Make Good Photos Great with Zoner Photo Studio X
This year’s new version of the all-in-one photo software Zoner Photo Studio awaits you under a new name: X. You’ll soon discover why this year’s new features will be an extreme success in your home. But first, let’s peel off the program’s individual layers.
Did someone say layers?
Enough beating around the bush—let’s get straight to what many of you have been waiting for. Our developers have carefully dived into the depths of the Editor and brought layers back up with them.
Layers make it easy to do complex photo edits and work with text or collages. You’ll also find it easier than ever before to put one image inside another, compose simple graphics, or work with blended layers and various multi-layer edits. The sky’s the limit, and here at Zonerama Magazine, we’ll be bringing you articles that will teach you how to use layers to your full advantage.
You can also save your layer-enhanced photos to the new *.ZPS format and later open them again to keep on editing them.
Homes for Your Tools: the New Home Group and Favorites
The Editor tools are now collected into groups, including the context-sensitive Home group, which displays tools that are relevant for work with your current layer (different tools for work with bitmaps and for text). You can bring your most-used tools even quicker to use by marking them with the star icon. That adds them to your Favorites.
Tip: Want a more traditional vertical icon bar? Turn it on using the toolbar location option in Menu > View > Preferences > Editor.
Gradient Filters and More in the Non-destructive Develop Module
You’ll also find interesting improvements to the Develop module, the place for non-destructive edits to your photos. Now you can enhance exposures with the Dehaze slider, which suppresses haziness in photos caused by fog or smoke.
The Gradient Filter has seen a thorough reworking. You can now use any number of gradient filters at once on your photos non-destructively to adjust colors, exposure, saturation, and more. Also, the Develop module can now fix Perspective. It’s a great way to fix things like crooked buildings.
Browse Photos by the Places Where They Were Taken
Our popular Catalog—made for browsing your collection quickly and easily—now offers a new way to explore your photos: by shot location. That means that if you have your photos tagged with GPS coordinates and location tags, then you can easily browse them by states, regions, or cities, no matter whether they were tagged in-camera or you tagged them yourself in Zoner Photo Studio.
Clearer Work for Panorama Lover
If you like creating panoramas or composing HDR photos, you may find you have trouble wading through the seas of your source photos. You’ve got so many that you don’t know where your source-shot series start and where they end! That’s why we decided to help you out with visually stacking them in the Manager. So you can now create groups for your sets of similar pictures, to make finding them in the Browser faster.
Create and Order Your Very Own Photo Books in ZPS
Zoner Photo Studio X also introduces the new Create module. Like its name implies, it’s the place where you create real objects based on your photos—photo books, calendars, and photo pictures. You can order their professional production from right inside of ZPS, and then delight yourself or your loved ones with gifts based on your own photos. Create is also home to tools for putting together collages, as well as print jobs for home printing. You can print directly, or export to PDF instead. Here you’ll also find last year’s greatest hit—video presentations, including timelapse videos, based on your photos.
Cloud Storage Integration
Zoner Photo Studio X integrates cloud storage services, so that you can reach your photos on services like Google Disk, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, and Facebook quickly, straight from the Navigator—the navigation column in the Manager.
Subscription Licenses
All of these features are now provided via new subscription licenses, for a yearly fee of $95.88, i.e. just $7.99 per month. You can also pick up an extension for the popular Family License for $53.88, making it just $4.49 per month. Owners of previous versions can look forward to discounts on their subscriptions.
Subscriptions ensure that you’re always enjoying the latest version of Zoner Photo Studio, and enable us to react more quickly and flexibly to ideas from users like you, and bring you new program enhancements more often than ever before. You’ll also enjoy free technical support throughout your subscription, and as a user of the latest version, you’ll be first in line for support.
Try Zoner Photo Studio X free for 7 days and discover its new features.
harrylreid
Was looking forward to Zoner X but very disappointed to see that you are copying Photoshop by using a monthly fee rather than an outright, once off, purchase. And it is expensive and has put Zoner out of reach for me after quite a few years working through V15 to V18. I’m disappointed.
Zoner
Hello Harry, thank you for your comment. We’re sorry for any inconvenience. Also, we’ve prepared special prices on subscriptions to reward the owners of older versions. To see your discount, visit http://www.zoner.com/en/buy and log in with your Zoner Account.
Svenaldo
Very good news and i like the new features. BUT: With the subscription service i’m not sure if it will fit 100% in the future for me. With some luck you can get Photoshop+Lightroom for a monthly subscription of around 10$. (both pieces for just $10)
You know, that i love Zoner! But i’m not sure what i should buy now. Zoner for $8 oder Photoshop+LR for $10. Zoner is great but some would say, that PS/LR are the originals. Maybe $2 too much for the subscription… (i love subscriptions for software, but now i have to compare Adobes and Zoners packages)
Zoner
Hello Svenaldo, don’t worry – as the owner of a previous version, you won’t be paying full price on the subscription, and so overall it will come out to a much better price than Photoshop plus Lightroom. To see your discount, visit https://www.zoner.com/en/buy and log in with your Zoner Account.
1111MT
Does it stop working after 12 months or can you carry on using it but don’t get updates?
Zoner
Hello, an unrenewed ZPS X will no longer work as a full version of ZPS X. However, it will still be launchable in a rescue mode, where you will be able to export your work from the program if you wish.
Alan Newbury
Unfortunately I can see the subscription model losing you customers. Why pay the subscription for Zoner when the same (or less depending on special offers) will get you Lightroom? I have to admit that there is no way I’ll pay $100 / year for the foreseeable future for Zoner when an extra $20 gets me both Lightroom AND Photoshop (or even pay AU$180 outright and get the non-subscription Lightroom – no more payments required).
Zoner
Hello Alan, the price you mention is the price for new subscribers; people arriving from previous versions (and in the future, people renewing their subscriptions) will pay substantially less – for more details, see Svenaldo’s question above.
Bonnam
Not too sure how long it’s been since I first started to use Zoner, quite a while, maybe 10 years now, possibly longer, but I think that’s about to end, I’ll continue with version 18 of Photo Studio, but I’m in total disagreement with monthly subscriptions on any type of software, no matter how good they may be or what their competitors like to charge. It’s a shame because over the years your company has provided some great work and benefit to common, and, professional users.
Zoner
Hello Bonnam, we will be sorry to see you go. We definitely want to make subscriptions a good and attractive choice for our customers – we will be rewarding them with a fundamentally different update pattern than before: new features added year-round rather than just in a yearly new version.
Paolo Gennari
I began by zoner 13 and I always bought later versions up to zoner 18, even if the instructions were no longer in Italian; Now change your policy by giving the commercial type in subscription program, I’m sorry but I disagree with this, and because it does not understand English and I still difficult to use the 100% program, because your tutorials are not very clear, do not indicate step step the various operations to be performed. Now I tried the version of x, but frankly not my thing, you said it will come out the tutorials but certainly after the trial of the program 30days. In addition, the subscription price for old customers it seems too high.
Zoner
Helo Paolo, we’re sorry you don’t like the new policy. We’ve prepared special prices on subscriptions to reward the owners of older versions. To see your discount, visit http://www.zoner.com/en/buy and log in with your Zoner Account.
Hans-Jürgen Medicus
I wanted to look at the subsciption price under https://www.zoner.com/en/buy for me as a German ZPS18 user. Loged in with my account but didnt find the right site. – Please give me the right url if I want to upgrade from 18 to X. – BTW : The subscription price must be VERY good.:)
Zoner
Hello Hans, we’re sorry, there was a mistake in sending the newsletter. The new version ZPS X in german will be released next week on zoner.de, so please stay tunned.
rleppin
Two grave disadvantages:
As an owner of a previous version I only have the garantee to get the discount price for two years.
If I stop the suscription, I will not be able to use this version anymore. Do I have to return to Zoner 18? Will this return work?
Zoner
Hello Rleppin, even though we only guarantee our discount for the users of older versions two years in advance, we definitely will still have special offers in store for you after this time ends. We simply can’t see further in advance—but we still are eager to give you benefits for more than one year in advance, because we value your loyalty.
After the subscription runs out, the Zoner Photo Studio will run in a “rescue” mode where you’ll have access to your photos to view or export them.
Daniel D.
I thought about buying the new Zoner Photo Studio but I don’t accept the montly payment. Too bad…
Andreas
If there is no full version of “X”, ZPS 18 will be my last version, which I have purchased. Rental models are for me uninteresting, otherwise I could have also decided for Adobe CC. I will certainly not support this sales policy. If this is so, I can only say “Good bye Zoner”.
Zoner
Hello Andreas, Zoner Photo Studio X is sold exclusively as a 1-year subscription. However, we will be doing everything we can to make subscriptions attractive both in terms of their price and in terms of what they offer to users.
Rleppin
It is still time to Change Your Policy, Zoner. Yes you can ?
Martin Pahl
For me, too, subscriptions mean the end of ZPS for me, just as it has for various other programs. There are always good alternatives at reasonable prices to be had – and I only want to upgrade to new features when I want them and not when the manufacturer thinks I should. And the old version actually stops working? No way! There is hardly anything more timewasting than having to regularly change ones workflow, just because the marketing department of some company thinks one should.
Please rethink your new policy, otherwise you will have lost me as a user and customer.
Zoner
Hello Martin, don’t worry, your license for your older version of ZPS stays with you—ZPS X is a fully new product and does not overwrite your previous license.
Manfred
Dear Zoner team, changing to subscription license models or sell software as a service is obviously state of the time for software suppliers as Adobe and Microsoft for example already do. These new models safe the revenue and let customers stay along for a small fee monthly. I began using ZPS a few month ago. I won’t never using LR/CC because of their subscription model and – of course – I don’t need the functional extent of Adobe’s products. ZPS is more easy to use and fully enough for processing my raw photos. But I won’t use a software with a subscription license model so I will keep using ZPS 18 and turn back to Digikam, RawTherapee/Darktable and Gimp.
I think, you should think about the new planned license model. An offer for ZPS X for the half price for existing customers limited for two years isn’t attactive, I think.
harrylreid
I agree with Manfred and believe that Zoner has made a marketing error. Even with the 50% off the subscription to X, I will not be upgrading from V18. I have enjoyed all Zoner versions up to V18 and will continue using that. I would ask Zoner to reconsider their decision to start an annual subscription and revert to paid for upgrades as they become available. Personally, I would feel “trapped” in version X if I had to pay for it each year after the second year. In particular, not everyone can afford to pay an annual subscription at this high cost and it is wrong to lose the use of Zoner X if the annual subscription is not maintained. PLEASE rethink your marketing/sales policy towards Zoner X before you lose many customers. I wish you well but I will stay (forever) using V18 unless you revert to the older system at affordable prices. Go Well!
Zoner
Hello Harry, we’ve prepared special prices on subscriptions to reward the owners of older versions. So if you’ve upgraded every year, you’ll have the yearly subscription even cheaper. To see your discount, visit http://www.zoner.com/en/buy and log in with your Zoner Account.
Jürgen
I also agree with Manfred. Until now I was satisfied with V18 and paying the update price (from 17) because I also dont want to subcribe LR/PS or any other program. There are enough alternatives, even for free. Please dont hesitate and draw back your announcement, then I will stay your customer.
Zoner
Hello Manfred, we’re sorry you’re not satisfied with a new model. Thanks to subscription licenses, you will always have the latest version of Zoner Photo Studio right at hand, and meanwhile it will see more frequent improvements than ever. You’ll also be first in line for free technical support throughout your subscription.
But, of course, if you’re satisfied with an older version, your license for your older version of ZPS stays with you as long as you wish.
JoernH
These are indeed very said news! :( Until now I was quite happy with ZPS. One of the most unique selling point compared to Adobe was the fair pricing model. But now as it is gone… I don’t know. So please reconsider your decision
Zoner
Hello Joernh, we’re very sorry you are not satisfied with this new model. We hope it will enable us much better development of the software and quicker reactions to users needs.
And if you have older version of ZPS, we’ve prepared special discounts for you. To see your discount, visit http://www.zoner.com/en/buy and log in with your Zoner Account.
Reto Boehi
Glad to hear that layers will be introduced in the new Zoner version. But:
I bought since version 14 every year the pro version but if you move to the subscription licenses I will look for a new software. I hope affinity photo for windows will be released soon. Like JOERNH said: One of the most unique selling point compared to Adobe was the fair pricing model. So please reconsider your decision.
Zoner
Hello Reto, we’ll be sorry to see you go. We’ve prepared special prices on subscriptions to reward the owners of older versions, so we will be more than happy if you at least ty a new version to see if it is worth the price.
Barry Kintner
– I’ve chosen to continue with ZPS X – for now – IF the program is going to die in 1 year – then I have 1 year to decide on a replacement – as I am – NOT – happy about the move to subscription based ZPS. From all I’ve read above – I’m NOT alone in this. You have time to change this very negative and opportunistic attitude shown to supporters. It comes off as a signal that you are closing the company – as there will not be enough reason to continue IF you are telling supporters to use some other software, and not rely on what they’ve paid for. BAD decision.
Zoner
Don’t worry, we plan to and will be working to thrive for many years, and you can rely on ZPS. There is not a need to rely on other software instead of what you’ve paid for.
Zoner
Hello Daniel, we are sorry to hear this! If there are any features that we can include in our yearly subscriptions to make them more attractive for you, then please let us know!
Jan
Zoner should be an alternatíve, but now with new policy it’s just cheap copy of PS/LR. maybe not even cheap anymore. please change policy back to life time license or at least keep 100% fuctionality after subscription period is over with no updates and you get one more customer….
Zoner
Hello Jan, we believe that ZPS is still cheaper and we also try to go in our own way, not just copying the Adobe products. Of course, some functions are the same, but it is like blaming different cars that they have four wheels.
We’ll be happy if you try the new ZPS X at least. Thanks for your feedback!
1111MT
Is there anyway I could still buy Zoner 18? I have 17 at the moment but don’t want subscription.
Zoner
Hello, there is only current version X available.
Martin Pahl
Not one single positive response to your new subscription model here – if that is the way you want to go: so be it.
Goodbye, Zoner!
Zoner
Hello Martin, we do regret to see the negative comments. It is natural that people who dislike something speak the loudest, and we are glad for them to speak up. Meanwhile we also believe in our software, and we’re likewise happy for everyone who has bought a license so far. We’re sorry to see you go, but thank you for your comment!
Giorgio Bruseghini
HAARGH!!
I work by zoner 9 and I always bought later versions up to 18, even if is were no longer in Italian (?!)
Now change your policy of pourchasing, giving the commercial type in subscription program…
I’m sorry but I disagree on this.
Now I tried the version of x, but frankly (layers excluded) not my thing.. (The Toolbar is worse, the morphing mesh are missing..)
In addition, the subscription price for old customers it seems too high.
If this is so (painfully), good bye, Zoner.
Zoner
Hello, Giorgio, we’re sorry for not making an Italian version, but the demand was small, so we concentrated more on other languages. We believe the subscription licenses have their meaning and advantages and we also prepared special prices on subscriptions to reward the owners of older versions. To see your discount, visit http://www.zoner.com/en/buy and log in with your Zoner Account.
But we also understand, if you stay with your older version. Your license for your older version of ZPS stays with you—ZPS X is a fully new product and does not overwrite your previous license.
Glyn Watkins
Oh dear Zoner how silly with the subscriptions, surely you must of realised the success of your products was because they were cheaper than Photoshop and Lightroom. Besides purchacing zps 15,16,17 and 18 I run several versions of Xara, Photoshop, Lightroom and Coreldraw but I have to say there is no way I intend to subscribe to zps x, I use these for fun, so untill you return to one-off reduced payment it is goodby.
Zoner
Hello Glyn, thanks for your comment! ZPS is still cheaper that Adobe products and of course, we’ve prepared special prices on subscriptions to reward the owners of older versions. We’ll be happy if you at least try new ZPS X. Have a great day!
monty
Would love to be able to get a version of Zoner 18. I’ve got Zoner 17 and love it but can’t get an upgrade price to X because my version was free with Giveawayfortheday. Really wish if got Zoner 18 when it was on offer recently. Can anyone sell me a licence??!
Dick
HDR does not react in developer mode in the X-version?
Zoner
Sorry for the inconvenience, the repair will be released soon in the next build.
Dick
Fixed in latest update. Thanks!
Zoner
You’re very welcome. If you come upon anything, please, report it to support@zoner.com. We try to keep the software as bug free as possible, but sometimes we miss something. Thank you.
pat
I just spent 2 hours creating my photo to my delight. I saw it in the same place as the original but with a different name. Now it is gone. I cannot find the ‘save’ or ‘save as’. I guess this software is beyond me. Cannot find it in the tutorials either. I suppose that it is obvious, but this is too difficult, if I cannot save it, it is not worth a subscription. Everyone is going to subscription. Thank heavens for Paint dot net.
Zoner
Hi Pat, sorry for the inconvenience. Did you work in Develop module or Editor? If in Develop module, you need to Export the photo to merge it with changes (you can read more on non-destructive edits here: https://learn.zoner.com/non-destructive-edits-save-you-time-and-disk-space/).
If you need help with anything, don’t hesitate to write us to support@zoner.com. We’ll be very happy to help you!