You would assume that anyone who uses a camera would want the absolute best prints they could obtain.Qimage was and now Qimage Ultimate is, the product that can insure that quality!

I am a Lightroom user for a variety of reasons; however, I have used Qimage since Oct, 2007, exclusively for printing. I have tried and tested a variety of software, including LR and could never match the results obtained with Qimage. Any honest comparison will reveal that fact.

When Qimage Ultimate was released, I had just upgraded to LR3. Adobe advertised a much better product with improved printing capabilities, sharpening, and noise control, etc...and they delivered! LR3 is a much improved and IMHO a fantastic product. So, to my point, Qimage Ultimate as a new product is also an improvement over Qimage!

What works for one photographers work flow will not work for another. I have found a work flow that works for me using LR and Qimage Ultimate. Improved prints and increased efficiency!

1) Photo Card inserted into card reader opens QI Ultimate to copy & rename RAW files to 1 secondary drive & 2 external hard drives (using FlashPipe in QIU). If I need a photo printed immediately (and the photo did not require major touch up), I click on the RAW in QIU, process, sharpen crop, print and within literally a couple of minutes I have a fantastic looking image.

2) Card is still in reader. I open LR and import, copy and convert my images to DNG with a file structure that works for me.

3) I make any adjustments, using the sliders that are needed to "fix" any of my photos. I do NOT sharpen any photos in LR since Qimage Ultimate has been released. I have LR setup to have QIU as an editing program.

4) For photos that are to be printed, I go to "edit" within LR and select QIU. Two clicks and I am in QIU from LR. LR retains all of my prior adjustments (if I choose that option) and creates a "tiff" for me to edit in QIU. Cropping, extra tweaking and especially sharpening are NOW ALL done in QIU as part of the work flow.

** The various sharpening options in Qimage Ultimate are extremely professional looking, easy to obtain quick results, and the results do NOT look Photoshopped (no offense-PS is also a fantastic product). It is such a pleasure working with this option in QIU!

5) Then come the print options that LR & PS just do not have, compared to what QI has, unless of course you have a myriad of presets for printing variants.

The increased quality of my work has been noticed by several within the past couple of months...since incorporating Qimage Ultimate in my work flow. Also has saved me much processing time due to the sharpening tool available in QImage Ultimate and the outstanding copy/transfer features of FlashPipe (included in QIU). I no longer need to "brush" specific areas within LR. Portraits are a great example..eyes extremely sharp, skin softened without brushing. Fantastic!

Hopefully, those that have been holding out, will purchase this product, and experience an increase in quality and efficiency in their particular work flow.

In addition, no other software company that I am aware of has the experience, quality and responsiveness that DDI Software has....at a mouse click. Starting from the top, Mike Chaney..unbelievable programmer and client focus. Then of course (in no particular order) Fred, Terry, Brian, & Jeff. Unbelievable help 24 hours a day if needed!

This product is under priced... but I'm not complaining..Thank you!

You are welcome; however, I did not post that information as an expert in LR or Qimage. I am ALWAYS open to improvement and gaining efficiencies.

I would not be surprised if at some point in time I use Qimage Ultimate exclusively for editing everything. The sharpening tool still blows me away. I do not believe any other photo software has anything like it. If Mike adds or changes other things to enhance (or in my case simplify) some of the tools, I will do more & more editing in QIU. I have just not taken the time to learn all of the specific tools, like some of the expert users of QI & QUI have.

I use the catalog in LR to organize, metadata and export photos for various uses...slideshow's, web, etc. The prints now are ALWAYS sharpened in QIU and may have other QIU touches. I will even admit that I believe the RAW processing in QIU is better that LR. I just have so many to do at a time and have not learned the "multiple editing" shortcuts. My problem due to time & my problem with sidecar files.

I would have purchased QIU just because I know that there would be something for improved photo processing and/or printing. This website and forum is the ONLY photography site I check everyday. I have learned so much because of all the discussions.

I almost chipped in when people were complaining about the "upgrade" but, took a breath and decided that Mike, Fred & Terry could handle the discussions.

This product is worth every penny. And I am holding out on any HDR software, cause I know that if Mike ever produces an HDR product it will be better than what is out there.