUSH protects. RUN PROCESSING calculates a masked pass for broader tonal changes. MASKED STRENGTH, 0–100%, initially 75%, controls it. Lower BEFORE / AFTER compares only the masked pass. For both: choose scale → create mask → refine with brushes → RUN PROCESSING → adjust MASKED STRENGTH → compare. The working mask affects the next run. Moving Scale does not recalculate an existing result. Automatic and masked results are adjusted separately; another masked run may replace the active previous masked version. Check version visibility in Layers.
↑ Back to top16. LUMINOSITY, AUTOMATIC D&B AND MANUAL D&B
LUMINOSITY is an extra menu: AUTOMATIC D&B opens automatic light/shadow processing; MANUAL D&B opens manual work, preparing a group and selecting the light brush if needed. In extra AUTOMATIC D&B, FACE SHAPING starts automatic preparation of facial light/shadow and opens its settings. Check forehead, nose, cheekbones and facial outline. BACK TO D&B returns to LUMINOSITY. This differs from the main AUTO DODGE & BURN button, which runs three-band frequency processing. In MANUAL D&B: CREATE D&B creates a manual group with separate black light/shadow masks. LIGHT BRUSH selects the lightening mask and a soft white brush. SHADOW BRUSH selects the darkening mask and a soft white brush. ERASE EFFECT selects black to reduce the last selected light or shadow effect; the other side is unaffected. Overall, Light and Shadow each range 0–100%, initially 100%, controlling the whole manual group, lightening and darkening respectively. BEFORE / AFTER compares only the current manual group. Order: CREATE D&B → paint with LIGHT BRUSH → paint with SHADOW BRUSH → ERASE EFFECT if needed → Light/Shadow/Overall → compare. Select the required group in Layers if several exist. Brushes consider surrounding brightness to limit uneven buildup. Initial painting settings: Normal, Opacity 100%, Flow 5%. ERASE EFFECT uses soft black with Flow 20%. Manual D&B strength applies on slider release. Both LIGHT BRUSH and SHADOW BRUSH paint white on different masks: white reveals that layer's effect; black removes it. This differs from direct painting in LIGHTEN & DARKEN.
↑ Back to top17. CHECK — DIAGNOSTICS
CHECK COLOR toggles diagnostic color variation with brightness differences suppressed. CHECK LUMINOSITY toggles black-and-white light/shadow inspection. CHECK TEXTURE toggles high-contrast texture inspection. On the main screen choose the same functions with Check view and CHECK. The current visible result is checked, including BEFORE / AFTER state. Diagnostics remain active while using tools where supported. Do not mistake the diagnostic view for the finished photo. For final color assessment, saving the final appearance and export, select Clean view or FINISH → CLEAN VIEW — HIDE CHECKS.
↑ Back to top18. MASK SYNC — SYNCHRONIZING PROTECTION
Use after adding black protection to the shared FINAL SKIN mask when retouching results already exist. CHECK VISIBLE RESULTS checks visible results and whether their protection needs updating. SYNC SELECTED RESULT transfers new black restrictions to the selected result: select its group or one of its layers in Layers. SYNC ALL VISIBLE transfers restrictions to all suitable visible results. 1. Open FACE MASK and add required black protection. 2. Go to ADVANCED → MASK SYNC. 3. Click CHECK VISIBLE RESULTS and read the report. 4. Choose SYNC SELECTED RESULT or SYNC ALL VISIBLE. 5. Inspect the photo; use UNDO if needed. SYNC preserves manual black protection in results and does not expand white areas. If you add a new white processing area, SYNC does not calculate a new effect there. Refine working masks for future runs separately.
↑ Back to top19. MASK TEST 0.5 — ADDITIONAL MASK TEST
This extra section is unnecessary for normal retouching and does not replace FACE MASK. CREATE / RESET MASK 0.5 creates or resets a test mask; pressing again resets existing test edits. ADD is a white brush to add areas. PROTECT is black protection. REBUILD FINAL rebuilds the final test mask from current edits. OVERLAY ON / OFF toggles the test overlay. Overlay, 0–100%, initially 35%, controls overlay visibility, not retouching strength. Order: create mask → ADD/PROTECT → REBUILD FINAL → inspect overlay.
↑ Back to top20. CAMERA RAW — FINAL COLOR PROCESSING
CAMERA RAW creates a snapshot of the currently visible result as a separate Smart Object and opens the Camera Raw filter. EDIT CAMERA RAW reopens settings for the selected/latest Camera Raw snapshot. NEW FROM CURRENT RESULT creates a new snapshot of updated retouching; previous Camera Raw settings are not automatically copied. RETURN TO RETOUCH hides Camera Raw snapshots and returns to underlying editable retouching layers. 1. Enable AFTER and Clean view; inspect the current retouch. 2. Click CAMERA RAW and adjust final color/light. 3. Confirm changes in Camera Raw. 4. Use EDIT CAMERA RAW to change those settings. 5. Use RETURN TO RETOUCH to refine underlying retouching layers. 6. After changing them, use NEW FROM CURRENT RESULT for a snapshot of their updated state. An old Camera Raw snapshot does not automatically update when underlying layers change.
↑ Back to top21. FINISH, LAYERS AND SAVING
ADVANCED → 08 FINISH: BEFORE ALL temporarily disables DNB retouching while remembering its state. RESTORE AFTER restores result visibility and strengths. CLEAN VIEW — HIDE CHECKS hides diagnostics, technical views and overlays. 100% checks the photo at 100%; 200% enlarges masks and correction edges; FIT fits the photo to the document window. CHECK LAYERS & MASKS reports result versions, strength and protection. Each new processing pass is stored in layers or a group according to the tool: inspect Layers. Strength and comparison controls operate on existing results. Do not rename service groups/masks: their names may be used to find results. Do not merge working layers before saving an editable PSD copy. 1. Restore AFTER / RESTORE AFTER. 2. Select Clean view. 3. Ensure masks, frequency maps and red overlays are hidden. 4. Inspect skin at 100%, edges at 200%, and the whole portrait with FIT. 5. Check eyes, lips, teeth, hair, outlines and natural skin color. 6. Save a layered PSD with File → Save or Save As. Ctrl+S (Windows) or Command+S (Mac) saves the current document. 7. Export the final photo separately as JPEG or another required format using Photoshop commands. A saved PSD permits continued layer editing. A flattened export is for publishing or delivery. APPLY, BEFORE/AFTER and BACK TO MAIN do not replace saving the file.
↑ Back to top22. FREQUENT QUESTIONS AND TROUBLESHOOTING
Panel missing after installation: check Creative Cloud installation completion and Photoshop version; restart Photoshop and open Plugins → Vendax DNB PRO. CCX opens as a photo: close it. CCX is a plugin installer handled by Creative Cloud. Adobe help: Adobe ↗ The panel installed but did not open: open it through Plugins. Background component startup and opening the panel are separate actions. Red overlay on the photo: you are editing a mask; red means protection. Finish that mask stage, return to the result and choose Clean view. Effect too strong: reduce the target's Strength. For AUTO check LOW/MID/HIGH; for LIGHTEN & DARKEN check the selected brush strength. Check whether several passes accumulated. No visible effect: restore AFTER; check Adjust result, group visibility, a nonempty mask, strength and absence of black protection on the target area. For painting check the selected layer/mask. Slider unavailable: the result may not exist or BEFORE may be active. Restore AFTER, create a result with the relevant command and select it for adjustment. Old effect unchanged after mask editing: you may have edited a future-run working mask. An existing effect needs its own mask; transfer new shared-mask black restrictions with MASK SYNC. Synchronization does not recalculate the original algorithm. FIND PORES finds nothing suitable: check protection, small dark details and Max size, then search again. Skip the stage if no suitable defects exist. Preserving moles/freckles: protect them with black before processing. Repeat pore detection after protection changes. On an existing result, refine its mask to restore details. Changing lower layers leaves the visible result unchanged: check whether a Camera Raw snapshot or later pass calculated from the old image covers them. Use RETURN TO RETOUCH, then NEW FROM CURRENT RESULT after refinements. White/black brushes behave differently across sections: in masks, white enables and black protects. In LIGHTEN & DARKEN, buttons select separate lightening/darkening layers. In MANUAL D&B, white reveals the selected light/shadow mask's effect; ERASE EFFECT removes it with black. Undoing a bad stroke: use panel UNDO or Photoshop Undo, not another automatic pass. An error appears: read the English status text at the bottom. Check the active document, RGB mode, selected result and completion of open Photoshop dialogs. For support, retain error text, Photoshop version, panel version, tool name and steps taken.
↑ Back to top23. QUICK REFERENCE
Open photo → save PSD copy → FACE MASK → refine white/black → CLEANUP → AUTO DODGE & BURN and/or FREQUENCY SEPARATION → SKIN TONE → LIGHTEN & DARKEN → EYES & TEETH → CHECK → Clean view → BEFORE / AFTER → CAMERA RAW if needed → save PSD → export photo. White mask brush enables processing; black mask brush protects. Red overlay indicates protection. Check the mask before each new processing type. Adjust an existing result's strength before creating another pass. Preserve skin texture, natural volume and individual features.
↑ Back to top