DxO PhotoLab 8 Speeds Up Your Workflow With Hue Masks, Compare Mode, And Instant Rollover Previews

DxO PhotoLab 8 focuses on making editing more efficient and intuitive. While the core engine gets some serious technical upgrades, this release also brings practical tools designed to improve everyday workflow. Features like Compare Mode, Hue Masks, and real-time rollovers help streamline the process, giving you more control with less friction. whether you’re making subtle adjustments or working through a full batch of images.

Compare Mode: A Better Way to Judge Your Edits

Ever find yourself toggling back and forth to remember how an image looked before you started tweaking? The new Compare Mode in PhotoLab 8 lets you lock in a reference image and compare your edits side-by-side in real time. It’s a small addition on paper, but in practice, it makes a huge difference when fine-tuning an image or batch-editing a set. If you’re a Lightroom user, this is the equivalent of Survey mode, which I find extremely helpful when editing large batches of photos (think concert, wedding, or event photography).

Rollover Previews That Actually Help

The new Correction Rollover feature provides instant visual feedback as you hover over rendering options like Color Renderings, LUTs, or Tone Curve presets. It gives you a quick look at the impact of each option without applying anything – kind of like a live audition for your adjustments. This isn’t just about convenience; it also helps avoid the “click-regret” you get when toggling through styles blindly.

Hue Masks: Local Adjustments Get a Splash of Color Control

For more precise local editing, PhotoLab 8 introduces Hue Masks. These let you select and tweak specific color ranges in your image without affecting the rest. Whether you’re trying to desaturate a single color or push a sky just a bit more blue, these masks let you get granular without getting messy. You can pick from predefined hue sets or sample directly from the image, and then refine the range with intuitive controls or brushes.

Workflow Speed Boosts You’ll Actually Notice

DxO says it’s also improved overall speed across the board. Browsing and image loading now feel snappier, and the updated interface makes common adjustments more discoverable. These are the kind of under-the-hood changes that might not get headlines but definitely add up over time.

Pricing And Availability

DxO PhotoLab 8 is available now for $229 / €229, with upgrade pricing from version 6 or 7 at $109 / €109. If you want the full creative bundle, DxO also offers PhotoLab 8 plus FilmPack 7 for $299 / €299. A 30-day free trial is available directly from the DxO website if you want to test drive the new tools yourself. And if you decide to get it after the trial, you can use our discount code DIY15 for 15% discount.

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