Optics, the Adobe Photoshop/Lightroom plugin and standalone application developed by the award-winning team at Boris FX, introduces four new AI-driven tools that simplify previously traditional photo editing techniques. The 2026 release allows photographers and digital artists to tackle facial segmentation, depth map generation, noise removal, and upscaling with just a few clicks. It also delivers a smoother workflow directly within Photoshop, streamlines browsing through its vast Hollywood-ready effects library, and adds glossy new effects and presets.
“Optics 2026 is all about doing more with your images without slowing you down. New tools like Depth Map ML make it easy to add atmosphere, color grading, sharpening, and detail in a way that still feels natural. Face ML speeds up repetitive retouching tasks, and the Photoshop Essentials Panel brings your favorite looks, presets, and go-to tools into one place,” states Renée Robyn, Optics product manager. “With the new filters and presets, I’m genuinely excited to see how people push these tools and make them their own. We’re building the tools for photographers and digital artists that I wish I had had my entire career.”
“As a portrait photographer, I never thought of myself as a digital artist until I started using Optics as part of my workflow. Now the images I see in my head come to life without spending hours lost in Photoshop, making my business more efficient,” comments Matt Stagliano, portrait photographer. “Optics 2026 gives me more control than ever with hundreds of new filter & effect variants, redesigned navigation that gets me to my tools faster, and AI features like Depth ML, Denoise ML, and Face ML that do the heavy lifting. Optics helps me spend less time fighting software and more time making art.”
AI Tools
Face ML drastically speeds up portrait editing by automatically detecting facial regions, including eyes, lips, and skin. The tool then separates each region into individual mattes. The one-click workflow allows targeted retouching and selective color adjustments without hand-drawn masks.
Depth Map ML is a handy new masking tool that makes creating depth masks effortless. The tool instantly analyzes photos and generates a depth-based matte that separates the foreground and background in a scene. Masks can be used to target blur, relighting, or color adjustments with precision on portraits, landscapes, and composited photos.
DeNoise ML uses machine learning to remove unwanted noise from images while preserving vital details. It delivers clean, natural results that maintain texture and clarity, making it ideal for low-light images, high-ISO shots, or any photo that needs a light cleanup.
UpRes ML produces sharper, more convincing upscales than traditional resizing techniques. It enlarges photos using a machine-learning model trained to preserve structure and fine detail, making it useful for printing, cropping, or giving new life to older images.
Creative Effects
Optics 2026 offers photographers fresh new presets and stylized effects with an update to its Boris FX Sapphire (2025.5) collection. New effects such as PixelSort and VHSDamage let users create the same stunning looks seen on top film, TV, and streaming projects. The release also adds to its library of pro-designed lens flares, crafted to give images a polished, cinematic finish.
Particle Illusion (2026) adds more than 50 new presets, including natural, organic looks and high-energy sci-fi effects, allowing users to create dynamic particle magic.
Streamlined Workflows
A new dockable Optics Essentials plugin panel lets photographers work more efficiently in Adobe Photoshop. The panel creates a smooth, familiar experience for Photoshop users by allowing them to easily browse, apply, and adjust filters without leaving their Photoshop workspaces.
A redesigned Collections and Filters window in the interface helps users browse, discover, and organize filters faster. The Filters tab groups all filters by function, including Color, Diffusion/Blurs, and Film Lab. The Collection tab highlights curated effect sets built around specific creative goals, such as Portrait and Landscape. The window also allows users to save favorites for quick access to the tools they use most.
Pricing
Optics is available as a low-cost subscription ($9/month or $99/year), a perpetual license ($149), or an upgrade & support plan ($49/year) on Windows and macOS platforms. A single license gives photographers access to Adobe Photoshop/Lightroom plugins and the standalone application.
Customers on active Optics subscriptions or upgrade & support plans receive the new 2025 release as a complimentary update. Learn more about Boris FX Optics.
For a limited time, photographers save 25% on Optics 2026 during the Boris FX Black Friday Sale — now through Friday, December 5th, at midnight PT. Sale price as marked.
Media Assets
- Download Optics 2026 toolkit
- Optics 2026: What’s New (video)
- Optics 2026: Intro to Face ML (video)
- Optics 2026: Intro to Depth Map ML (video)
About Boris FX
Boris FX creates award-winning video editing, visual effects, motion graphics, professional audio, and photography plugins and applications used by over one million broadcast, streaming, and feature film professionals worldwide.
The product line includes Sapphire, the high-end visual effects and motion graphics plugin suite; Continuum, the AI-driven plugin collection for editors and content creators; Mocha Pro, unparalleled planar motion tracking and masking; Silhouette, advanced paint and rotoscoping tools; SynthEyes, cutting-edge 3D camera solving; Optics, cinematic effects for photographers and digital artists; CrumplePop, AI-driven audio plugins; Sequoia, a high-end post-production, mastering, and broadcast DAW; Samplitude, music production for audio professionals; and Music Studio, a beginner-friendly recording, editing, and mixing DAW.
The company’s success lies in its ability to tightly integrate and leverage technologies through strong partnerships with Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Avid, Blackmagic Design, Foundry, VEGAS Pro, and other leading software developers. Founded in 1995.
