Even Easier
We completely rewrote the Eye Candy user interface to make it easier to explore. The theme is less clicking and more visual browsing. Eye Candy 7 is now a single entry in Photoshop’s filter menu. That means that you can explore all of our effects without leaving the Eye Candy window. Instead of choosing an effect category by reading a text list, you’ll see icons that show typical uses of each effect. Click the image below to see the full size as it appears in Eye Candy 7.

In the preference panel you can choose how the effect is rendered in a new layer. If you prefer the Eye Candy 5 approach, you can have the new layer include just the effect and not a copy of your original artwork. Many Eye Candy effects use transparency, so we moved the transparency display control out of the preference panel and put it under the main preview. This lets you quickly switch the background between checkerboard, black, white, or a custom solid color.

Once you choose an effect, you can explore presets fast using the navigator, which is a small preview that instantly updates. You don’t even have to click. Just mouse over preset names and the navigator shows how the effect will look in your design. In the screenshot below you can see the navigator in the lower left. Click the image to see more detail.

New Effects
By popular demand, we rescued the best effects from our discontinued Xenofex product: Lightning, Electrify (seen above), and Clouds. We rewrote them for our new Eye Candy 7 framework, which provides faster previewing, better preset management, and easier experimentation.

Realistic Effects
Realism sets Eye Candy effects apart from the generic filters built into Photoshop. Effects like Animal Fur, Smoke, and Reptile Skin are rendered in exquisite detail down to individual hairs, turbulent wisps, and shiny scales. Eye Candy helps designs look natural and organic.

Adaptation
Eye Candy scales effects to match the size of your current artwork. That makes it less likely that you will have to tweak a preset to make it look good.

Non-Destructive Editing
Effects are drawn into a new layer, leaving your original artwork untouched. Eye Candy can also work as a Smart Filter, which lets you modify or remove the effect later. You can save presets to consistently recreate your favorite looks.

Professional Features
Eye Candy can handle images in CMYK mode and 16-bits/channel, which are needed for professional print work.