Frequently Asked Questions
General
Section titled “General”What is focus stacking?
Section titled “What is focus stacking?”You take several photos of a subject at different focus distances, then combine them into one sharp image. Macro needs it because at high magnification, one photo may have only a millimeter or two in focus.
What kind of photos does Macro Studio work with?
Section titled “What kind of photos does Macro Studio work with?”Focus-bracketed sets: photos of one subject, each focused at a different distance. It’s made for macro, but it also works for landscapes and product photos.
Does Macro Studio require an internet connection?
Section titled “Does Macro Studio require an internet connection?”No. Stacking, masking and editing run on your computer, and your images are never uploaded for processing. Macro Studio does use the network for these things:
- License checks: when you first activate, then in the background each time you launch. They send your license key, email and a machine identifier. They also send a description of your computer, whether the Adobe DNG Converter is installed, and a few of your app preferences. See Getting Help.
- Update checks: once a day at launch (you can turn this off in Preferences), and when you check by hand.
- A Species ID balance check at launch: sends your license key, so the Species ID panel can show how many identifications you have left.
- An announcement check at launch: sends your app version, platform, license type (full or trial) and whether you share performance statistics, to see if there’s a notice to show.
- Species identification, if you use it: sends the stacked image, the kingdom you picked, the app’s language code and, when your camera recorded them, the GPS coordinates and capture date. Your license key and a machine identifier go to Macro Studio’s server with it, to count the identification. See Species ID for details.
- Anonymous performance statistics, only if you opt in: a small summary after a stack, with no images, file names or personal details. See Getting Help.
- Sending log files or a stack to support, only when you choose to. See Getting Help.
What languages is Macro Studio available in?
Section titled “What languages is Macro Studio available in?”English, German, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, Vietnamese and Filipino. Macro Studio follows your system language, or you can pick one in Preferences. The translations are built in, and the language is picked on your computer. Missing yours? Ask on the Support page.
What are Library and the Editor?
Section titled “What are Library and the Editor?”- Library (press
L): browse folders, pick frames and stack them. - Editor (press
E): finish the result and save it.
See the Quick Start guide.
Licensing
Section titled “Licensing”Is there a free trial?
Section titled “Is there a free trial?”Free trials are invite-only, through partner communities and courses. See Free Trial. Every purchase also has a 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked.
How much does it cost?
Section titled “How much does it cost?”It’s a one-time purchase. See the pricing page for the current price. It includes all features and all updates within your version, on up to 3 computers.
Can I use my license on multiple computers?
Section titled “Can I use my license on multiple computers?”Yes, on up to 3. To move a license, deactivate it on the old computer first, or contact support to free up a slot.
Do I have to upgrade to future versions?
Section titled “Do I have to upgrade to future versions?”No. The version you buy is yours to use forever. Future major versions may be optional paid upgrades. Your version keeps getting improvements for a long while.
Will my version keep getting updates?
Section titled “Will my version keep getting updates?”Yes, new features and bug fixes for the life of your version. Macro Studio offers them when you launch it with an internet connection. There’s nothing to buy again.
What’s the refund policy?
Section titled “What’s the refund policy?”30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. Email [email protected], or request a refund from your Paddle receipt. See the Refund Policy.
Workflow
Section titled “Workflow”How do I edit a single image (no stack)?
Section titled “How do I edit a single image (no stack)?”Select one photo and press Return / Enter, or double-click its thumbnail. It opens in the Editor with no stacking. That’s also how you re-edit a TIFF you saved.
Does Macro Studio work with Lightroom?
Section titled “Does Macro Studio work with Lightroom?”Yes. Install the Lightroom Classic plugin from Integrations → Install Lightroom Plug-in…. Then in Lightroom, select a bracket’s frames, right-click and choose Export → Macro Studio (RAW). The stack comes back into your catalog. See Lightroom Classic Plugin.
Without the plugin, or in the cloud-based Lightroom app (which has no plugins), export your frames, stack them, and import a DNG. See Which DNG should I save?
Can I save multiple formats at once?
Section titled “Can I save multiple formats at once?”Yes. Tick any mix of formats in the Save dialog, and Macro Studio writes them all in one pass. See Saving.
Which DNG should I save?
Section titled “Which DNG should I save?”- Macro Studio DNG if you finish your photos in Macro Studio. It reopens with your edits and edit history.
- Raw DNG if you finish them in another raw editor, like Lightroom, DxO PhotoLab, Capture One or ON1. It develops like your camera’s own files. It needs RAW photos from one camera, stacked in camera-raw mode.
Macro Studio asks where you finish your photos when you first open it, and ticks the right one. See Saving.
What’s special about DNG?
Section titled “What’s special about DNG?”It keeps your work editable. TIFF and JPEG bake your edits into the pixels. A DNG keeps your adjustments, masks and crop as live settings, in Macro Studio and in Lightroom. DNGs can’t carry a watermark. See Saving.
Do I need to use masks?
Section titled “Do I need to use masks?”Not always. Many edits need only the Global mask. Subject and Background help when you want to treat them differently. See Masks.
What if the auto-detected Subject mask isn’t quite right?
Section titled “What if the auto-detected Subject mask isn’t quite right?”Click Refine Mask below the mask buttons, and paint to add to or erase from the mask. See Masks.
Can I undo edits?
Section titled “Can I undo edits?”Yes. ⌘Z / Ctrl+Z undoes and ⌘⇧Z / Ctrl+Shift+Z redoes, even Retouch, Spot Correct and Defringe work. A Macro Studio DNG keeps your history. You can still undo after you reopen it, while its source photos are on disk. See Edit History & Undo.
Can I stack a whole folder of brackets at once?
Section titled “Can I stack a whole folder of brackets at once?”Yes. Choose File → Autostack a Folder…. Autostack groups the photos into sets by capture time and stacks each set in the background. See Autostack.
Why don’t I see Masks, Adjustments, or the Retouch and Spot Correct tools in the Editor?
Section titled “Why don’t I see Masks, Adjustments, or the Retouch and Spot Correct tools in the Editor?”You’re in Standard mode. Flip the Standard / Advanced switch at the top right of the Editor to Advanced. See Standard and Advanced modes.
Technical
Section titled “Technical”Which image formats are supported?
Section titled “Which image formats are supported?”Input: JPEG, PNG, TIFF and most RAW formats (CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, DNG, ORF, RW2, PEF, SRW, X3F, RAF). 16-bit TIFF and PNG files keep their full 16 bits.
Save: TIFF (16-bit), JPEG, and two kinds of DNG: the Macro Studio DNG and the Raw DNG. See Saving.
My camera is brand new. Will its RAW files work?
Section titled “My camera is brand new. Will its RAW files work?”Probably. If Macro Studio can’t read them yet, install Adobe’s free DNG Converter for full RAW quality (macOS and Windows only). Macro Studio only uses a copy you installed, and never downloads or installs anything for you. Without it, Macro Studio stacks the lower-quality JPEG preview inside each RAW. See Cameras too new to decode. Either way, report your camera with Share Feedback → Send Feedback….
How many frames can I stack?
Section titled “How many frames can I stack?”There’s no fixed limit. Resolution matters more: 12 frames from a 45 MP camera need far more memory than 50 from a 20 MP one. Macro Studio checks your memory before each stack. If there isn’t enough, it won’t start, and tells you why. See System Requirements.
The stacked result has artifacts. What can I try?
Section titled “The stacked result has artifacts. What can I try?”- Leave no big focus gaps between frames.
- Shoot in manual mode, so the exposure stays the same.
- Reshoot any blurred or bumped frame.
- Add more frames where the artifact appears.
Still stuck? Right-click the result in the history strip and choose Send this stack to us… so support can look at it. See Getting help.
How do I remove purple/green color fringing?
Section titled “How do I remove purple/green color fringing?”That’s chromatic aberration. Switch the Editor to Advanced and paint over the fringe with Defringe. See Defringe.
Why can’t I use DxO DeepPRIME on my stacked file?
Section titled “Why can’t I use DxO DeepPRIME on my stacked file?”DeepPRIME works on raw data before its colors are filled in. Stacking has to fill them in first, so no stacked file from any program can use it. Instead, denoise your RAW photos in PhotoLab first, then stack the DNGs it writes. You still get a Raw DNG. See DxO PhotoLab.
Can I use Lightroom’s AI Denoise on a stacked file?
Section titled “Can I use Lightroom’s AI Denoise on a stacked file?”Yes, on a Raw DNG. On a Macro Studio DNG, Denoise can shift very saturated colors: a bright yellow flower comes out greener. On a Raw DNG, Lightroom’s screen may show a shift while Denoise is on, but the file you export keeps its colors.
Which stacking method should I use?
Section titled “Which stacking method should I use?”None. Macro Studio has one stacking engine, so there’s nothing to choose. Select your frames and click Stack. See Stacking.
Where are debug logs?
Section titled “Where are debug logs?”Preferences → Advanced → Reveal Debug Log in Finder… (Reveal Debug Log in File Explorer… on Windows) opens the log folder. To send them to support, use Share Feedback → Send Log Files….
See also
Section titled “See also”- Quick Start: stack your first image in about five minutes.
- Editor overview: what to do after a stack.
- Getting help: log files and contacting support.