ON1 Photo RAW 2020.1.1 for Mac: The Complete User Guide

ON1 Photo RAW 2020.1.1 is a comprehensive photography post-processing software that integrates photo management, RAW file processing, layer editing, and special effects filters into one. It aims to provide a full-process non-destructive editing environment from import to export, and is particularly renowned for its powerful local adjustment tools and rich preset library. This guide will introduce its interface, complete workflow, and practical tips in detail.

I. Detailed Explanation of the Core Interface and Workspace

After launching the software, the main interface is mainly divided into the following core areas:

• Top Menu Bar and Toolbar: Contains standard menus such as File, Edit, and View, as well as shortcut icons for commonly used tools such as zoom, crop, and transform.
• Left Panel Area: By default, it displays a “Catalog” or “Folders” browser, used to browse and select photo folders on the local disk, and is the starting point for photo management.
• Central Viewing Area: The core workspace, used to display the currently selected single photo or browse photo thumbnails in the library. In “Browse” mode, it is a grid view; in “Edit” mode, it is a single-photo editing view.
• Right Panel Area: This is the core area of functional modules, switching between different modules through tabs.
  • Develop: Used for basic adjustments to RAW files, such as exposure, color, lens correction, etc.
  • Effects: Offers a large number of filters and presets, supports stacking, and allows local control with masks.
  • Local: Includes local adjustment tools such as brush, gradient, and radial filter.
  • Layers: Supports adding multiple adjustment layers, image layers, and text layers for compositing and complex editing.
  • Browse: Displays photo metadata, keywords, ratings, and other information.
• Bottom filmstrip: In “Edit” mode, displays all photos in the current session for quick switching.

II. Complete Workflow: From Creation to Export

1. Launching and Importing/Opening Photos

Step 1: Launch the software and enter the Browse module. After the software starts, it enters the “Browse” workspace by default. If you are already in another module, you can click the “Browse” tab in the right panel or use the shortcut Cmd+1 to switch.

Step 2: Import or open photos.

• Import from folder: In the “Folders” browser in the left panel, navigate to the folder where your photos are located. The photos in it will automatically appear in the central viewer area.
• Open files directly: Via the menu bar “File” > “Open…” (Cmd+O), select one or more photos to enter “Edit” mode directly.

2. Photo Management (Browse Module)

In the central grid view, you can:

• Selection & Rating: After selecting a photo, you can set the star rating (using number keys 1-5), color label (6-9), or add keywords in the “Browse” panel on the right.
• Quick Preview: Double-click a photo or press the spacebar to enter single-image preview mode; double-click again or press the spacebar to return to the grid.

3. Basic Adjustments (Develop Module)

Step 1: Enter the Develop module. Select a photo and click the “Develop” tab on the right panel or press Cmd+2.

Step 2: Make global adjustments. In the “Develop” panel, adjust the following from top to bottom:

1. Lens Correction: Check “Enable Profile Corrections” to automatically fix distortion and vignetting.
2. Color: Use the “White Balance Selector” (shortcut W) to click on a neutral area in the image to correct the color temperature.
3. Exposure: Adjust the Exposure, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, and Blacks sliders to recover detail.
4. Detail: Adjust Sharpening and Noise Reduction. It is recommended to zoom in to 100% view (Cmd+0) for fine-tuning.

4. Creative Editing (Effects & Local Modules)

Step 1: Add filter effects. Switch to the “Effects” module (Cmd+3). Select a filter category at the top of the panel (such as B&W, Vintage, HDR) and click a preset to apply it. All effects are stacked as layers in the list below, where you can adjust opacity, blending mode, or use the “Mask” button (or shortcut M) for local erasing.

Step 2: Make local adjustments. Switch to the “Local” module (Cmd+4). Select the “Brush Tool” (B), set the size, feathering, and flow on the right side, then paint on the image to create a mask area. After that, the exposure, color, and other sliders below will only affect that mask area.

5. Layer Compositing (Layers Module)

Switch to the “Layers” module (Cmd+5). You can:

• Add an adjustment layer: Click the “+” button at the bottom of the panel, select “Adjustment Layer,” and add a new color or tone adjustment layer.
• Add an image layer: Used to composite multiple photos. Go to “File” > “Place…” to import another photo as a new layer.
• Manage layers: Drag layers to reorder them, click the eye icon to control visibility, and use masks to control the affected range.

6. Final Export

Step 1: Open the export dialog. After completing all edits, click “File” > “Export…” in the menu bar (Cmd+Shift+E).

Step 2: Configure export settings. In the dialog that appears:

• Location: Choose the export folder and file naming rules.
• File settings: Choose the format (such as JPEG, TIFF, PNG), set quality, color space (sRGB for web), and resolution.
• Adjust image size: If you need to scale the output, you can set the long edge in pixels or a percentage here.
• Effects and sharpening: You can choose to add output sharpening or a watermark during export.

Step 3: Perform the export. Click the “Export” button, and the processing queue will run in the background.

III. Advanced Tips for Common Features

• Making the most of non-destructive editing: All operations in the “Develop,” “Effects,” “Local,” and “Layers” modules are non-destructive. You can return to any step at any time to modify parameters. Use the “Snapshots” feature (in the “Browse” panel) to save multiple edited versions.
• Fine control of masks: After adding a mask in the “Effects” or “Local” module, use the “Range” tool in the “Mask” panel to refine the mask selection based on color or luminance range, enabling more precise local adjustments.
• Efficient use of presets and creating your own: In the “Effects” module, save a series of adjustments (including multiple stacked filters and their masks) as a custom preset so you can quickly apply them to other photos. Right-click the effects layer and choose “Save Effect Preset.”
• Batch process similar photos: In the “Browse” module, after finishing edits on one photo, select multiple photos that need the same adjustments, click “Sync Settings” at the bottom of the “Browse” panel on the right, choose the adjustments to sync, and apply them quickly in batches.

IV. Common Issues and Solutions

• Issue 1: The software runs slowly or lags.
  • Solution: Make sure your Mac system is up to date. In ON1’s “Preferences” (Cmd+,) > “Performance,” check and ensure that “Use Graphics Processor (GPU)” is enabled. Appropriately reduce the preview size of the “Background Cache.” When editing very large files, try turning off the “Instant Preview” button in the “Develop” module and manually click “Update” to view the results.
• Issue 2: After applying a preset or making adjustments, the effect is not obvious or is too strong.
  • Solution: All presets and filters exist as layers in the “Effects” module and come with an opacity slider (located at the top of the layer). Lowering the opacity reduces the overall effect. For adjustments in the “Develop” module, each slider can be double-clicked to reset.
• Issue 3: Unable to find imported photos.
  • Solution: ON1’s “Browse” module is based on folder paths. Confirm whether the correct photo folder has been added or pointed to in the “Folders” panel on the left. Use the search bar at the top (magnifying glass icon) to search by file name or keyword.
• Issue 4: Exported photos have colors that do not match the in-app preview.
  • Solution: First, make sure the correct monitor profile file is set in “Edit” > “Color Settings.” When exporting, in the “File Settings” section of the export dialog, select the “sRGB IEC61966-2.1” color space for web use. For professional printing, you can choose “Adobe RGB” or “ProPhoto RGB.”

V. ON1 Photo RAW 2020.1.1 for Mac Keyboard Shortcuts Summary