Frequently Asked Questions

  • Where do I find my Extensions after installation?

    Since HDR Merge, Focus Stacking, and Upscale AI require dragging the images to the tool from the catalog, they are available in the Catalog tab on the right-side panel.

    FAQ: Luminar for Mac | Skylum


    You can find Noiseless AI and Supersharp AI in the Edit tab > Tools panel:

    FAQ: Luminar for Mac | Skylum (2)


    Access the Background Removal AI Extension in the Edit panel > Layer Properties > Masking > Background Removal AI.

    FAQ: Luminar for Mac | Skylum (3)



  • Where can I download Luminar Neo?

    Your download links will be waiting for you in your Skylum account. Please note that your Luminar Neo purchase is automatically linked to your billing email, so make sure to create a Skylum account with that email or log in to your existing Skylum account linked to that email.

    1. Go to the Skylum account login page here

    2. If you already have an account, sign in with your Google, Facebook, Microsoft, or Apple account, or sign in with your email and password.

    3. If you don’t have a Skylum account, you can create one here. Make sure to choose the same email you used when purchasing Luminar Neo. 

    4. If you have a Skylum account but purchased Luminar Neo using an email address not tied to it, you can merge your accounts in the My Software > App isn’t showing? section of your Skylum account.

    5. In your account, you will see a My Software tab with all of your Skylum software, including Luminar Neo.

    6. Find the tab with Luminar Neo and download it by clicking the Download button. 



    NOTE: For those who have been using Luminar Neo Early Access, the release version will be available as an update. Here’s how you can ensure that your software is up to date:

    On macOS, click on Luminar Neo in the top menu bar and choose Check for updates.

    On Windows, click Luminar Neo in the top left-hand corner and choose Help > Check for updates.

  • What is Luminar Neo?

    Have you ever wanted to achieve more with your images? Luminar Neo is an innovative image editor powered by AI technologies of the future that simplifies complex editing routines and enables creators to bring their creative visions to life. And enjoy it.


    • Get speed and flexibility in your editing with our brand-new core engine and layers workflow.
      The new engine we built for Luminar Neo is based on all the best solutions from our combined and evolved experience for maximum performance and creativity and is developed for achieving complex creative results.

    • Adjust the light in your photo for creative control over the lighting in a scene. You can control the exposure of an image based on the distance from the lens to independently adjust the background and foreground exposure.

    • Automatically remove spots on your images caused by dust and dirt on your lens and sensor.

    • Clean up unwanted power lines from the skies in your cityscapes.

    • Experiment with infinite creative possibilities by effortlessly combining two or more images in a shot.

    ...And much more.

    The new technologies and innovative user experience in Luminar Neo make creative image editing simple and fun.

    Luminar Neo comes out this winter, but you can preorder it today and invest in your photography success.


  • What is the 2022 Extensions Pack? What Extensions will it include?

    At Skylum, we are committed to developing Luminar Neo as a one-stop platform for creative photo editing. Extensions are a natural result of our company’s vision for this product. 


    By the end of 2022, we plan to release seven Extensions for Luminar Neo, including HDR Merge (already released in July) and the upcoming Noiseless AI (to be released on August 30), with an additional five Extensions planned for the following months.

    The next four Extensions will be unveiled soon, and an extra special Extension will be announced and delivered in December.

    You’ll find out more about them with each reveal. Here is an approximate schedule:

    • HDR Merge has been available since July

    • Noiseless AI is scheduled for release on August 30, 2022

    • Extensions #3, #4, #5, and #6 will be revealed soon and delivered in November 2022

    • Extension #7 will be announced and delivered in December 2022

  • What’s the difference between Luminar X Membership and the Luminar Neo Pro Subscription?

    Luminar Neo’s Pro Monthly and Yearly Subscription plans give you access to the Luminar Neo app, all updates or new versions, as well as all Extensions available during the subscription period. 



    Luminar X Membership is a paid subscription for those who already own or subscribe to Luminar and want to take their creativity to the next level. Luminar X members enjoy monthly delivery of creative assets, including Luminar Presets, LUTs, and Sky textures. Luminar X members who opt for the Luminar X Membership Pro plan will also receive four Luminar tutorials and four photography tutorials per year. 


    Important: Luminar X Membership Pro and Basic plans don’t include the Luminar app or its Extensions. 

  • What if I already have a Luminar Neo subscription? Will I get all the Extensions for free?

    We are honoring our commitments to current Luminar Neo subscribers. 

    All artists who purchased a Luminar Neo subscription before August 16, 2022, will receive access to all Extensions released during their subscription period for free.

  • What happens to my Luminar Neo and Extensions if I cancel the subscription?

    Canceling your subscription means you won’t be charged at the beginning of the next billing cycle. You’ll be able to keep using Luminar Neo and its Extensions for the duration of the paid period.


    If you owned a lifetime license to Luminar Neo and any Extensions before subscribing, you will be able to use Luminar Neo and those Extensions for which you have a lifetime license after your subscription period ends. However, you will not get access to new Extensions and will lose access to any Extensions that were available to you during the subscription period but for which you do not own a lifetime license. You will also not have access to possible future new versions of the Luminar app.

  • Where can I download HDR Merge once it is released?

    The download process starts in your Skylum account. 


    Please note that your HDR Merge purchase is automatically linked to your billing email, so make sure to log in to a Skylum account associated with that email.

    1. Go to the Skylum account login page here.

    2. Sign in with your Google, Facebook, Microsoft, or Apple account, or sign in with your email and password.

    3. If you purchased HDR Merge using an email address not tied to it, you can merge your accounts in the My Products > App isn’t showing? section of your Skylum account.

    4. In your account, you will see a My Products tab with all of your Skylum programs and extensions. 

    5. Navigate to the Extensions menu under Luminar Neo and сlick on the Run in Luminar Neo button. 

    6. You’ll get redirected to Luminar Neo’s in-app extension store. Click Install under HDR Merge to start the installation process. 


    Once the installation is complete, you can access HDR Merge in the right panel of Luminar Neo’s Catalog tab. 



  • Will it work on my computer? What are the system requirements for Luminar Neo?

    Luminar Neo should work on your computer as long as it meets the following minimum system requirements. 


    For Mac:

    • MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, iMac Pro, Mac Pro, Mac mini, early 2010 or newer

    • CPU Intel® Core™ i5 or better

    • Memory 8 GB RAM or more (16+ GB RAM is recommended)

    • macOS 10.14.6 or higher. IMPORTANT: macOS 10.13 is not supported.

    • Hard disk 10 GB free space; SSD for best performance

    • Display 1280x768 size or better


    For Windows:

    • Windows-based hardware PC with mouse or similar input device

    • CPU Intel® Core™ i5 or better, AMD Ryzen™ 5 or better

    • Open GL 3.3 or later compatible Graphics Cards

    • Memory 8 GB RAM or more (16+ GB RAM is recommended)

    • Operating System Windows 10 version 1909 or higher (only 64-bit OS).

    • Hard disk 10 GB free space; SSD for best performance

    • Display 1280x768 size or better

  • Will the Supersharp AI Extension receive more options?

    At Skylum, we take user input and testing seriously. During beta testing, we discovered that the experience with some of the options in Supersharp AI was not up to our standards.

    Therefore, we decided to put these options through additional refinement procedures so that you get the best tool in the end. The improvements will be available for all Extension owners for free in future updates.

  • Will I be able to access my Luminar Neo Extensions in the plugin mode?

    All Extensions that work with a single image (such as Noiseless AI) will be accessible when you use Luminar Neo as a plugin.


    The extensions that involve processing more than one photo at once (such as HDR Merge) can now be used only in the standalone mode. However, we’ve already added the ability to open several files in the plugin mode to our roadmap and are exploring its implementation. 


    Moreover, please keep in mind that if you invoke Luminar Neo from Photoshop or select the “Edit a Copy with Lightroom Adjustments” option in Lightroom Classic, you’ll get a TIFF file in the Luminar plugin. 

    Therefore, if you need to work with the RAW file in Luminar, you need to upload it in standalone mode. 

    Alternatively, if you use Lightroom Classic, you can choose ‘Edit Original’ among the transfer options in the Photo > Edit in > Luminar Neo menu, or you can right-click the photo > Export > Luminar Neo > Open Source Files. 

  • Will I be able to migrate my LuminarAI Templates to Luminar Neo?

    We understand that you’d love to use your previously created Templates in Luminar Neo. Therefore, we’ll take care of the migration process. Our team will provide you with a special utility to convert your custom Templates into a Luminar Neo-compatible format. You'll be able to take your favorite settings with you when switching to the new software. 


    Moreover, the majority of the purchased Luminar AI Templates will be reworked so you could install them in Luminar Neo. After the release, you’ll be able to re-download the compatible files from the My Add-ons section of your Skylum account.

  • What is Luminar Share?

    Luminar Share is an app that allows Luminar Neo users to transfer photos from desktop to mobile (and in the opposite direction) wirelessly.

    It also makes it easy for users to share edited photos to their social media accounts.


    Features of Luminar Share include:

    • Wireless transfer of photos between the desktop Luminar Neo app and the Luminar Share mobile app
    • Mirroring of photos from Luminar Neo on a mobile device
    • Easy sharing of photos to social media


    The Luminar Share app is available on both Android and iOS and is free for all Luminar Neo users.

  • Who’s entitled to a free HDR Merge extension?

    You’ll receive HDR Merge for free if you meet one of the following criteria: 


    • you’re a Skylum customer with a Luminar Neo subscription;

    • you’re an owner of both Luminar Neo and Aurora HDR (2019 and up).


    Aurora HDR (2019 and up) users who don’t own Luminar Neo have an opportunity to buy Luminar Neo with a loyalty discount and receive the HDR Merge extension for free. 


    Starting from the release day (July 28, 2022), you can download the extension from your Skylum account.



  • What is the Noiseless AI Extension? How is it different from the Denoise tool in Luminar Neo?

    Noiseless AI is an AI-based pro-level Extension for Luminar Neo that reduces noise in your images. It works with raw and non-raw image formats, but the best results can be achieved with raw photos.

    Thanks to Noiseless AI, you no longer have to compromise on ISO when capturing photos. Based on deep photo analysis, Noiseless AI determines an image’s noise level and suggests one of three noise reduction presets – low, middle, or high. Now there’s no need for meticulous close-ups to evenly mask a noisy area, as one click gets rid of noise throughout the photo. 

    Additionally, you can change noise reduction levels manually with three sliders at your disposal: Luminosity, Color, and Details.

    The algorithms built into Noiseless AI open the door to higher-quality results while leaving you in full control.

  • How can I convert my lifetime license to a subscription?

    For all current owners of a Luminar Neo lifetime license, we offer the biggest discount on the first year of a subscription plan. 

    During your subscription period, you will get immediate access to all updates or new Luminar app versions. You will also gain access to all currently available Extensions as well as Extensions released during your subscription period. 


    If you’ve received HDR Merge for free, you can redeem your subscription discount here. 


    Luminar Neo owners that bought the HDR Merge Extension can benefit from our exclusive offer here.

  • I want to use Luminar Neo as a plug-in. What should I expect?

    Using Luminar Neo as a plug-in, you’ll be able to bring a creative and timesaving workflow to your host application. Luminar Neo allows you to revolutionize the way you enhance photos but conveniently fits into your current workflow. 


    Luminar Neo can be used as a plug-in or extension for: 

    • Lightroom Classic (starting from version 6)

    • Photoshop (from version CS5)

    • Photos for macOS

    • Microsoft Photos

  • Will batch processing be available in HDR Merge?

    HDR Merge is an extension built into Luminar Neo, so it uses Luminar Neo’s catalog and export window.  Therefore, it cannot batch-process photos on its own. 

    However, you can easily sync adjustments applied to the already created HDR photos:

    1. Apply the necessary edits to one of the images.
    2. Right-click it and select Adjustments>Copy Adjustments.
    3. While holding CTRL (on Windows)/CMD (on macOS) key on your keyboard, multi-select the images which you would like to edit in the same way.
    4. Right-click one of the selected images and choose Adjustments > Sync/Paste Adjustments.
    5. Finish by using the Export command to batch export multiple photos



  • Will third-party plug-ins be supported? (including Aurora HDR and LuminarAI)

    With the initial release of Luminar Neo, the use of Photoshop-style plugins is not expected to be included. However, we clearly understand the popularity of this request and are actively exploring its implementation.


    Our brand-new Luminar Neo engine and layers workflow mean that support is possible. This will pave the way for smoother integrations with other specialized plugins.


    We’re truly excited about the dramatic opportunities to improve performance and expand capabilities that the new Luminar Neo engine offers. We look forward to revealing more details in 2022.

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FAQ: Luminar for Mac | Skylum (10)