Darktable 4.6 Released with Enhanced Photo Editing Features

In celebration of its tenth anniversary, the open-source photo management and processing powerhouse, Darktable has released its latest iteration – Darktable 4.6.

Darktable, which is a professional-grade, non-destructive raw image processing software, features an extensive array of options, making it a go-to choice for those seeking a robust and free solution for organizing and enhancing their digital photographs.

Let’s take a look at what’s new.

Darktable 4.6: What’s New

Enhanced Editing Workflow

One of the standout features of Darktable 4.6 is the automatic saving of editing history in the “Processing” mode (darkroom) at intervals of 10 seconds, providing users with added security and peace of mind during intricate edits. The release introduces a new module for processing basic RGB parameters, empowering users with greater control over colour correction and manipulation of tone and purity for each colour component.

Revamped Image Display

Darktable 4.6 comes with a completely redesigned code for displaying images in “Processing” mode. Now, users will experience high-quality previews during panning or zooming, enhancing the overall editing experience. The “Liquify” and “Retouch” modules now display the full uncropped image, with the cropped area highlighted, streamlining the utilization of cropped parts without disabling the cropping module.

New Modules and Functionalities

Several new modules grace this release, such as the Sigmoid module’s Primary Colors section for better adjustment of images with complex lighting and the 3D LUT module allowing the selection of the ProPhoto RGB linear colour space. Notable additions include the ability to interrupt import operations, support for monochrome images in the “hot pixels” module, and manual correction of vignetting in the optical distortion module.

Optimizations and Speed Improvements

Darktable 4.6 addresses performance concerns with accelerated image display in map mode, faster execution of the chromatic aberration module, and reduced export times for JPEG 2000 and black and white TIFF formats. Background initialization of OpenCL eliminates delays in application launch, and OpenCL-based handling now tackles optical distortion efficiently.

Extended Camera Support

Photographers using a range of cameras, including Canon, Fujifilm, Leica, Nikon, Panasonic, Pentax, Samsung, Sigma, and Sony, will benefit from newly added support. White balance profiles for Leica M, Olympus E-P7, Olympus TG-6, and Sony ILCE-7CM2 cameras, along with noise profiles for various models, further enhance the camera support spectrum.

Closing Notes

Darktable 4.6 not only marks a milestone in the project’s journey but also underscores its commitment to providing photographers with a feature-rich, open-source alternative.

You can learn in detail in the changelog.

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