The Look

Every stack has a Look. It runs from Natural, which matches your source photos exactly, to Enhanced, which adds local sharpening and contrast. The LOOK slider sits at the top of the Editor’s right sidebar, in both Standard and Advanced mode.

The slider

The slider has six steps: Natural, then Enhanced 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% (Enhanced). Enhanced 60% is the default for new installs.

Many images look great fully Enhanced, but some look overdone. A middle step keeps some polish without the crunch, especially on fine repeating detail like compound eyes, scales or hair.

Setting the default for new stacks

Preferences → Default Look on new Stacks sets the Look for new stacks. If you used Macro Studio before the slider had steps, your default stays at full Enhanced until you change it.

Changing the Look after stacking

Move the slider, and the image updates. Your adjustments, masks and crop stay, and your Retouch, Spot Correct and Defringe strokes are redone on the new Look.

Your 10 most recent stacks change right away.
Older stacks, reopened DNGs and Autostack results rebuild from your source photos, which must still be on disk.
A reopened Raw DNG doesn’t need your source photos.

Pixels you cloned from another Editor image don’t follow the Look, and over a large area they can look flat. To avoid this, paint with Match tone on. Turn it on before you start: it’s off in new installs, and it doesn’t change strokes you’ve already painted.

When the slider is unavailable

The slider grays out and shows why:

Message	What to do
`Re-stack to change the look`	The result can’t be rebuilt: an older result, a single-photo edit, a file from an older version, or a Raw DNG with Retouch, Spot Correct or Defringe repairs. Stack it again from the Library.
`Source frames not found — relocate them in Retouch to change the look`	The source photos for a reopened DNG have moved. Open Retouch and show Macro Studio where they are.
`Finish or cancel the current edit to change the look`	Click Apply or Cancel in the open tool, leave Compare, or pick a mask other than Radial or Linear.
`Look is locked once Retouch / Spot Correct / Defringe is applied`	Macro Studio can’t redo your painted edits. This happens after a very large clone from another Editor image, or on a file from an older version whose edit record was shortened.
`Waiting for another image's rebuild to finish`	Wait for it to finish.

Where the Look shows up

The Info panel shows the Look, and the default file name includes it: Nat for Natural, or Enh-20 to Enh-100. The saved file’s metadata records it too.