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Topaz Photo AI v3.6.0 was released on March 27, 2025, for Windows and macOS. Its major additions are Super Focus v2, cloud processing for that model, and expanded Adjust Lighting v2 controls. The update also improves export-extension choices and HEIC handling—but it should not be described as universal support for many new input formats.
What changed in Topaz Photo AI 3.6.0?
The release combines new AI models with workflow and stability improvements:
- Super Focus v2, Topaz’s second-generation focus-recovery model.
- Cloud processing for Super Focus v2 on computers that cannot run the model locally.
- Highlights and Shadows sliders in Adjust Lighting v2.
- An optional Color Correction control in Adjust Lighting v2.
- A Zoom to Fit default preference.
- New .tif and .jpg export-extension options.
- Fixes for HEIC export, macOS 15 crashes, Intel Arc errors, foreign-character paths, and inaccurate cloud-credit estimates when changing Focus Boost.
Topaz lists the full release in its release summary and v3.6.0 announcement.
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Super Focus is designed for photographs affected by softness or focus-related blur. Unlike ordinary sharpening, which mainly emphasizes existing edges, it attempts a more substantial AI reconstruction of detail.
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Topaz says Super Focus v2 uses a new architecture and is “500% faster” than the previous generation. That is a vendor claim, not an independent benchmark. Results still depend on the image, resolution, blur type, hardware, and selected strength.
It cannot reliably recover every severely blurred, motion-blurred, or poorly exposed image. AI-generated detail can look convincing while being inaccurate, especially in eyes, hair, feathers, text, fabric, foliage, and repetitive patterns. Inspect important work at 100% and at its intended delivery size.
Recommended Super Focus workflow
- Open the image in Photo AI.
- Choose Super Focus in the right-hand panel.
- Select Super Focus V2.
- Choose a Focus Boost level appropriate to the blur.
- Use Quick Preview on a representative area.
- Use a selection to isolate the subject or exclude a troublesome background.
- Render the complete image.
- Reduce the strength or revise the selection if artifacts appear.
Topaz recommends using Focus Boost mainly on large images with substantial blur. On smaller images it may become excessive. Face Recovery and Preserve Text may also be useful after Super Focus, but each should be checked for invented or distorted detail.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsAdjust Lighting v2 adds more control
Adjust Lighting v2 gains dedicated Highlights and Shadows sliders, plus an optional Color Correction toggle. Topaz says Color Correction is off by default so lighting can be improved while preserving the existing colors; enabling it permits additional color optimization.
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- Start with Color Correction off for product photography, documentary images, and color-critical reference work.
- Test it on dull, mixed-light, or visibly color-shifted images.
- Use Highlights and Shadows conservatively. Recovering apparent detail does not restore information that was clipped during capture.
- Watch for gray shadows, unnatural local contrast, color shifts, and halos around bright objects.
What “support for more files” actually means
The headline can be misleading. The documented v3.6.0 file changes primarily concern export extensions: users can choose .tif and .jpg extensions, and the release fixes HEIC export.
That is different from adding broad new input-format support. The legacy supported-files documentation lists common formats including TIF, JPG, PNG, HEIC, and WEBP, with a maximum image dimension of 32,000 pixels on the longest side. RAW support depends on camera compatibility.
Unsupported RAW files may need conversion to DNG, TIFF, or JPEG. The same documentation lists PSD as unsupported for standalone import, although the Photoshop plugin can provide a workaround. HDR, PDF, SVG, CBR, and CBZ are also listed as unsupported, as are some Apple ProRAW and Sony compressed-RAW variants. RAW output may be converted to DNG rather than retaining the original RAW extension.
Other fixes and known problems
Version 3.6.0 includes a macOS 15 crash fix, Intel Arc stability improvements, better handling of paths containing foreign characters, and corrected cloud-credit estimates when Focus Boost changes. It also adds the option to make Zoom to Fit the default view.
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Topaz documented a known Super Focus v2 issue involving banding in skies and other smooth backgrounds. Check gradients before delivery. Also watch for:
- Overprocessed small images when Focus Boost is too strong.
- Artifacts outside the selected subject in shallow-depth-of-field images.
- False texture, halos, facial distortion, or repeating patterns.
- Slow or unavailable local processing on limited hardware.
If Quick Preview behaves incorrectly, use a later maintenance build in the branch: v3.6.2 addressed Quick Preview for Super Focus v1 and v2.
Prefer v3.6.1 or v3.6.2 when possible
Topaz released v3.6.1 on April 10, 2025, adding camera profiles such as the Nikon Z50 Mark II, Sony ILCE-1M2, Canon EOS R100, and Panasonic GH7, while also fixing a Mac preview problem with images larger than 15,000 pixels. v3.6.2 followed on April 12, 2025 with a Quick Preview fix for Super Focus.
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If you are staying on the 3.6 branch, the latest compatible maintenance release is generally a better choice than the original 3.6.0 installer. See the 3.6.1 and 3.6.2 notes.
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Local versus cloud Super Focus
| Processing method | Advantages | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Local | No per-image cloud-credit use; better for privacy; practical for repeated batch work. | Requires capable hardware and sufficient GPU memory; speed varies widely. |
| Cloud | Extends Super Focus to hardware that cannot run it locally and may avoid long renders on weak systems. | Requires an account and internet connection, consumes credits, and may be unsuitable for confidential images. |
Cloud rendering is therefore not simply a compatibility switch. Consider image size, Focus Boost, monthly volume, privacy requirements, and the cost of uploading client or regulated material. Topaz’s claims about cloud speed and comparatively low credit use should be treated as vendor claims.
Hardware and compatibility notes
The cited Photo AI requirements are marked Legacy, so they should not be treated as specifications for every current Topaz product. That documentation lists 16 GB RAM as a minimum and 24 GB as recommended, with 6 GB of dedicated GPU memory listed as a minimum and 8 GB recommended for Super Focus and Dust & Scratch.
It also lists Windows 10/11 and macOS 12 or later, with Super Focus requiring macOS 14 or later in the cited documentation. Super Focus is not available locally on integrated graphics according to those legacy requirements; cloud processing is the fallback. Photo AI may also require approximately 37 GB of Windows disk space for the application, data, and temporary files. Check the legacy system requirements before installing.
Should you upgrade?
Upgrade within the 3.6 branch if you frequently need focus recovery, found the original Super Focus too slow, need cloud Super Focus, want manual Highlights and Shadows controls, or have encountered HEIC-export and Intel Arc problems.
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Be cautious if you need completely predictable, non-generative sharpening; process unsupported RAW variants; use an older or VRAM-limited computer; process large batches with cloud-credit constraints; or need a current, actively supported product rather than a legacy Photo AI build.
Topaz’s documentation now distinguishes Photo AI from the newer Topaz Photo product line. Do not assume that owning or installing Photo AI v3.6.0 is equivalent to buying the current Topaz Photo product.
How it compares with alternatives
- Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop: better for cataloging, RAW development, masking, and retouching within an established ecosystem. See the Adobe Photography plan.
- DxO PureRAW or PhotoLab: stronger fits for RAW noise reduction, lens correction, and conventional RAW workflows, but not direct equivalents to Super Focus. See PureRAW and PhotoLab.
- ON1 Photo RAW: more appropriate for users wanting an all-in-one editor and organizer. See ON1 Photo RAW.
- Affinity Photo: a capable editor and plugin host, but not a direct replacement for Super Focus v2. See Affinity Photo.
Current prices and plan terms change, so compare them directly before purchasing. Do not use the current Topaz Photo price to infer what Photo AI v3.6.0 originally cost.
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